Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
U.S. Overdose deaths are on the rise in Black and Indigenous populations
A new analysis published by the Smithsonian Magazine and authored by Margaret Osborne earlier in July discussed the rising numbers of overdose deaths in the U.S., particularly in African-American and indigenous populations. New data released by the CDC demonstrates...
Study finds new indicators found for alcohol use disorder
According to new research, drinking alone in youth is a significant predictor of problematic alcohol use later in life. A recent longitudinal study following over 9,000 U.S. high school students for 17 years showed that solitary drinking in adolescence and young...
Opinion: Canadian decriminalization efforts are not enough to produce results
In a recent opinion article published by Talking Drugs, an online platform provided by the International Drug Policy Consortium, news and analysis on drug policy, the author, André Gomes discussed the limitations of Canada’s recent drug decriminalization efforts. In...
Overdose prevention site needed in Saint John
Avenue B, a harm reduction organization based in Saint John, has been preparing to apply to Health Canada for a licence in order to operate an overdose prevention site in an effort to reduce overdose-related deaths. If the application is approved, it would be the...
UK recreational drug users could have passports and driving licences confiscated
A new proposal announced by the UK government may lead to recreational drug users in England and Wales having their passports and driving licences seized. In addition, the proposal includes the initiative of having casual users of cocaine and cannabis pay fines and be...
Etizolam creates problems for first responders in B.C.’s overdose crisis
According to recent data released by the BC Coroners Service released on July 14, there were 195 overdose-related deaths in the province in May, as written about here. In addition, the report stated that etizolam, a benzodiazepine analogue that acts as a potent...
Mobile overdose prevention RV launched in Winnipeg
A new mobile overdose prevention site is set to circulate on the streets of Winnipeg this summer, after the drop-in centre Sunshine House received a federal grant to fund the program. During the official unveiling of the mobile home purchased to use as the overdose...
Ohio introduces new bill to legalize fentanyl testing strips
On May 19, Ohio State Representative Kristin Boggs testified before the House Criminal Justice Committee in support of House Bill 456, which would remove fentanyl testing strips from the list of prohibited drug paraphernalia. Previously, state Senator Nathan Manning...
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy trial halted due to patient safety issues
Two clinical trials for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy have been halted due to patient safety concerns that arose during an ongoing federal review, as written about by Bethany Lindsay for CBC. On June 22, Health Canada announced that the Phase II trial currently underway...