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Victoria will begin testing the pills this summer. Evidence shows it reduces harm (and does not increase drug use)

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This week, Victorian Prime Minister Hyacinth Allan announced the state will test a drug-checking service starting this summer festival season, describing it as a “simple and common-sense way to save lives.”

Allan has since confirmed the service will turn into everlasting in Victoria after an 18-month trial.

The Australian Capital Territory government announced this last week addition successful drug screening pilot project, You can TEST, for the next three years. And at the starting of this yr Queensland Government financed everlasting website AND drug control services at festivals for 2 years.

We’re delighted that drug checking is becoming increasingly popular in Australia. This reflects evidence from Australia and internationally showing that these services reduce harm to individuals who use illicit drugs.

What is drug screening?

Drug checking (sometimes called pill testing in Australia) is predicated on harm reduction principles. The primary goal is to cut back individual and social harm related to the use of psychoactive substances, no verdict about drug use itself.

There are different testing techniques using various kinds of equipment, but all drug testing services in Australia test drugs by chemically analyzing a small sample of the drug.

Part of a typical drug testing service involves speaking on to the test taker to offer their opinion on the contents of the sample. Trained drug screening staff, who are often health care professionals or educators, will discuss the risks of consuming the identified drugs and every other concerns or questions the person can have.

Drug checking in Australia is carried out at a stationary or mobile facility. An inpatient service is permanently situated inside a healthcare organization. Mobile services, sometimes called festival services, are being developed in places where we all know individuals are more prone to use drugs.

Why is drug screening necessary?

While no psychoactive drug, including alcohol, is totally secure, some drugs turn into more dangerous because they’re illegal and lack control over who could make them, how they’re made and what they may contain.

This means that folks who use illicit drugs cannot make certain of what they’re taking and are unable to moderate their dosage to cut back risk. There is due to this fact a greater risk of unwanted side effects and overdose than if these medicines were produced as pharmaceuticals under controlled conditions.

Data from Australia found that as many as 43% of medication tested by drug testing services were not what people thought they’d bought.

CanTEST, a pilot drug testing service in Canberra, has yielded positive results.
Connor Ashleigh/HRI/AAP

Most individuals who use illegal drugs only use them several times a yr and so they are not depending on them.

Whether you think that folks take these medications or not, the reality is that they do. Some 47% of adults in Australia has tried an illegal drug a minimum of once of their life. Thousands of years of history has taught us that this is unlikely to vary.

With this in mind, drug control services currently operate in over 20 countries including well-established services in New Zealand, United States, Canada, Great Britain AND Netherlands.

Does drug screening reduce harm?

Some opponents of drug control fear that it will increase drug use. But the evidence is obvious that this is not the case.

Several studies have shown that drug control does not encourage those that do not already use drugs to begin using them. Study of long running service in Netherlands found that lower than 1% of individuals tested for drugs had never used drugs before, so these services are almost exclusively aimed toward individuals who already use drugs.

What’s more, tests found that folks often reduce their drug use after receiving drug test results and discussing them with staff. Lots of research have shown that a big proportion of individuals eliminate or intend to offer up their drugs or use less in the event that they contain unexpected substances.

Data from WORK AND Queensland services found that 18% and seven% of individuals, respectively, decided not to make use of the drug after the tests.

Drug inspections can even play a significant role in stopping drug-related hospitalizations and deaths. Tests from The Loop UK drug checking service 95% reduction. in cases of transports to hospital attributable to drugs, when drug control was introduced at the festival, in comparison with the previous yr, when the festival was held without drug control.

One person hands another person a bag of small white pills.
Providing drug checking services does not mean more people will use drugs.
Half-point/Shutterstock

Additionally, these services provide necessary harm reduction information to individuals who may not otherwise receive this information. In rating CanTEST research shows that 70% of people that used the service had never previously contacted a healthcare skilled for information or advice about drug use.

Drug screening also affects quality medicines on the market. Drug manufacturers and dealers are less prone to distribute highly dangerous substances when customers have the opportunity to ascertain their drugs.

What do Australians take into consideration drug testing?

There is important support in the Australian community for harm reduction measures, including drug control. Surveys Australian community has consistently shown that the majority of Australians support drug control.

In recent government survey households across Australia almost 65% of individuals supported drug checking, a big increase on the previous yr. Younger people, women and other people with higher education were more prone to support drug control.

