Human Enhancement Drugs: The Emerging Challenges to Public Health
Drug use is usually portrayed as a hedonistic pursuit of pleasure, whether being the use of thought-expanding hallucinogens, the excitement of stimulants or the euphoria of opiates. However, there are many drugs that are being primarily used for their functional purposes rather than for any instant gratification. These substances, termed 'Human Enhancement Drugs", represent a new challenge to public health and reflect a society that in recent years has shifted from an attitude of "a pill for every ill" to a drive for "better than well".
Changes to Steroid Laws
Steroids have always been a bit confusing when it comes to discussing legalities with visitors to a needle programme.
But changes to the law covering steroids that come into effect from April 23rd are going to cause a major change if both the legalities and possible risks of using this group of drugs.
Discourage the use of 2ml barrels
I'm sure its a common experience of needle programme workers around the UK (even around the world), people asking for 2ml barrels when they are planning to groin inject. But a 2ml isn't the best equipment for this and it's a behaviour that we as workers or peer educators need to challenge.
Keep Calm & Carry...
Well it's finally happened, after a couple of years of talking about it (and having wonderful friends nag me) I've started designing Tshirts to help support the costs of running this site.
Overdose phone app
Harm reduction has always been a relatively simple option. Relying on things like the supply of sterile injecting equipment, face to face delivery of life saving advice and other practical steps to try to help people stay safe and alive. We have of course along the way had innovations but these have generally been around focused on the equipment given to injectors. But because of technology becoming so easily accessible for people we are now starting to move into new areas of innovation.
