Recently there have been comparisons of the relative value of publicly accessible ‘front of house’ drug safety testing with ‘back of house’ lab-based testing only accessible to services working with people who use drugs. We suggest here that rather than competing models, we should aim for a gold standard testing system that includes both, in … Continued
Last year I shadowed The Loop as they offered their pioneering front-of-house drug testing programme in Manchester at one of The Warehouse Project’s club nights. As someone who is particularly passionate about harm reduction in my role at CGL (Change, Grow, Live), I was inspired by their commitment to helping people make informed decisions, creating a safer … Continued
This Saturday, 3rd June, The Times published our joint letter calling on all political parties to address the problems of current drug policy in the UK, as laid out in our Manifesto Challenge. Read the letter in full here: Sir, The forthcoming general election has pleasingly been about more than Brexit, but one vital policy has … Continued
It’s probably fair to say that 2016 will not go down in history as one of our finest years. Donald Trump won the White House, catastrophic war raged on in Syria and the Levant, and climate changed produced the hottest year on record, again. Oh, and David Bowie died. As did Prince. As did George … Continued
“You saved Fabric” reads the banner on the Farringdon club’s Twitter account right now. And that’s right; an arsenal of global followers creating a loud marathon of campaigning, protests, and petitions did the trick in the end. The process was lubricated by both the sharing power of social media and a flock of high-profile influencers … Continued
Days before the court appeal was due to begin, which would decide the fate of London super-club, fabric, a surprise settlement was agreed between Islington Council and Fabric owners, allowing the club to re-open under heightened security measures. The news has been celebrated as a landmark event for London’s dance music culture. The 3 month … Continued
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has appointed Amy Lamé as London’s first Night Czar, tasked with turning the capital back into a “thriving 24-hour city”. Lamé is a DJ, performer, writer, TV and radio presenter, LGBT+ campaigner and former Mayoress of Camden. However, she is best known for being the co-founder and host of the Oliver-award … Continued
I’m Declan, a final year pharmacology student at The University of Manchester. I’m writing this blog post to highlight the charity work going on in the UK right now, and how students can contribute to harm reduction work today. Since I’ve arrived in Manchester, I’ve started working with The Loop, a not-for-profit community interest group that provides … Continued
This article was originally published by Transform. Key policy questions around the future of dance drugs in the UK have, this year, crystallised around two profoundly contrasting events: the closure of Fabric for what Islington Council deemed its failure to tackle the nightclub’s ‘culture of drugs’, and the introduction of drug testing for individual users … Continued
In the low ethereal glow of a hotel bathroom, the dopamine flows. Two pairs of eyes meet across the bubbles, and serotonin streams like sunlight into the 5-HT receptors of the brains behind them. Oxytocin, and a shared sense of elation spreads through both bodies. Monika and Lars are more in love than ever, and … Continued