So this is an ideal move by Victoria to maintain people secure.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension and derailment to the White House is the story of many Black women, including me

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2024 Election, Concerned, black women


Written by Dr. Dionne Mahaffey

My heart is heavy. My mind is racing and I am unable to help but take into consideration what this latest era under Donald Trump means for me and for ladies who appear like me and who wanted Vice President Kamala Harris to win, not simply because of her policies and competence or its historical significance. We wanted her to win because having her as a black woman in charge could be a robust statement for a rustic that so often seems reluctant to recognize our strength, talent and humanity.

Madame Harris’s candidacy was deeply personal. Black women identified together with her story, her rise, her spirit. Like me, she grew up in a single mother’s home. She’s my sorority sister. I felt hopeful in the concept that for the first time a Black woman was on the verge of real power, not only next to it. She represented every part we are sometimes told we can’t be: good, uncompromisingly ambitious, compassionate, and yet fiercely independent. Her presence defied the “angry black woman” stereotype, and her resilience reminded us of the countless ways during which Black women have long been pillars of American progress.

But now plainly this dream has been placed on the back burner. Trump’s victory brings back a well-recognized fear. His administration has at all times signaled a disregard for racial equality and women’s rights. We’ve seen what happens when hard-won protections are dismantled: voting rights are violated, police grow to be more aggressive, access to health care is restricted, and social justice is sidelined. For me as a black woman, these changes aren’t abstract political moves; these are issues of survival and dignity. The rhetoric surrounding us is a direct reflection of how protected, valued and vulnerable we feel in our own country.

With Trump’s victory comes the specter of Project 2025, a conservative motion plan that would severely limit civil rights, access to health care and economic resources, especially for Black Americans. Proposed cuts and restructuring of health care, housing and education could reverse years of progress and disproportionately harm marginalized communities. In my work, I see the potential impact on Black-owned businesses that already face enormous barriers to accessing capital. My clients – small business owners who’ve put every part into their ventures – are actually apprehensive about surviving in an economy that will push them further aside. Their concerns echo my very own, underscoring a reality we all know all too well: for us, progress is never linear and actually not guaranteed.

Twice nearly as good

But she didn’t win. We know that Black women often have to be twice nearly as good to achieve half nearly as good. Instead, America selected a criminal over an experienced black woman and it hurts. His victory brought back memories of my very own profession, after I began my first job in the technology industry over 30 years ago. I earned a formidable six-figure salary and came upon that my white friend made $30,000 greater than me. I had a diploma; he didn’t do it. While I used to be promoted to manager, he was promoted to director, and the company ended up paying for his education while I self-funded my MBA. That was the first time I understood how much white men were pampered and given opportunities to achieve perfection that black women were simply expected to earn.

Kamala was greater than qualified — she had worked as a prosecutor for 13 years, was the first Black and South Asian woman elected as a district attorney in California, the first Black and South Asian woman in the United States Senate, and the first woman of color to function vice chairman. By contrast, Trump is a convicted felon, born into privilege, who paid someone to take the SATs, filed for bankruptcy six times, was found guilty of sexual assault, incited a deadly revolt and denied the results of the 2020 presidential election. But by some means he won.

For Black Americans, Trump’s return to office is greater than symbolic. The reality of Trump’s latest presidency appears to be looming. Project 2025 plans to dismantle civil rights protections, access to health care, and economic opportunity that our communities have fought to provide. For those of us who in the past were forced to work twice as hard to achieve half as much, the stakes couldn’t seem higher.

Peace priority

The consequences of these selections aren’t just political – they’re deeply personal. As a therapist, I actually have seen firsthand how alternative anxiety affects my clients. After the elections, this tension will only deepen. Many people struggle with concerns about their future safety, rights and dignity in an environment where they feel increasingly unheard and invisible. Advising clients in these times is difficult, especially knowing that they may face renewed threats to their mental health and well-being. They carry the burden of this country’s instability, and sometimes that burden is greater than anyone should bear.

While helping others, I also need to concentrate to my very own mental health. It’s hard to support others when your spirit is drained, when their fears mirror yours. Taking care of yourself is not just a buzzword for me now – it is a necessity. Every day I remind myself that I cannot pour from an empty cup; so as to serve my clients and community, I need to provide myself with a spot to rest, recharge, and find peace inside myself.

