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Xylazine now in UK drug market , researchers warn
The powerful non-opioid tranquiliser xylazine has infiltrated the UK ’ s drug market and is ‘ not limited to heroin supplies ’, according to a report by researchers at King ’ s College London ( KCL ). The drug , known in the US as ‘ tranq ’ or ‘ tranq dope ’ – especially when mixed with fentanyl or heroin – has been associated with dangerous side effects such as large open skin ulcers . As xylazine is not an opioid its effects cannot be reversed by naloxone in the case of an overdose , although it is frequently used with opioids . A sedative , painkiller and muscle relaxant , it is used in veterinary medicine as a tranquiliser for animals and can dangerously lower breathing and heart rate in humans .
KCL researchers contacted all toxicology labs in the UK to collate evidence of xylazine detections in biological samples . They found the presence of the drug in 16 people , 11 of which cases were fatalities . Many of the samples dated from last year , while May 2022 saw the UK ’ s first xylazine death – a 43-year-old man in Solihull . While xylazine is usually mixed with
ENGLAND HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION among children , according to a WHOcommissioned report from the University of Glasgow . The country had the highest lifetime use of alcohol among 11-year-olds – at 35 per cent of boys and 34 per cent of girls – as well as the highest rate among 13-year-olds ( 50 per cent of boys and 57 per cent of girls ). Denmark had the highest prevalence for 15-year-olds , meanwhile , at 83 per cent for boys and 84 per cent for girls .
Researchers studied data from almost 280,000 children and young people across 44 countries opioids it has also been detected ‘ alongside stimulant drugs such as cocaine , and found in items sold as counterfeit codeine and diazepam tablets and even THC vapes ’, says KCL . This means a far wider population than people who use heroin will be exposed , warns the report , which is published the journal Addiction .
‘ We now know that xylazine has penetrated the UK ’ s illicit drug market ,’ said the report ’ s senior author Dr Caroline Copeland . ‘ We also know that most people who buy heroin will not intend to buy xylazine and this combination increases the risk of overdose . Xylazine was designated an “ emerging threat ” to the United States and this public health threat is a growing concern for the UK . There are three simple measures the UK can introduce to prevent the epidemic of xylazine use that has emerged in the USA . Cheap xylazine test strips should be made available , healthcare providers need to be aware of the signs that chronic skin ulcers are due to xylazine use , and pathologists and coroners should specifically request toxicology testing for xylazine in
to find trends in adolescent substance use . Alcohol was the most commonly used substance , but vaping was now more common than smoking among young people , the document states . More than half of 15-yearolds in Europe had drunk alcohol , while one in five had recently used e-cigarettes .
While England had the highest rate of lifetime alcohol use among 11 and 13-year-olds , more than half of 15-year-old girls and two-fifths of 15-year-old boys had drunk alcohol during the last month .
‘ Compared with other European countries , rates of
‘ There are three simple measures the UK can introduce to prevent the epidemic of xylazine use that has emerged in the USA .’
DR CAROLINE COPELAND
relevant cases to understand the true prevalence of the drug .’
Report at https :// onlinelibrary . wiley . com / doi / full / 10.1111 / add . 16466
England tops child alcohol league
drunkenness in the UK were high , particularly among girls ,’ researchers state . Smoking prevalence was also higher among girls than boys in England and Wales . Almost a tenth of 11-yearolds in England had tried an e-cigarette at least once , rising to more than a quarter of 15-year-old boys and 40 per cent of 15-yearold girls . One in five 15-year-olds in the UK had also tried cannabis at least once .
A focus on adolescent substance use in Europe , central Asia and Canada : Health behaviour in schoolaged children international report from the 2021 / 2022 survey at https :// iris . who . int / handle / 10665 / 376573
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HACKNEY HUB LJWG has launched a peer-based harm reduction hub in Hackney , in partnership with the Hepatitis C Trust and Hackney Council . ‘ We have sought to involve peers with living or lived experience at every stage of the development and delivery ’, says LJWG . For more information contact dee . cunniffe @ ljwg . org . uk
EDIBLE AWARENESS Forward Leeds recently ran an awareness-raising campaign about cannabis edibles , with online messaging and in-person events . ‘ Cannabis edibles can present challenges due to their discreet nature and potentially unpredictable potency ,’ said team manager Hannah Trevisani . ‘ We ’ re hoping to bust some of the myths and increase people ’ s understanding .’
BRENT BOOST Via ’ s New Beginnings service in Brent has achieved microelimination of hep C , with 100 per cent of people in treatment having been offered a test and 90 per cent of those diagnosed starting treatment . ‘ This achievement is a result of the amazing partnership work taking place at the service ,’ said service manager Max Griffiths .
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