Latest news with #drugusers
Irish Times
21-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Cocaine users are now older, better educated and more likely to be working
People accessing treatment for drug use are older, have a higher level of education and are more likely to be in employment than they were seven years ago, according to a new report published by the Department of Health . On Monday, the department will publish an independent evaluation of the National Drugs Strategy, which sought to treat drug use and addiction with a health-led approach. According to the report, which was conducted by Grant Thornton, there is a changing demographic of drug users in Ireland. The median age of those in treatment increased from 30 in 2017 to 34 years in 2024, the report said, while the proportion of all cases in paid employment increased from 14.3 per cent in 2017 to 21.8 per cent in 2024. READ MORE The proportion of cases who ceased education for the first time before the age of 16 decreased from 34.9 per cent in 2017 to 30.3 per cent in 2024. In 2024, 13,295 cases were treated, the highest annual figure to date, representing a 48 per cent increase since 2017. Cocaine surpassed opioids as the main problem drug reported by people seeking treatment, according to the review. In terms of overall drug prevalence, the proportion of adults who used drugs within the last year has remained stable at 7.3 per cent. The most commonly used drugs in the previous 12 months in order of prevalence were: cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, magic mushrooms and ketamine. Males and young people aged 15-24 years were most likely to use drugs over the past year. Higher rates of drug use were associated with being unemployed, having completed secondary level education only, being single and being Irish. The review of the Government's strategy was largely positive, highlighting how its implementation has improved data collection, expanded harm-reduction initiatives and allowed for Ireland to contribute to international research and co-operation. However, the report also highlights a number of challenges within the sector. There are disparities in access to harm-reduction services, particularly in rural areas and among marginalised groups, the report said. [ Ireland is becoming a country of moderate drinkers and voracious cocaine users Opens in new window ] Additionally, declining pharmacy engagement threatens the sustainability of needle exchange services, it added. The review team made 10 recommendations to overcome these challenges and guide 'the next phase of strategic development'. Minister of State Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, said Ireland has 'made significant progress' in this area. 'I welcome the strong endorsement in the evaluation of the health-led response to drug use, including the proposed health diversion scheme for people found in possession of drugs for personal use,' she said. Ms Murnane O'Connor said there is a need to 'move forward with new policies and better services to address the ever-changing drugs situation'. As such, she has established a steering group to prepare a new national drugs strategy, with a deadline of the end of this year. [ Six months ago, he started taking cocaine in a more dedicated way. Things spiralled rapidly Opens in new window ]
Malay Mail
03-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Refuge at risk: Mexican drug rehab centers in cartels' crosshairs
CELAYA, July 4 — Mexican rehabilitation centers were supposed to provide sanctuary to drug users trying to kick their addictions. Instead, they became targets for the same ultra-violent cartels that traffic illegal narcotics. The refuges are reeling from a series of deadly attacks by criminal gangs fighting for control of the multibillion-dollar drugs trade, particularly in Guanajuato, Mexico's most violent state. Some of the people in rehab are pursued by drug dealers whom they owe money, Nicolas Perez, who leads a network of 180 rehabilitation centers in Guanajuato, told AFP. Perez, 55, said he had himself received calls from suspected criminals demanding he hand over some of the addicts at the centers he oversees. Instead, he contacts their families so they can take them to a safer location. Not even the managers of the facilities—some of which are run by former drug users and sometimes lack official permits—are safe from the gang violence. Three of them disappeared on June 2 after participating in a meeting of the network led by Perez. In some cases, the cartels murder people in rehab because they suspect they have been recruited by rival gangs, said David Saucedo, an independent expert on Mexican criminal groups. One of the worst massacres occurred in July 2020, when gunmen killed 26 people at a clinic in Irapuato in Guanajuato state. In the northwestern state of Sinaloa, where cartel infighting has caused a spike in violence, gunmen killed nine people this April in what was the seventh attack on a drug rehab clinic in months. In June, authorities launched an investigation into a suspicious fire that left 12 people dead at another such center in Guanajuato state. 'Always hope' Perez knows that his work will not stop drug use, but he hopes that it will at least make some difference. 'Even if they're afraid, people seek help,' he said. Perez has first-hand experience, having suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction 20 years ago. Today, he says his family is his biggest source of motivation. 