Mark Gilman
@markgilman2.bsky.social
Harm Reduction: Research, Policy & Practice since 1981. From the Deeply Vale Free Festival to today. The war on drugs is over...drugs have won.
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Our weekly bulletin is out now, with news from the #alcohol and #drugs field: updates from treatment providers, policy developments, research, upcoming events and more. See it here: mailchi.mp/collectivevo... Subscribe to future bulletins here: collectivevoice.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...
March 14, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Our weekly bulletin is out now, with news from the #alcohol and #drugs field: updates from treatment providers, policy developments, research, upcoming events and more. See it here: mailchi.mp/collectivevo... Subscribe to future bulletins here: collectivevoice.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Under "vaping horror" headlines, media amplified a study that was incomplete, unpublished and not peer-reviewed.
Experts scrambled to limit the damage. But many readers who smoke will already have absorbed what was reported.
Kiran Sidhu reports:
Experts scrambled to limit the damage. But many readers who smoke will already have absorbed what was reported.
Kiran Sidhu reports:
Vape Scaremongering: The Science-to-Media Pipeline
Incomplete and not peer-reviewed, the study was still widely reported under "vaping horror" headlines. Experts scrambled to limit the damage.
filtermag.org
March 10, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Under "vaping horror" headlines, media amplified a study that was incomplete, unpublished and not peer-reviewed.
Experts scrambled to limit the damage. But many readers who smoke will already have absorbed what was reported.
Kiran Sidhu reports:
Experts scrambled to limit the damage. But many readers who smoke will already have absorbed what was reported.
Kiran Sidhu reports:
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Excellent piece on Spain’s drug decriminalisation model & the expansion of harm reduction from our colleagues at the fabulous Metzineres
www.talkingdrugs.org/spains-decri...
www.talkingdrugs.org/spains-decri...
Spain’s Decriminalisation: Decades of Quiet Innovation - TalkingDrugs
Spain's drug decriminalisation system has been slowly improving over the decades, supporting people who use drugs across the nation.
www.talkingdrugs.org
March 9, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Excellent piece on Spain’s drug decriminalisation model & the expansion of harm reduction from our colleagues at the fabulous Metzineres
www.talkingdrugs.org/spains-decri...
www.talkingdrugs.org/spains-decri...
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Off to London to discuss some preliminary findings from our evaluation of police-led drug diversion schemes. #PDD healthandjusticejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.....
Evaluating police drug diversion in England: protocol for a realist evaluation - Health & Justice
There is increasing international interest in the use of police drug diversion schemes that offer people suspected of minor drug-related offences an educative or therapeutic intervention as an alterna...
healthandjusticejournal.biomedcentral.com
January 27, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Off to London to discuss some preliminary findings from our evaluation of police-led drug diversion schemes. #PDD healthandjusticejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.....
Reposted by Mark Gilman
The civil service is looking for someone to lead the Joint Combating Drugs Unit which oversees drugs strategy work across Government. ('Deputy Director' doesn't mean you're the deputy; it's just a particular ranking in the civil service hierarchy)
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...
Deputy Director - Head of Joint Combating Drugs Unit - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UKGOV.UK
Search and apply for jobs in the UK Civil Service
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk
January 27, 2025 at 9:54 AM
The civil service is looking for someone to lead the Joint Combating Drugs Unit which oversees drugs strategy work across Government. ('Deputy Director' doesn't mean you're the deputy; it's just a particular ranking in the civil service hierarchy)
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...
Reposted by Mark Gilman
DC People! I will be there for a book talk and signing on February 5th at Busboys and Poets at 6pm. Come on through and share widely with your networks!
Seating is limited: bit.ly/HarmReductio...
Seating is limited: bit.ly/HarmReductio...
January 24, 2025 at 4:18 PM
DC People! I will be there for a book talk and signing on February 5th at Busboys and Poets at 6pm. Come on through and share widely with your networks!
Seating is limited: bit.ly/HarmReductio...
Seating is limited: bit.ly/HarmReductio...
Reposted by Mark Gilman
“The United States could save hundreds of millions of dollars each year by reducing wasteful spending on unnecessary federal [marijuana] enforcement actions and detention,” reads Warren's letter to Musk.
Kyle Jaeger reports:
Kyle Jaeger reports:
Cut “Wasteful” Marijuana Arrests, Sen. Warren Tells Elon Musk
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is urging Elon Musk, chair of the Trump administration’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), ...
filtermag.org
January 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
“The United States could save hundreds of millions of dollars each year by reducing wasteful spending on unnecessary federal [marijuana] enforcement actions and detention,” reads Warren's letter to Musk.
Kyle Jaeger reports:
Kyle Jaeger reports:
Reposted by Mark Gilman
I've written a brief piece on how some of the coverage around the opening of The Thistle, the UK's first official drug consumption room, has concerned me, setting up false choices and oppositions. thinking-to-some-purpose.blogspot.com/2025/01/hopi...
