Xylazine is a nonopioid sedative that is not approved for human use and which has no known antidote. It can cause central nervous system depression, respiratory depression, bradycardia and hypotension in humans.

The report concluded that there is a need for routine testing for xylazine in suspected deaths. In addition, more research is needed into the drug’s potency and effect on humans to reach a full understanding of risk and to guide prevention efforts. (Complete article (addictionpolicy.org)

Also see 

Challenges in Identifying Novel Psychoactive Substances and a Stronger Path Forward 

The Ongoing Fentanyl Firestorm and the Unhelpful Gagging of Policy & Practice Possibilities

 Alcohol, substance misuse causes brain changes, reducing 'cognitive flexibility'

• “Cognitive flexibility” involves adapting to changes in circumstances to achieve favorable outcomes.
• Certain substances influence cognitive flexibility, and researchers are still working to understand the interactions and changes that occur.
• A​ recent study explored the link between reduced cognitive flexibility and the use of alcohol and cocaine.
• The data offered vital insight into the underlying neural pathways involved in these brain changes.

“Cognitive flexibility is a complex phenomenon that typically refers to the ability to shift one’s mental focus and adapt to new obstacles, goals, and patterns. Being able to think and act effectively in response to changes in stimuli, environments, and surprises signifies a healthy level of cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is important because our environment is rapidly changing, and when our thinking patterns remain rigid and fixed, we become unable to adapt to our environment.”

“In this study, we see how some of that switch between impulsivity and compulsivity takes place — neurons are sending signals to release high levels of dopamine, which then inhibits other deep structures that enforce cognitive flexibility. As this cycle of behavioral abuse continues, the structures continue to inhibit cognitive flexibility, thus leading to a negative feedback loop,” Spielberg added.

(Source: medicalnewstoday.com

Examining The World Drug Report 2023 UNODC Civil Society Webinar

(Dalgarno Institute Contribution)

New data put the global estimate of people who inject drugs in 2021 at 13.2 million, 18 per cent higher than previously estimated. Globally, over 296 million people used drugs in 2021, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous decade. The number of people who suffer from drug use disorders, meanwhile, has skyrocketed to 39.5 million, a 45 per cent increase over 10 years

The demand for treating drug-related disorders remains largely unmet, according to the report. Only one in five people suffering from drug-related disorders were in treatment for drug use in 2021, with widening disparities in access to treatment across regions.

Youth populations are the most vulnerable to using drugs and are also more severely affected by substance use disorder in several regions. In Africa, 70 per cent of people in treatment are under the age of 35.

Public health, prevention, and access to treatment services must be prioritized worldwide, the report argues, or drug challenges will leave more people behind.

(We cannot arrest our way out of this mess, but we most certainly cannot ‘treat our way out’ of it either. Prevention must be Priority ONE and Drug use exiting Recovery Priority TWO World Drug Report 2023 Source: ISSUP News June 2023)