Benzos: What's Happening? - SDF and The Drug Deaths Taskforce webinar

Scottish Drugs Forum, with the Scottish Drugs Death Task Force, hosted two webinar events on the use of illicit benzodiazepines; the link with fatal drug overdoses; and means to address the challenge of benzodiazepine use in Scotland.

These webinars will bring together insights from:

• people using street benzos
• people working in services addressing the harmful effects of benzo use
• treatment experts who are innovating practice in response to this issue
• researchers and statisticians

The webinars will give a detailed picture of the current situation through exploring:

• changes in the street benzodiazepine supply
• the harms associated with their use
• the link with drug related deaths
• possible non-treatment responses
• treatment innovation in Scotland

The first webinar, 'Benzos - what’s happening?' was held on Friday 2 October. The second webinar, 'Benzos - what can be done?' can be viewed at https://youtu.be/Ifa1A8-NEm4

Scotland has always had a high rate of benzodiazepine use, often in combination with other drugs. Recent changes in the type and range of street benzos; local pill manufacture leading to increased supply and lower prices and an apparent link with the rise in overdose deaths, seem to have changed both the drug market and the scale of the harms related to use.

This webinar examined the evidence from drug testing and drug-related deaths and possible responses including drug checking and education.

Speakers included

- Harriet Bloomfield, Researcher
- Andrew McAuley, Senior Epidemiologist, NHS Public Health Scotland and Senior Research Fellow, Glasgow Caledonian University
- Jo McManus, Health Improvement Lead Drug Prevention and Harm Reduction, NHS GGC
- Dr Craig MacKenzie, Principal Investigator in Forensic Chemistry, Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee
To register for the second webinar on the 9th of October - 'Benzos - What can be done?' - please visit www.sdf.org.uk/webinars

Видео Benzos: What's Happening? - SDF and The Drug Deaths Taskforce webinar канала ScottishDrugsForum