Hoping for a genuine drug policy debate worth winning
This week there has been lots of media coverage of the opening of The Thistle - the UK's first official drug consumption room. Some of this...
thinking-to-some-purpose.blogspot.com
January 17, 2025 at 12:54 PM
I've written a brief piece on how some of the coverage around the opening of The Thistle, the UK's first official drug consumption room, has concerned me, setting up false choices and oppositions. thinking-to-some-purpose.blogspot.com/2025/01/hopi...
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Some interesting, important points here on responses to demand pressures on services across a range of policy areas, including health & criminal justice. I remain sceptical about whether we'll see this kind of approach implemented in practice, given how government looks at problems & solutions 1/
gregfellpublichealth.wordpress.com/2024/12/04/m...
More supply will not solve the problems of too much demand
Health care, roads, prisons and beyond
More supply will not solve the problems of too much demand
Health care, roads, prisons and beyond
More supply will not solve the problems of too much demand
a short blog based on a few recent observations More supply will not solve the problems of too much demand, and we will never assuage demand whilst we feed supply and orient our thinking around acu…
gregfellpublichealth.wordpress.com
January 21, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Some interesting, important points here on responses to demand pressures on services across a range of policy areas, including health & criminal justice. I remain sceptical about whether we'll see this kind of approach implemented in practice, given how government looks at problems & solutions 1/
Reposted by Mark Gilman
The Loop is providing public #drugchecking in Bristol this Saturday.
Free, friendly & focused #harmreduction!
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Free, friendly & focused #harmreduction!
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Come and join us in Bristol this Saturday!
Substances can be dropped off anytime between 12-7pm. You are also welcome to call in for harm reduction information. Free Naloxone available!
🕥 When: 12pm - 7pm
📍 Where: Bristol Drugs Project @bdpbristol.bsky.social 11
Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE
Substances can be dropped off anytime between 12-7pm. You are also welcome to call in for harm reduction information. Free Naloxone available!
🕥 When: 12pm - 7pm
📍 Where: Bristol Drugs Project @bdpbristol.bsky.social 11
Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE
January 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The Loop is providing public #drugchecking in Bristol this Saturday.
Free, friendly & focused #harmreduction!
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Free, friendly & focused #harmreduction!
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Reposted by Mark Gilman
I'm interested by Donald Trump's statement in his inaugural address that his government will treat Mexican cartels as terrorist organisations. Do people more knowledgeable than me on these things understand what this might mean in practice for drug policy?
January 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I'm interested by Donald Trump's statement in his inaugural address that his government will treat Mexican cartels as terrorist organisations. Do people more knowledgeable than me on these things understand what this might mean in practice for drug policy?
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Scotland’s finest: Denis Law never forgot his country and it always revered him
Scotland’s finest: Denis Law never forgot his country and it always revered him
Aberdeen missed out on the striker on their doorstep who Sir Alex Ferguson regards as Scotland’s greatest ever player
15 April 1967 is a date implanted in the mind of any Scotland supporter who wants to declare their team unofficial world champions. The…
www.theguardian.com
January 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Scotland’s finest: Denis Law never forgot his country and it always revered him
Reposted by Mark Gilman
The King.
RIP Denis Law 🏴
RIP Denis Law 🏴
January 18, 2025 at 10:48 AM
The King.
RIP Denis Law 🏴
RIP Denis Law 🏴
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Denis Law, Manchester United and Scotland legend, dies aged 84
Denis Law, Manchester United and Scotland legend, dies aged 84
* Striker was part of United’s much-fabled ‘Holy Trinity’
* Ballon d’Or winner is his country’s joint-record goalscorer
Denis Law, the Manchester United and Scotland legend, has died at the age of 84, his family announced on Friday.
Law scored 237…
www.theguardian.com
January 17, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Denis Law, Manchester United and Scotland legend, dies aged 84
Reposted by Mark Gilman
In our new study (£0) we find that the use of dehumanising ‘zombie’ framing, frequently used in news reporting on drugs, leads to higher public stigma towards people who use drugs www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
'Zombie drugs': Dehumanising news frames and public stigma towards people who use drugs
News media is an important determinant of public understanding of drug policy topics. Recent media reporting around the use of synthetic drugs such as…
www.sciencedirect.com
January 18, 2025 at 9:40 AM
In our new study (£0) we find that the use of dehumanising ‘zombie’ framing, frequently used in news reporting on drugs, leads to higher public stigma towards people who use drugs www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Mark Gilman
The UK's legal drug consumption room was driven by one man’s civil disobedience.
Peter Krykant went on the road with his own safe consumption van to show the process saves lives, reduces disease and brings stability to street-entrenched drug users.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Peter Krykant went on the road with his own safe consumption van to show the process saves lives, reduces disease and brings stability to street-entrenched drug users.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
At last, Britain has a legal drug consumption room – thanks to one man's civil disobedience | Kojo Koram
Former heroin addict Peter Krykant set up a safe consumption van during Covid, at great personal cost. But his sacrifice paved the way for real change, says Birkbeck’s Kojo Koram
www.theguardian.com
January 18, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Reposted by Mark Gilman
“People are still going to consume toxic substances. The only change now is they are not going to be supervised when they do it,"
Closures of consumption sites in other cities in AB have resulted in increased death rates. We will see the same here.
