Last weekend saw both the start of the UK summer festival season and the abrupt end to one of its festivals – forced to close early due to two drug-related deaths and over 15 hospital admissions. Sadly another two young adults have been added to the growing list of festival drug casualties. This same weekend, … Continued
Inmates are killing themselves after racking up huge drugs debts inside prison, the trade union for prison officers has warned. Joe Simpson, assistant general secretary of the Prison Officers Association (POA), said the Government’s plans to crackdown on drugs through targeting mobile phones, criminal gangs and drones would come to nothing without more staff to … Continued
On 27 March 2018, the Criminal Justice Centre, Queen Mary University of London (in collaboration with Volteface) held a conference entitled ‘Evidence and Issues concerning Drug Consumption Rooms‘. Such rooms are designed to be available to vulnerable populations of users, (notably those who use on the streets or in other risky and unhygienic conditions) and they aim … Continued
The UN General Assembly (GA) is responsible for passing the three main international drug conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988 that shape modern drug policy. The UN bodies specifically dedicated to drug policy are the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Commission of Narcotic Drugs (CND). The International Narcotics … Continued
Adulterants are commonplace in contemporary illicit drugs. The use of rat poison may have been an urban legend, but many of the substances that are used would be extremely toxic to a rat. Profit-driven dealers at all levels of the supply chain add substances to “bulk, dilute, complement or enhance the effects of the drugs”. … Continued
We are looking for guest writers and contributors for our online magazine. Our aim is to explore the policy and politics of drug reform from science, health, lifestyle, culture, business, crime and economic perspectives. If you have an interest in this area, strong writing skills and would like to contribute, please get in touch at … Continued
The UK’s night time economy is failing to protect its most valuable asset: the people who go out and enjoy it. Night Lives: Reducing Drug-Related Harms in the Night Time Economy, a joint report by The Loop, Volteface, Durham University and The All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform highlights the urgent need for measures … Continued
Last week, the Justice and Home Affairs Council adopted recommendations on alternatives to coercive sanctions for drug using offenders. These recommendations were approved within the frame of the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2017-2020 which requests member states to provide alternatives to coercive sanctions for drug using offenders “where appropriate, and in accordance with … Continued
This article was originally published on The Conversation on February 27, 2018 and written by King’s College London researcher Marta Di Forti. Fully 94% of the cannabis seized by British police in 2016 was high-potency cannabis known as “skunk”, our latest research reveals. By comparison, skunk comprised 85% of cannabis seized in 2008, and just … Continued
Following the publication of a new study done by King’s College researchers revealing the cannabis consumed in the UK is highly potent, many experts expressed their views on the issue. One thing is clear: the debate around cannabis and what the government should do about it is involves very different, sometimes conflicting views. Marjorie Wallace … Continued