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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 | 1 Comment »
24/02/2009 by admin.
The drugs and alcohol today annual exibition for professionals takes place on wednesday 29th april 2009 at the Business Design Centre London
Pre booked tickets are £20 and are available from the organisers at www.drugsandalcoholtodayexhibition..com
The event brings together over 60 organisations, with exhibitors and seminars. The event carries PRTL accreditation.
Posted in Drug & Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »
05/12/2008 by admin.
The government yesterday launched a new anti Cocaine ad campain warning youngsters about the risks of Cocaine use and Cocaine addiction.
The 1 million pound campaign which will appear on television and the internet is to highlight the dangers posed by Cocaine to the users health & personality as well as the social costs of Cocaine use and Cocaine addiction.
Cocaine a class A drug was once only popular in fashionable London society, but has now gained in popularity across the whole country and across all social groups.
The campaign has been launched by TalktoFrank, the government funded campaign which provides young people and their families with information & advice about drugs.
Dawn Primarolo, the Health Minister, said: “There is a darker side to using cocaine which this campaign exposes. Addiction, personality change and the risk of heart attacks – even at a young age – can ruin the health and lives of cocaine users and their families.”
Click here to visit the TalktoFrank website and find out more about Cocaine use
Click here to visit BBC news and watch the video about Cocaine use
Posted in Talk to Frank, Cocaine Addiction, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Cocaine, Teenagers | No Comments »
26/11/2008 by admin.
The UK breathalyser sales continue to grow in 2008 compared to 2007, this despite the UK economy entering into recession in the final quarter.
Total UK Breathalysers sales grew by 12.8% compared like to like sales for the first 11 months of 2007. Consumer sales, which usually peak in December are expected to fall, however company and professional sales have actually increased.
There has been a definate trend to top end, more accurate units with consumers better able to compare units, and making the choice to avoid cheap sub £20 breathalysers which do not perform to expected standards.
UK Breathalyser sales continue to be predominantly internet market led, with valuebreathalysers dominating the professional breathalyser UK market
Current internet market leading UK Breathalyser Shop
Posted in Breathalyser Mouthpieces, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Value breathalysers, Breathalysers | No Comments »
17/11/2008 by admin.
Just read this encouraging article below from todays Guardian online. It seems treating cocaine & heroin addicts for their addiction does reduce crime levels.
Research published today shows that heroin and crack cocaine addicts receiving drug treatment commit fewer crimes to feed their habit.
The Manchester University study, based on data from the police national computer, shows that the number of offences committed by addicts - such as theft - fell by almost half once they had entered drug treatment programmes.
The research results were based on 1,500 heroin and crack cocaine users who had recently been convicted and sentenced to undergo rehabilitation treatment in the community rather than jailed.
The study found that the total number of crimes for which they were charged in the year following the start of treatment fell from 4,381 to 2,348. The biggest category of theft fell from 1,234 to 635. The highest proportion of crimes committed while they were in treatment were for breaching a previous sentence.
Reductions in crime were consistent across the board. Violence more than halved, as did offences of fraud, drug possession and prostitution.
Paul Hayes, of the National Treatment Agency, which funded the study, said: “While this confirms the value of using substitute prescribing … to stabilise drug users, it also shows crime is cut rather than eradicated. This reinforces the need for drug workers to go further and do more to actively get users off drugs and reintegrated into society.”
Posted in Heroin addiction, Cocaine Addiction, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Drug Treatment, Heroin | No Comments »
11/11/2008 by admin.
Read this interesting article in the guardian today
Here is an extract from the article
It has become commonplace for people who are overweight to attribute their waistline to their DNA. Now, celebrities caught snorting cocaine might also be able to blame their parents.
Scientists reported yesterday the discovery of a gene that increases the chances of becoming hooked on the drug Addicts were 25% more likely to carry the gene variant than people who did not use cocaine, a study found.
The discovery is unlikely to lead to a treatment for cocaine addicts, but scientists hope it could be used to screen for those most likely to have problems kicking the habit if they ever try the drug.
“If you are a carrier of this gene variant, the likelihood of getting addicted to cocaine is higher,” said Rainer Spanagel, a professor of psychopharmacology at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany, who led the study. “You can certainly use this as a vulnerability marker for cocaine addiction.”
Click here to read the full story online
Posted in Cocaine Addiction, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Cocaine, Uncategorized | No Comments »
10/11/2008 by admin.
Just found this article below at Timesonline here,
1. Do you ever worry that you drink too much?
2. Have friends or family expressed concern about you about your drinking habits?
3. Do you find you can drink a lot without becoming drunk?
4. Do you need to drink more to have the same effect?
5. Have you tried to stop drinking, but found that you were unable to for more than a few days?
6. Do you carry on drinking even though it is interfering with your work, family or relationships?
7. Do you need a drink to start the day?
8. Do you get shaky, sweaty or anxious a few hours after your last drink?
9. Have you experienced blanks in your memory, where you can’t remember what happened for a period of hours or days?
10. Is your judgement affected by alcohol, so that you do things that you normally wouldn’t, such as starting fights or arguments, having unprotected sex with strangers or becoming violent.
If you answer yes to more than three of these questions, it is indicator of alcohol misuse.
If you’re worried you may be suffering from alcoholism, have a problem with alcohol or just want to cut down your intake visit your GP or for help, support and further information contact one of the following organisations:
Offering support, information and meetings for people who have a problem with alcohol
The national agency on alcohol misuse, providing information and support
Practical advice for people with alcohol problems, their friends and their relatives. Including a directory of rehab centres.
Posted in Alcoholism, Drug & Alcohol Addiction | No Comments »
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 | No Comments »
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 »
28/10/2008 by admin.
www.ukdrugtesting.co.uk now offers both home drug test and professional drug test pack options of the intsantview 5 drug saliva (oral Fluid) drug testing kit
This saliva drug test has been available in home test formats for 8 months, but has this year gained it’s CE approval for sales in Europe as a professional IVDD (in-Vitro Diagnostic Device) opening professional markets for this easy to use saliva drug test kit.
Sold in the UK as the UK drugtesting 5 drug saliva drug test, the test kit screens saliva for
Cannabis, 12ng/ml up to 14 hrs
Cocaine, 20ng/ml up to 24hrs
Opiates, 40ng/ml up to 48 hrs
Amphetamine, 50ng/nl up to 72 hrs
Benzodiazepines 50ng/ml up to 48 hrs
With the detection time indicated, this saliva drug test is one of only a handfull offering saliva Benzodiazepine detection.
More details and pricing here http://www.ukdrugtesting.co.uk/acatalog/Saliva_Drug_Test.html
Posted in Drug Detection Times, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Cocaine, Saliva Drug Tests, Cannabis, Drug Testing | No Comments »