#abpoli
#DrugSky
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Closures of consumption sites in other cities in AB have resulted in increased death rates. We will see the same here.
#abpoli
#DrugSky
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Red Deer's supervised consumption site starts phasing-out services | CBC News
Operating hours for the Red Deer, Alta., supervised consumption site are now cut in half, as the facility moves to shut down by March.
www.cbc.ca
January 9, 2025 at 3:46 PM
“People are still going to consume toxic substances. The only change now is they are not going to be supervised when they do it,"
Closures of consumption sites in other cities in AB have resulted in increased death rates. We will see the same here.
#abpoli
#DrugSky
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Closures of consumption sites in other cities in AB have resulted in increased death rates. We will see the same here.
#abpoli
#DrugSky
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Mark Gilman
An alcohol use disorder trial found that psilocybin "elicited durable shifts in personality" which helped patients.
“It makes me very optimistic about psilocybin therapy for other forms of substance use disorders,” a researcher tells Alexander Lekhtman:
“It makes me very optimistic about psilocybin therapy for other forms of substance use disorders,” a researcher tells Alexander Lekhtman:
“Shifts in Personality” Could Be Key to Psilocybin Helping SUD Patients
Can psilocybin help people with alcohol use disorder who wish to reduce their drinking, and if so, how? While such ...
filtermag.org
January 9, 2025 at 4:28 PM
An alcohol use disorder trial found that psilocybin "elicited durable shifts in personality" which helped patients.
“It makes me very optimistic about psilocybin therapy for other forms of substance use disorders,” a researcher tells Alexander Lekhtman:
“It makes me very optimistic about psilocybin therapy for other forms of substance use disorders,” a researcher tells Alexander Lekhtman:
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Please share everywhere to everyone.
Hiring Medication-Assisted Therapy (MAT) Coordinator
If you are a motivated and compassionate individual who is passionate about delivering
high-quality harm reduction submit your resume and cover letter, to
📧apc.lc.office@gmail.com.
Hiring Medication-Assisted Therapy (MAT) Coordinator
If you are a motivated and compassionate individual who is passionate about delivering
high-quality harm reduction submit your resume and cover letter, to
📧apc.lc.office@gmail.com.
January 4, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Please share everywhere to everyone.
Hiring Medication-Assisted Therapy (MAT) Coordinator
If you are a motivated and compassionate individual who is passionate about delivering
high-quality harm reduction submit your resume and cover letter, to
📧apc.lc.office@gmail.com.
Hiring Medication-Assisted Therapy (MAT) Coordinator
If you are a motivated and compassionate individual who is passionate about delivering
high-quality harm reduction submit your resume and cover letter, to
📧apc.lc.office@gmail.com.
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Whilst we await the imminent decision of the Policing Minister on the ACMD recommendation to exempt poppers from the Psychoactive Substances Act, here’s a paper pondering on the complexities of exempting 1 drug for 1 protected characteristic group whilst others are criminalised:-
I forgot to post the link to the poppers article! It's in BJC: "Poppers, the Politics of Exemption and the Characteristics of Poppers Users in the annual English Festival Study, 2014–23"
academic.oup.com/bjc/advance-...
academic.oup.com/bjc/advance-...
Poppers, the Politics of Exemption and the Characteristics of Poppers Users in the annual English Festival Study, 2014–23
Abstract. This paper explores the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported alkyl nitrite (‘poppers’) use and sexual behaviours
academic.oup.com
January 4, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Whilst we await the imminent decision of the Policing Minister on the ACMD recommendation to exempt poppers from the Psychoactive Substances Act, here’s a paper pondering on the complexities of exempting 1 drug for 1 protected characteristic group whilst others are criminalised:-
Reposted by Mark Gilman
Harm reduction doesn't encourage or enable drug use; banning syringes & naloxone & using jail to try to push treatment simply spreads infectious disease & death. how many times do we need to run this experiment to get it?
Public health workers in West Virginia struggle to contain an HIV outbreak while policymakers restricted syringe exchange programs.
Here's what you need to know. ⤵️ kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Here's what you need to know. ⤵️ kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Syringe Exchange Fears Hobble Fight Against West Virginia HIV Outbreak - KFF Health News
Health workers and researchers say an HIV outbreak in West Virginia that three years ago was called “the most concerning” in the U.S. continues to spread after state and local officials restricted syr...
kffhealthnews.org
January 3, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Harm reduction doesn't encourage or enable drug use; banning syringes & naloxone & using jail to try to push treatment simply spreads infectious disease & death. how many times do we need to run this experiment to get it?