Tag: harm reduction
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Scotland closes in on WHO hepatitis C elimination target as incidence plunges among PWID
Scotland on track for WHO hepatitis C elimination New modelling indicates Scotland is edging closer to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination target, highlighting a significant decline in new infections among people who inject drugs (PWID). The findings come from one of the longest-running studies of HCV transmission in the country,…
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Scotland Near WHO Hepatitis C Elimination Target as HCV Incidence Drops Among PWID
Scotland closes in on WHO hepatitis C elimination target Scotland is edging closer to the World Health Organization’s hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination target, buoyed by new modelling that indicates a steep fall in HCV incidence among people who inject drugs (PWID). Public health researchers say the trend reflects sustained investments in harm reduction, increased…
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Public Health Sudbury Issues Urgent Drug Alert Over Heavier Sedation in Local Overdoses
Public Health Sudbury Issues Urgent Drug Alert Over Heavier Sedation in Local Overdoses Public Health Sudbury and Districts, in collaboration with Sudbury’s Community Drug Strategy, has issued a warning to residents about a troubling trend: recent drug poisonings in the Sudbury area have involved heavier levels of sedation, and authorities are uncertain why this shift…
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Sudbury Drug Alert: Heavier Sedation in Overdoses Prompts Public Health Warning
Public Health Sudbury Issues Urgent Drug Safety Warning Public Health Sudbury & Districts, in collaboration with Sudbury’s Community Drug Strategy, has issued a warning about an alarming trend in recent drug poisonings. In multiple overdose events, responders have observed heavier sedation than typically seen with known substances. At this time, health officials say there is…
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Xylazine Crisis: The ‘Zombifying’ Drug Driving Widespread Wounds and Amputations in the US and UK
The Xylazine Epidemic: What It Is and Why It Matters Xylazine, commonly known on the street as “tranq,” is a powerful sedative that has drifted from veterinary use into human drug markets. Often mixed with fentanyl to intensify and prolong effects, xylazine is contributing to a surge in overdose deaths in the United States and…
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Xylazine Crisis: Zombifying Drug Wounds and Overdoses
What is Xylazine and why is it alarming? Xylazine, commonly known as tranq, is a potent animal sedative that has quietly moved from veterinary clinics to the streets. Although it was first developed in the 1960s as a medicine for controlling blood pressure, it never became a human-approved drug. In recent years, it has appeared…
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Xylazine Crisis: The ‘Zombifying’ Drug Driving Overdoses and Severe Wounds in the US and UK
What is Xylazine and why is it spreading? Xylazine, a potent sedative originally developed for veterinary use, has surged onto the illicit drug scene in the US and the UK. Often nicknamed “tranq,” it is frequently mixed with fentanyl to intensify and prolong effects. This combination is not just a recipe for a stronger high;…
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Global drug addiction mortality doubles as new cases fall: a wake-up call for harm reduction
Overview: a paradox in the global drug problem Recent analyses based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data reveal a striking paradox: while the number of new drug use disorder (DUD) cases has declined in many regions, deaths and disability from drug addiction have surged. This paradox exposes critical gaps in global harm-reduction…
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Global drug addiction mortality rates surge despite fewer cases
Introduction: A paradox in global drug use New international data reveal a troubling paradox: the incidence of drug use disorders (DUDs) is not rising as rapidly as death and disability from drug use. A comprehensive analysis based on the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study shows that while new cases of drug addiction have…
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Global Drug Addiction Mortality Surges Despite Fewer New Cases: A Global Health Alarm
What the latest analysis reveals A sweeping epidemiological review using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data shows a troubling paradox: global drug-use disorders (DUDs) are yielding far more deaths even as new cases decline. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, tracks trends from 1990 to 2021 and emphasizes that mortality and disability…