Protecting our peace in times like these requires intention and care. It starts with tuning out the noise – setting boundaries around the news to stay on top of things and prevent anxiety from creeping in. Community is a balm, a reminder that we’re on this together. Leaning on friends, family and networks keeps us grounded and resilient. Mindfulness practices, corresponding to just a few minutes of quiet reflection or deep respiratory, can show you how to regain calm in the face of stress. Taking small actions, volunteering, supporting essential causes restores a way of control and purpose.

And still we rise

When I take into consideration this moment, I do not forget that Black women have faced adversity for generations and proceed to thrive. Kamala Harris’s candidacy, irrespective of the end result, has ignited something inside us – the determination to claim our space, construct our communities, and defend justice. The fight for equality and progress doesn’t end with one election; it is a lifelong journey and we’re uniquely equipped to sail it.

So today I hold space for my disappointment. But tomorrow, like all Black women who know that our value, power, and stories are greater than any single person or alternative, I’ll return to work. We will proceed to move forward, not just for ourselves, but for generations who will look back on this moment and know that we never gave up. Together we embody resilience and together we are going to rise.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Health and Wellness

WATCH: In the studio: Who decides on the war – Essence

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“; } }); // Drag and scroll functionality const playlistContainer = document.getElementById(‘playlist’); let isDown = false; let startY; let scrollTop; playlistContainer.addEventListener(‘mousedown’, (e) => { isDown = true; playlistContainer.classList.add(‘active’); startY = e.pageY – playlistContainer.offsetTop = playlistContainer.addEventListener(‘mouseleave’; playlistContainer.classList.remove(‘active’); playlistContainer.addEventListener(‘mouseup’, () => { isDown = false; playlistContainer.classList.remove(‘active’); }); mousemove’, (e) => { if (!isDown) return; e.preventDefault(); const y = e.pageY – playlistContainer.offsetTop; const walk = (y – startY) * 3; .scrollTop = scrollTop – walk; }); } } if (” !== ‘efoc24’) { // Check DoubleVerify Quality Targeting signals before rendering the player if ( ‘unknown’ !== typeof PQ ) { PQ.cmd. push(function() { // If DVQT signals are not available after 500 ms, render the player anyway. const timeout_id = setTimeout( jwPlayerRender, 500 ); // Get “Authentic Direct” signals. PQ.getTargeting({ signals: [‘abs’] }, function(error, targetingData) { clearTimeout(timeout_id); jwPlayerRender(error? undefined: targetingData); }); }); } else { jwPlayerRender(); } function jwPlayerRender( dvqt_signals=”” ) { let jw_ad_tag ​​= {“client”:”googima”,”adscheduleid”:”G7hR9pQ2″,”schedule”:[{“tag”:”https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?correlator=&iu=/21698916284/ess/VideoNews&env=vp&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&sz=400×300%7C640x480%7C1000x1%7C1920x1080&description_url=__page-url__&tfcd=0&npa=0&vpmute=1&vpa=auto&vad_type=linear&url=__page-url__&vpos=preroll&unviewed_position_start=1&v=BHeaONV5&pmnd=0&pmxd=60000&ad_rule=1&cust_params=ttid%3DBHeaONV5%26frnch%3D__item-franchise__%26environment%3Dproduction%26kwblock%3Ddis%2CAbb%2CAir%2CDIS+2%2CCapOne%2CCapOne2%2CLincoln%2CUPS%2CVG%2CATTCric%2Cmcd%2CTargetbos%2CEFOC_Tar.