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Taking drugs has never been more dangerous , warns NCA
has never been a more dangerous time to take drugs ’, the National Crime Agency ( NCA ) has warned in its annual assessment of serious and organised crime . There has been a ‘ significant escalation in the criminal use of nitazenes ’ as a cheap way of increasing the strength of drugs – particularly heroin – and users often ‘ simply do not know what they are consuming ’, the report states . More than 280 deaths have been linked to nitazenes since June last year .
In the majority of cases ‘ these substances were consumed unintentionally alongside other drugs such as heroin and / or benzodiazepines , with very small quantities capable of leading to overdose and death ,’ the document says . Alongside the growing availability of synthetic opioids , global production of cocaine is also up , with UNODC highlighting a 35 per cent increase between 2020 and 2021 in last year ’ s Global report on cocaine ( DDN , April 2023 , page 5 ). Not only has the number of drug-related deaths in the UK tripled in the last 30 years , illegal drugs are also a ‘ key driver of serious and organised crime that blights communities across the UK ’, the NCA document says .
‘ While overall crime figures have fallen over the last decade , the scale and harm of serious and organised crime has increased ,’ said NCA director general Graeme Biggar . ‘ As we outline in our latest assessment , it is clear that serious and organised crime still causes more harm , to more people , more
Largest ketamineassisted therapy trial
THE LARGEST EVER TRIAL to investigate if ketamineassisted therapy could help people with alcohol problems to stop drinking is recruiting participants , the University of Exeter has announced .
The trial will initially be delivered at eight NHS sites across the country , with the first patients now being screened for eligibility .
The £ 2.4m Multicentre investigation of ketamine for reduction of alcohol relapse ( MORE-KARE ) is being led by the University of Exeter and co-funded by NIHR , the Medical Research Council and Awakn Life Sciences . Previous research has found ‘ promising ’ reductions in alcohol relapse rates following ketamine treatment .
Participants in the current trial will be randomly allocated to receive a different dose of ketamine infusion via drip along with psychological support sessions with a therapist .
Both the ketamine dose and type of psychological support will be randomly assigned by computer , with neither the participant nor the research team knowing who has been assigned what . The participants ’ alcohol use will be monitored via drink diaries and self-breathalysing , which will be followed up in person at three and six-month intervals . https :// sites . exeter . ac . uk / morekare
‘ It is clear that serious and organised crime still causes more harm , to more people , more often , than any other national security threat .’
GRAEME BIGGAR
often , than any other national security threat .’ National strategic assessment of serious and organised crime at https :// www . nationalcrimeagency . gov . uk / nsa-2024
‘ Painful ’ stigma
THE SCOTTISH DRUGS FORUM ( SDF ) has published a new report , Medication assisted treatment – evaluation of current practice across eight health board areas in Scotland , based on extensive interviews with people in drug treatment .
SDF found that some people faced delays in getting an appointment of several months , with further delays in accessing a prescription . Travel distances and costs were also a barrier , interviewers were told , as were stigmatising attitudes from GPs and pharmacists .
‘ The examples of stigma and discrimination were painful to observe during the project and are difficult to read now ,’ said SDF CEO Kirsten Horsburgh . ‘ People ’ s expectations of services are often very low yet even the basic standards of care and human decency can be sorely lacking . The primary aim of all treatment should be the empowerment of people in treatment . This would be achieved by successful implementation of all ten MAT standards – of which there is some way to go .’ Document at sdf . org . uk
Local News
PALACE PARADE This year ’ s UK Recovery Walk will take place in Crystal Palace Park on 14 September , with speakers including Dame Carol Black alongside live performances , choirs , DJ sets and more . Organisations hosting stalls include Adfam , VIA , Turning Point , Change Grow Live , Humankind and With You . Full details at https :// www . facesandvoicesof recoveryuk . org / ukrw24 /
CLIENT CONNECTIONS Abbeycare ’ s annual Recovery Gathering will be held in the Glynhill Hotel in Renfrew on 8 September from 12.30pm . The free event ‘ acts as a huge reunion for Abbeycare ’ s growing community , connecting our current clients with our former ones and letting every one support each other , which is a really important part of the recovery process ,’ said chief executive Paul Bowley .
PRISON PERFORMANCE More than 400 people in Scottish prisons have now taken part in the Creative Change Collective ’ s drama programme , designed to reduce reoffending and improve mental health . ‘ I am proud that our work is playing its part in helping people turn their lives around and address some of the challenges that led to their convictions ,’ said project director Mark MacNicol .
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