03/02/2010 by admin.

Reported purity levels of many drugs sold in clubs in the UK as Ecstacy and Cocaine are as low as 2% active drug.

Young users are suspected of switching to legal high drugs like Mephedrone, as they are perceived as safer, purer and better value.

Unfortunately the risks of Mephedrone are now being documented. Particularly of concern is very young users experimenting in unsafe environments such as parks, cemeteries etc, often in combination with alcohol Most are snorting (mephedrone is unpleasant to snort~ stinging) It can also be swallowed or smoked

Reported risks & side effects of Mephedrone include behaviour changes including paranoia, aggression and anxiety, some suspicions of dependency are developing with a recognisable withdrawl picture emerging.

The research backing up the professional and legal approach to these compounds is left playing catch up. There are estimated to be over 240 compounds being promoted as legal highs, with little data available on the pharmacology or even lists of the active constituents of the majority being available to health care providers and to date no simple means of detection for the majority of new compounds.

For more information on Mephadrone visit Drugscope

Posted in Mephadrone side effects, Mephadrone drug, Methadrone, MCAT, Meow meow drug, Mephadrone, Cocaine, Drug Classifiaction, Drug use, drugs | 1 Comment »

04/11/2009 by admin.

The number of new patients presenting with heroin and crack problems classed as “young Adults” has fallen by nearly 1/3 over the last 4 years. Over the same period there has been a 20% increase in adult presentations.

The fall mirrors the rise in cocaine use, demonstarting changing patterns of preferred drug abuse, but little overall change in drug usage rates overall.

Click here for information about drug testing kits

Posted in Drug use, Heroin use, drugs | 1 Comment »

05/03/2009 by admin.

Skunk is an addictive and powerful form of cannabis that has been linked to mental health problems in users.

Skunk is a particularly potent form of Cannabis and has been linked to schizophrenia in several studies. It is thought that up to 25% of new cases of Schizophrenia could be linked to its use.

Young men who smoke cannabis seem to be particularly at risk of developing mental health problems which include loss of concentration, paranoia, aggressiveness and possible development of psychosis

Because of its potency users are more likely to become addicted to Skunk and may require a detox to come off it. Withdrawal symptoms from Skunk may include anxiety, sleep disturbance, headaches, mood swings, & tremors.

Some clinical studies have suggested that prolonged Skunk use causes brain damage visible on brain scans

The recent reclassification of Cannabis & the government TV campaign about the dangers of Cannabis has sought to highlight the mental health effects of cannabis use on young people. Much of the cannabis on the streets today is much more potent and addictive than in the past and the dangers to users are increased

Click here to view cannabis drug testing kits for home use

Click here to view professional cannabis drug testing kits

Posted in Cannabis Drug Testing Kits, Skunk, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Drugs & Mental Illness, Cannabis, drugs | 2 Comments »

05/12/2008 by admin.

High doses can raise the body’s temperature, cause convulsions and respiratory or heart failure

Highly risky for anybody with high blood pressure or a heart condition. Perfectly healthy, young people can have a fit or heart attack after taking too much coke and you may not know you’ve got a pre-existing heart condition

Heavy use can cause depression and serious problems with anxiety and paranoia

Can bring previous mental health problems to the surface

Alcohol and cocaine together can be particularly dangerous as the substances interact in the body to produce a toxic chemical

Posted in Cocaine Addiction, Cocaine, Drugs & Mental Illness, drugs | No Comments »

17/11/2008 by admin.

Just read this article from Guradian online about public opinion to drug testing for certain occupations. Here is an extract below

 Britons have become more hardline in their attitudes towards drugs and the people who use them, a major poll commissioned by The Observer has revealed.

The toughening in public opinion includes an overwhelming desire for key workers, such as police officers, teachers and doctors, to face regular testing.

According to the survey, which was carried out by ICM research and is reported fully in Drugs Uncovered magazine, free with today’s Observer, the proportion of people who think that drug laws are too liberal has risen from a quarter in 2002 to 32 per cent. Meanwhile, those who believe that legislation is not liberal enough has fallen from 30 to 18 per cent and support for decriminalising certain drugs has dropped from 38 to 27 per cent.