%2CToyota%2CNationwide%2CDisney%2CKISQALI+420491%2CPubW+Precision%2Cattefoc3%2CWalmart%2CHyundai2023%2CHuluPMP%2CCokeBWIH%2CAxSpA”,”offset”:”pre”},{“tag”:”https://vid.springserve.com/vast/670880?url=https://www.essence.com/news/watch-in-the-studio-who-decides-war/h=450&w=800&cb=2735″,”offset”:”50%”}]”offers”:{“bidders”:[{“id”:”jw-video-BHeaONV5″,”name”:”jwdemand”,”publisherId”:”evcxFIDZ”,”siteId”:”WT5iFegj”,”placementId”:”24399785″}]”settings”:{“disableConsentManagementOnNoCmp”:true,”mediationLayerAdServer”:”dfp”,”floorPriceCents”:200,”floorPriceCurrency”:”usd”,”buckets”:[{“increment”:0.1,”max”:30,”min”:0},{“increment”:0.5,”max”:50,”min”:30}]}}}; // Configure ad tag on the fly… let additional_params = {}; // Input DVQT signals. if ( dvqt_signals && dvqt_signals.ABS.length > 0 ) { additional_params.ABS = dvqt_signals.ABS.join(“,”); } // Create a string of additional_parameters. let extra_params_str=””; for (enter additional_parameters) { let value = additional_parameters[key]; additional_params_str += `${key}=${value}`; if ( key !== Object.keys( additional_params .pop() ) { additional_params_str += ‘&’; } } // Update ad tag cust_params (must be URL encoded). if ( Object.keys( additional_parameters ). length > 0 ) { let ad_schedule = jw_ad_tag.schedule; if ( ‘undefined’ !== ad schedule type ) { for (let i = 0; i < ad_schedule. length; i++) { let ad_url = new URL(jw_ad_tag. schedule[i].label); let query_params = new URLSearchParams(ad_url.search); query_params.set("cust_params", query_params.get("cust_params") + `&${additional_params_str}`); ad_url.search = query_params.toString(); jw_ad_tag.schedule[i].tag = ad_url.toString(); } } } let playerId; if ("undefined" !== type jwplayerQueue) { playerId = 'jw-video-BHeaONV5'; jwplayerQueue.push({ 'instanceId': 'playerInstance_BHeaONV5', 'playerId': playerId, 'config': { pid: 't6KP9zcV', playlist: "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/BHeaONV5", autostart: !jw_ad_tag, repeat: true, mute: true, aspect ratio: "16:9", share: {sites: ["facebook", "twitter", "email", "linkedin"]}, cast: {}, float: {disibility: true}, autoPause: {viewability: true}, displaytitle: true, displaydescription: true, controls: true, related: {displayMode: 'shelfWidget'}, interactive: {} , ad: jw_ad_tag ​​​​} }); } // Load video. jQuery(window).trigger("jw:loadplayers"); function waitForJWPlayer(callback) { if (type jwplayer !== 'undefined') { callback(); } else { setTimeout(function() { waitForJWPlayer(callback); }, 500); } } waitForJWPlayer(function() { jwplayer(playerId).on('adsManager', function (adsManagerLoaded) { let adsManager = adsManagerLoaded.adsManager; let videoElement = document.getElementById(playerId ); let config = { anId: '929481' , campId: '640x360', ias_xps: "autoplay", // autoplay status ias_xbp: "2", // video destination type ias_xar: "1" // autoplay status }; // Start IAS integration googleImaVansAdapter .init(google, adsmanager, videoitem, config } } });