'I'm a father, a grandfather, and I wouldn't like to leave this cursed legacy of ignorance,' he said. Azucena, a volunteer at the center, said she stopped using drugs more than a decade ago at a rehab center in the city of Celaya. 'There's always hope,' the woman, who asked not to be fully named for safety reasons, told AFP. Javier Torres quit using drugs at the same center, where he now mentors fellow addicts. After 10 years of abstinence, he returned to working as a school teacher and reestablished his relationship with his daughter, which he described as 'the best reward.' 'Costly cartel war' In Guanajuato state alone, the number of rehab centers has soared from 150 in 2016 to 290 today. 'We're starting to become more professional,' Perez said, estimating that a fifth of the people he helps manage to break free from their addictions. While President Claudia Sheinbaum likes to credit family values for the absence of drug use in Mexico on the scale of the United States' opioid crisis, addictions to hard drugs are increasing in Guanajuato. In 2021, 41 percent of people seeking drug use treatment at state-backed Youth Integration Centers reported having used methamphetamine in the previous 30 days, up from about 10 percent in the first half of 2015. Meth, a highly addictive synthetic drug, is now the main substance for which people seek treatment, said Nadia Robles, an official with the government's National Commission on Mental Health and Addictions. According to Saucedo, the increase in addictions in Guanajuato is the result of a fierce turf war. The Jalisco New Generation cartel, one of several powerful drug trafficking groups classified as terrorist organizations by US President Donald Trump's administration, is at war with the local Santa Rosa de Lima gang. The rivals are vying for control of a highway on a key trafficking route between a major Pacific sea port where synthetic drug ingredients arrive from Asia and the border with the United States. Cartels are also fighting for control of two important drug markets in Guanajuato—an industrial corridor, home to car assembly plants owned by companies such as Toyota and Mazda, and the popular tourist destination of San Miguel de Allende, Saucedo said. 'To finance this costly cartel war, they expand their consumer base,' he said.
Medscape
02-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Long-Acting Antibiotics Match Standard-of-Care Antibiotics
TOPLINE: In a large cohort, long-acting lipoglycopeptides (laLGPs) demonstrated comparable effectiveness to standard-of-care antibiotics for step-down treatment of serious Gram-positive bacterial infections in both individuals who used drugs and those who did not. METHODOLOGY: Standard antibiotic therapy for serious bacterial infections can be challenging due to stigma and logistical barriers associated with prolonged treatment. LaLGPs offer a less frequent dosing alternative due to their extended half-lives, enabling. Researchers used a target trial emulation framework to compare the effectiveness of laLGPs (dalbavancin or oritavancin) and standard-of-care antibiotics for Gram-positive infections in adults hospitalized with serious bacterial infection between October 2015 and October 2022. The study included 42,067 individuals (median age, 61 years; 58.7% men; 5047 people who use drugs) with serious bacterial infections — endocarditis, bloodstream infection, osteomyelitis, or septic arthritis — who received ≥ 7 days of antibiotic treatment following an emergency department visit or a hospital admission. The primary outcome was a composite of readmission, emergency department visits, inpatient death, or discharge to hospice within 90 days post-discharge. TAKEAWAY: Overall, only 2.0% of people were prescribed laLGPs, with dalbavancin being the predominant choice (88.8%). Treatment patterns showed that laLGPs were most frequently prescribed for osteomyelitis (55.0%), followed by use for bloodstream infections (24.5%), septic arthritis (19.0%), and endocarditis (7.2%). The composite outcome did not differ significantly between laLGP and standard-of-care treatments among both people who used drugs (hazard ratio [HR], 1.01; 95% CI, 0.88-1.13) and those who did not (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.86-1.00). In people with osteomyelitis who did not use drugs, laLGP prescription showed a protective association against the composite outcome compared with standard-of-care treatment (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.76-0.96). IN PRACTICE: 'Our study highlighted utilization patterns and supported the clinical effectiveness of laLGPs in serious bacterial infections among a diverse patient population. While awaiting a randomized clinical trial, large national databases could help clinicians understand laLGPs' efficacy, especially for off-label use among PWUD [people who use drugs] individuals,' the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by David Goodman-Meza, MD, PhD, Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia. It was published online on May 21, 2025, in JAMA Network Open. LIMITATIONS: The classification of people who use drugs relied solely on diagnostic codes, which may not have accurately represented the true population. The absence of culture data and the use of proxies for Gram-positive infections, potentially affected the accuracy of microbiological profiling. Additionally, adherence to antibiotic therapy and completion of standard-of-care therapy could not be directly measured in this analysis. DISCLOSURES: This study received internal funding from the UCLA Department of Medicine and grants from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, the US National Institute on Mental Health, and others. Two authors reported having financial ties with several pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie Inc., Gilead Sciences Inc., Janssen, and Global Services LLC. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Russia Today