Similarly, 85 per cent now feel that police officers should undergo routine testing to see if they have been using illicit substances compared with 61 per cent six years ago, when The Observer last conducted an in-depth poll on drugs. Just 46 per cent believed teachers should face testing then; now 68 per cent do. The same trend emerged for pilots, drivers, doctors and nurses.

Click here to read the full story

Posted in Drug Testing News, Drug Testing, drugs | 1 Comment »

03/11/2008 by admin.

Brian Woods and Kate Blewett reveal the devastating impact that illegal drugs have on neglected children, whose childhoods are blighted by chaos

 is estimated that around 350,000 children in the UK have parents with a serious drug problem - with 10 babies being born to heroin-addicted mothers every day. Yet in contrast to the billions of pounds spent on helping the users themselves, there is a serious lack of specialist help for their children - many of whom are at serious risk.

In this Dispatches film, award-winning filmmakers Brian Woods and Kate Blewett reveal the devastating impact that illegal drugs have on these neglected children, whose childhoods are blighted by chaos and danger - and the effect on their grandparents who are left to pick up the pieces and become their full-time carers.

Click here to visit Channel 4 and find out more

Posted in Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Heroin, drugs | 1 Comment »

31/10/2008 by admin.

Just read this article at Mail Online. Here is an extract from the article

One in ten adults admits using illegal drugs in the past year, startling new Home Office figures reveal.

The statistics show that more people are taking the most harmful Class A substances than ten years ago.

Of the three million people aged 16 to 59 who have taken at least one illegal drug over the past 12 months, almost a million admit using the hardest drugs, including cocaine, heroin and ecstasy. Almost 750,000 have snorted cocaine.

Click here to read the full story

Posted in Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Cocaine, Cannabis, drugs | No Comments »

30/10/2008 by admin.

Methamphetamine and MDMA (Methylenedioxymethampetamine) are chemically very similar and while test membranes specific to only MDMA are available, most test membranes for Methamphetaine (often abbreviated to MET) will also detect MDMA (ecstacy)

As most MDMA is made in illicit labs, most tablets sold and Ecstacy also contain other amphetamine esters, including MET.

As a consequence the MET test membrane is a good general screen, detecting much which is sold as pills or tablets in clubs etc. If you specifically want to identify MDMA in its pure form buy the MDMA test membrane

Posted in Methamphetamine test kit, MDMA test kit, Drug Testing, ecstasy, drugs | 3 Comments »

26/10/2008 by admin.

The government backed initiative is aimed at steering youngsters away from drug and alcohol misuse.

It will mean primary school children will learn from the age of five about topics such as the effects of drugs on the body.

As pupils progress through school they will be given detailed information about the risks of drug and alcohol misuse

The announcement follows reviews into sex and drugs education in school.

Announcing the findings Schools Minister Jim Knight said: “Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) should be made statutory. It should be supported by a statutory programme of study in order to give it an increased status in schools and with school leaders.”

Click here to read the full article

Posted in Education, Alcohol, drugs | 1 Comment »

20/10/2008 by admin.

Just read this article on the Addaction Website. Addaction is the UK’s largest drug and alcohol treatment charity

Here is an extract from the article

5th October 2008 One in five (19 per cent) young people say they think their parents have taken drugs and of those, one in ten (nine per cent) say they think their parents still take drugs, according to a survey published today by Addaction, Britain’s biggest specialist drug and alcohol charity. Yet overwhelmingly young people describe themselves as being ‘against’ drugs (90 per cent) and only one in ten (13 per cent) think celebrities make taking drugs seem ‘cool’ (1).

The Addaction YouGov and Dubit surveys, which questioned almost 2000 adults and 500 young people selected at random in England and Scotland about their attitudes towards drugs and alcohol, reveals signs that the generation gap is closing between parents and their children on drugs.

Click here to visit the Addaction Website

Posted in Addaction, Alcohol, drugs | 1 Comment »