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

SEE: On my feed – Black women react with shock, resignation and anger to Donald Trump’s presidential victory – Essence

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“; } }); // Drag and scroll functionality const playlistContainer = document.getElementById(‘playlist’); let isDown = false; let startY; let scrollTop; playlistContainer.addEventListener(‘mousedown’, (e) => { isDown = true; playlistContainer.classList.add(‘active’); startY = e.pageY – playlistContainer.offsetTop = playlistContainer.addEventListener(‘mouseleave’; playlistContainer.classList.remove(‘active’); playlistContainer.addEventListener(‘mouseup’, () => { isDown = false; playlistContainer.classList.remove(‘active’); }); mousemove’, (e) => { if (!isDown) return; e.preventDefault(); const y = e.pageY – playlistContainer.offsetTop; const walk = (y – startY) * 3; .scrollTop = scrollTop – walk; }); } } if (” !== ‘efoc24’) { // Check DoubleVerify Quality Targeting signals before rendering the player if ( ‘unknown’ !== typeof PQ ) { PQ.cmd. push(function() { // If DVQT signals are not available after 500 ms, render the player anyway. const timeout_id = setTimeout( jwPlayerRender, 500 ); // Get “Authentic Direct” signals. PQ.getTargeting({ signals: [‘abs’] }, function(error, targetingData) { clearTimeout(timeout_id); jwPlayerRender(error? undefined: targetingData); }); }); } else { jwPlayerRender(); } function jwPlayerRender( dvqt_signals=”” ) { let jw_ad_tag ​​= {“client”:”googima”,”adscheduleid”:”G7hR9pQ2″,”schedule”:[{“tag”:”https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?correlator=&iu=/21698916284/ess/VideoNews&env=vp&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&sz=400×300%7C640x480%7C1000x1%7C1920x1080&description_url=__page-url__&tfcd=0&npa=0&vpmute=1&vpa=auto&vad_type=linear&url=__page-url__&vpos=preroll&unviewed_position_start=1&v=XwtX3gTf&pmnd=0&pmxd=60000&ad_rule=1&cust_params=ttid%3DXwtX3gTf%26frnch%3D__item-franchise__%26environment%3Dproduction%26kwblock%3Ddis%2CAbb%2CWal%2CAir%2CCapOne%2CLincoln%2CCoca%2CUPS%2CVG%2CATTCric%2CTargetbos%2CEFOC_Tar.%2CToyota%2CTylenol%2CNationwide%2CDisney%2CAT%26T+2023%2CAT%26T+Dream%2CKISQALI+420491%2CHulu%2CGM%2Cattefoc%2Cattefoc3%2CBuick2%2CGMBuick2%2CHuluPMP%2CCokeBWIH”,”offset”:”pre”},{“tag”:”https://vid.springserve.com/vast/670880?url=https://www.essence.com/news/watch-in-my-feed-black-women-respond-with-shock-resignation-and-anger-to-donald-trumps-presidential-win/h=450&w=800&cb=2436″,”offset”:”50%”}]”offers”:{“bidders”:[{“id”:”jw-video-XwtX3gTf”,”name”:”jwdemand”,”publisherId”:”evcxFIDZ”,”siteId”:”WT5iFegj”,”placementId”:”24399785″}]”settings”:{“disableConsentManagementOnNoCmp”:true,”mediationLayerAdServer”:”dfp”,”floorPriceCents”:200,”floorPriceCurrency”:”usd”,”buckets”:[{“increment”:0.1,”max”:30,”min”:0},{“increment”:0.5,”max”:50,”min”:30}]}}}; // Configure ad tag on the fly… let additional_params = {}; // Input DVQT signals. if ( dvqt_signals && dvqt_signals.ABS.length > 0 ) { additional_params.ABS = dvqt_signals.ABS.join(“,”); } // Create a string of additional_parameters. let extra_params_str=””; for (enter additional_parameters) { let value = additional_parameters[key]; additional_params_str += `${key}=${value}`; if ( key !== Object.keys( additional_params .pop() ) { additional_params_str += ‘&’; } } // Update ad tag cust_params (must be URL encoded). if ( Object.keys( additional_parameters ). length > 0 ) { let ad_schedule = jw_ad_tag.schedule; if ( ‘undefined’ !== ad schedule type ) { for (let i = 0; i < ad_schedule. length; i++) { let ad_url = new URL(jw_ad_tag. schedule[i].label); let query_params = new URLSearchParams(ad_url.search); query_params.set("cust_params", query_params.get("cust_params") + `&${additional_params_str}`); ad_url.search = query_params.toString(); jw_ad_tag.schedule[i].tag = ad_url.toString(); } } } let playerId; if ("undefined" !== type jwplayerQueue) { playerId = 'jw-video-XwtX3gTf'; jwplayerQueue.push({ 'instanceId': 'playerInstance_XwtX3gTf', 'playerId': playerId, 'config': { pid: 't6KP9zcV', playlist: "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/XwtX3gTf", autostart: !jw_ad_tag, repeat: true, mute: true, aspect ratio: "16:9", share: {sites: ["facebook", "twitter", "email", "linkedin"]}, cast: {}, float: {disibility: true}, autoPause: {viewability: true}, displaytitle: true, displaydescription: true, controls: true, related: {displayMode: 'shelfWidget'}, interactive: {} , ad: jw_ad_tag ​​​​} }); } // Load video. jQuery(window).trigger("jw:loadplayers"); function waitForJWPlayer(callback) { if (type jwplayer !== 'undefined') { callback(); } else { setTimeout(function() { waitForJWPlayer(callback); }, 500); } } waitForJWPlayer(function() { jwplayer(playerId).on('adsManager', function (adsManagerLoaded) { let adsManager = adsManagerLoaded.adsManager; let videoElement = document.getElementById(playerId ); let config = { anId: '929481' , campId: '640x360', ias_xps: "autoplay", // autoplay status ias_xbp: "2", // video destination type ias_xar: "1" // autoplay status }; // Start IAS integration googleImaVansAdapter .init(google, adsmanager, videoitem, config } } });

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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