Blog
The Risks of Alcohol During Pregnancy
Is drinking alcohol safe whilst pregnant? The UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines recommend to not consume any alcohol if you are pregnant, or trying to become pregnant, in order to keep the risks to your baby at a minimum. There is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink whilst pregnant,... Read More
Do you need to cut down your alcohol intake?
Drinking alcohol can have negative effects on your body, appearance, mental health, and lifestyle. You may have thought about cutting down on your alcohol intake for various reasons, and minimising your drinking or stopping all together can have a highly positive impact on your overall health.... Read More
UK Drinking Patterns – Age and Gender
The amount of alcohol a person consumes can be affected by a number of factors, such as their age, gender, location, income, and lifestyle. We have researched how drinking patterns differ between male and females and different age groups. For example, men are more likely than women to drink for... Read More
MDMA and Ecstasy can increase mental health issues
According to the EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction) ecstasy is much stronger than before and is growing in popularity amongst young people. The 2016 report shows evidence of an increased availability of high-dose MDMA tablets and of MDMA in powder and crystal forms... Read More
The difference between home and legal paternity tests
It is important to understand whether your individual circumstances require a home or legal paternity test. A DNA test is able to offer peace of mind, or they can be carried out for legal purposes. The result of a paternity test, whether it is a legal test or for peace of mind, will be exactly... Read More
EtG, FAEE, PEth: Direct markers of alcohol consumption
There are both direct and indirect markers used to establish alcohol consumption, however indirect markers are less accurate as they can be affected by other factors, such as medication, health issues, and previous alcohol consumption. Direct markers are only produced when a person has consumed... Read More
How Testing Blood for Alcohol Abuse Works
Blood testing has been used to highlight potential alcohol abuse for decades and is therefore an established and relied upon method. There are a number of important considerations when selecting blood testing and different routes you can choose. The first step is to understand the difference... Read More
Drug Testing in the Workplace: Effective Programmes
Drug misuse in the workplace can cause serious problems for the user, the company they work for, and even their co-workers. The possession of certain drugs is illegal, and if an employer is knowingly allowing drug-related activities in the workplace while failing to act, they could also be... Read More
Drug Driving: The law, consequences and effects
New drug driving legislation came into place on 2nd March 2015 in England and Wales, making it easier for the police to catch and convict drug drivers. This new legislation provides an effective way of delivering consequences to those that drive while under the influence of drugs. It is now... Read More
The Dangers of Drug Abuse and Addiction
The misuse of illicit drugs can cause varying risks to your health, both psychologically and physically on a short and long term basis. The long-term dangers include: Addiction Depression Liver failure and kidney damage Unpredictable behaviour, which can: Lead to injuries and... Read More
UK Government ban on legal highs: What you need to know
What is it? The Psychoactive Substances Act was due to come into effect on 6th April 2016, but this has since been delayed to at least May. The act aims to ban any substance that is capable of producing a psychoactive effect, there are, however, a list of exemptions of everyday substances, such... Read More
What is the Influence of War on the Global Drug Market?
Since the start of the century society has experienced a clear relationship between the amount, type and use of illegal drugs and the many wars across the world. One such example of the effect was the global shortage in heroin peaking during the Afghanistan war in 2005. Whist it may appear... Read More