28-06-2025
- Health
- Russia Today
Global cocaine production hits all-time high
Global cocaine production surged to a new record in 2023, accompanied by soaring seizures, growing user numbers, and rising deaths, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has said. On Thursday, the UNODC released its annual report, warning that a 'new era of global instability' is empowering organized crime and driving drug use to unprecedented levels. The report found that cocaine has become the fastest-growing illicit drug market worldwide. Illegal production skyrocketed to an estimated 3,708 tons in 2023 – up nearly 34% from 2022 – driven largely by expanded coca cultivation and higher yields in Colombia. Use of the drug climbed to an estimated 25 million people in 2023, up from 17 million in 2013. The highest consumption continues to be in North America, Western and Central Europe, and South America, with wastewater data showing sharp rises in European cities. Cocaine seizures in Western and Central Europe surpassed those in North America for the fifth consecutive year. Globally, between 2019 and 2023, the amount of cocaine seized rose by 68%. Drug consumption remains a major issue, with a total of 316 million people using illicit substances, excluding alcohol and tobacco, in 2023, according to the report. The figure accounts for 6% of the global population aged between 15 and 64, compared to 5.2% in 2013. Drug use disorders have a major impact on global health, causing nearly half a million deaths annually and costing 28 million healthy years of life lost worldwide. Yet only one in 12 people with such disorders received any treatment in 2023, the report says. Commenting on the findings, UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly called for greater investment in prevention, cross-border cooperation, and judicial action to dismantle criminal networks. Cocaine use causes a burst of euphoria and energy, but it is associated with serious health risks, including heart attacks, strokes, respiratory failure, and neurological damage. The drug is also highly addictive, often leading to cycles of binge use and severe withdrawal.
Free Malaysia Today
26-06-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Global cocaine market hit new record highs
Global cocaine seizures marked a 68% rise in the four years to 2023. (EPA Images pic) VIENNA : Cocaine production, seizures and use all hit record highs in 2023, the UN drug agency said today, with the illicit drug's market the world's fastest-growing. Illegal production jumped to 3,708 tonnes, nearly 34% more than in 2022, and more than four times higher than 10 years earlier, when it was at a low, the Vienna-based UN office on drugs and crime (UNODC) said in its annual report. The current surge is mainly due to an increase in the size of the area under illicit coca bush cultivation in Colombia and updated yield data, it added. Global cocaine seizures, too, recorded a high of 2,275 tonnes, marking a 68% rise in the four years to 2023. The number of cocaine users also grew to 25 million in 2023, up from 17 million ten years earlier. 'Cocaine has become fashionable for the more affluent society,' UNODC chief researcher Angela Me said, noting a 'vicious cycle' of increased use and production. While Colombia remains the key producer, cocaine traffickers are breaking into new markets across Asia and Africa, according to the report, with organised crime groups from the Western Balkans increasing their influence. Captagon 'A new era of global instability has intensified challenges in addressing the world drug problem, empowering organised crime groups and pushing drug use to historically high levels,' UNODC noted. In 2023, 6% of the population aged between 15 and 64 are estimated to have used a drug, compared to 5.2% of the population in 2013. Cannabis remains the most widely used drug. Seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants also reached a record high in 2023, making up almost half of all global seizures of synthetic drugs, followed by synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, UNODC said. The fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad in Syria last December has 'created uncertainty around the future of the captagon trade', UNODC added. Earlier this month, Syria said authorities had seized all production facilities of the illicit stimulant, which became Syria's largest export under Assad. 'The latest seizure data from 2024 and 2025 confirm that captagon is continuing to flow – primarily to countries of the Arabian peninsula – possibly indicating the release of previously-accumulated stockpiles or continued production in different locations,' UNODC said.
