Drugs Unwrapped: The Podcast

We are joined by Lou, a trainer within the Young Person's Gwent N-Gage service, who specialises in the relationship between drugs and social media. So how do people come across drugs on social media and how easy is it to buy drugs online?

We also discuss what apps tend to be used to make such purchases and whether the quality of drugs differ and if it proves to be cheaper too. And if young people are buying substances online, where do they get their drugs delivered to?

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please visit barod.cymru and confidentially chat to a trained support worker via Barod's Live Webchat Service, that is open 7-days a week, or call Dan 24/7, Wales' national drug and alcohol helpline on 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066.

In this episode of Drugs Unwrapped, we are joined by Judy Ryan from Melbourne, Australia. Judy was one of the leading campaigners for the establishment of a drug consumption room in her area of residence, in Richmond,

Judy highlights how she ran for local council purely based on a manifesto of establishing a DCR, and was astonished to learn of the support for such facilities in Richmond, given that she came so close to winning. This proved to her that people did care about people who use drugs and saw the benefits a DCR would bring to the area. Judy talks about how the DCR has been viewed by other residents, as well as by a local school, and the impact it has had on public amenities.

Judy is currently undertaking a Churchill Fellowship and you find out more about her research and her campaigning work, here.

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please visit barod.cymru and confidentially chat to a trained support worker via Barod's Live Webchat Service, that is open 7-days a week, or call Dan 24/7, Wales' national drug and alcohol helpline on 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066.

In this episode, we are joined by Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE, author and founder and director of the drugs education charity, DSM Foundation. In 2014, Fiona's youngest son, Dan, tragically passed away having consumed a lethal dose of MDMA. Dan was just 16 years old when he died. Just 8 days later, Fiona established the DSM Foundation, aiming to ensure that all young people across the UK have adequate access to evidenced-based drug education.

Fiona shares Dan's story and how the charity, set up in his name, was established and how it has grown over the 10 years to now being involved with 700 schools across the UK. Fiona highlights why drug education is so important and what this looks like in practice, including supporting young people in developing resilience and effective skills to deal with a range of social situations that may involve risky behaviour, including substance use.

Fiona also discusses the play based on the real events that led to Daniel's death, 'I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die' that has been studied, taught and performed in schools, colleges and community youth theatres across the UK, Australia, Tasmania and Vancouver, as well as performed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2018 by Lloyd Theatre Arts.

Fiona is also the author of two books:

For more information regarding the DSM Foundation, please visit: ⁠https://www.dsmfoundation.org.uk/

⁠You can also follow the DSM Foundation on Socials:

⁠If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please visit barod.cymru and confidentially chat to a trained support worker via Barod's Live Webchat Service, that is open 7-days a week, or call Dan 24/7, Wales' national drug and alcohol helpline on 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066.

In this episode we are joined by Sarah, Verity, Jamie and Hannah, discussing stigma and whether it is something that can ever be eradicated. We also explore the impact stigma has had on people who have accessed our services.

We also discuss why stigma is such a big issue, given many people take substances in one form or another and whether current policy and legislation plays a pivotal role in stigma faced by those that use illegal substances.

In this episode, we are joined by Lynn Jefferys. Lynn is the Operations Manager for the European Network for People who Use Drugs (EuroNPUD) and discuss how harm reduction has changed over the years, how it is perceived, and implemented, across continents, and the invaluable work of EuroNPUD.

Lynn discusses how over the years people have fought for basic harm reduction and how its history is built upon people taking it upon themselves to show that such interventions work, and should be more widely rolled out. Lynn also discusses safe supply of drugs and highlights the work of the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) in Vancouver as a way to mitigate the opioid crisis in the region. Lynn also delves into the work of EuroNPUD and the impact it has across Europe.

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please visit barod.cymru and confidentially chat to a trained support worker via Barod's Live Webchat Service, that is open 7-days a week, or call Dan 24/7, Wales' national drug and alcohol helpline on 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066.

In this episode, we are joined by Juan Fernández Ochoa, the Campaigns and Communications Officer at the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC). Juan leads on the development of the Support. Don't Punish campaign, a global grassroots-centred initiative in support of harm reduction and drug policies that prioritise public health and human rights.

Juan shares the history of the campaign and how it has impacted on various drug policy reforms across the world. The campaign’s yearly high point is the Global Day of Action, which takes place on the 26th June, a date that historically has been used by governments to showcase their drug control “achievements” in coercive terms, and Juan shares how anybody and everybody can get involved and show their support for the campaign.

For more information on the campaign, please visit: https://supportdontpunish.org/.

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please visit barod.cymru and confidentially chat to a trained support worker via Barod's Live Webchat Service, that is open 7-days a week, or call Dan 24/7, Wales' national drug and alcohol helpline on 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066.

In this episode, we are joined by Barod's CEO, Caroline and young person's worker, Hannah, to answer an array of questions including 'Where does Barod stand on discriminalising all drugs?', 'Why does using terms like substance use, instead of substance misuse or abuse, matter?' and 'Does criminalising drugs work to reduce usage'?

This episode was originally recorded as a livestream event on 17th May 2024 and the panel answer many more questions that were submitted from the general public.

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please visit barod.cymru and confidentially chat to a trained support worker via Barod's Live Webchat Service, that is open 7-days a week, or call Dan 24/7, Wales' national drug and alcohol helpline on 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066.

What myth about drugs just make your eyes roll in disbelief? What belief about drugs make you want to knock your head against the wall? What myth makes you do a big sigh, or even makes you chuckle to yourself? We explore some of the biggest myths about drugs and break them down to how they came about.

Rob, Sarah, Verity and Jamie discuss some of the main myths around drugs and deconstruct them to make sense of how they came about and why such beliefs are still talked about today. Is cannabis a gateway drug? Are legal drugs safe? Is alcohol a drug? Do people who supply drugs care about their 'customers'?

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please visit barod.cymru and confidentially chat to a trained support worker via Barod's Live Webchat Service, that is open 7-days a week, or call Dan 24/7, Wales' national drug and alcohol helpline on 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066.

In this episode, we are joined by Niamh Eastwood, the Executive Director of Release. Niamh is renowned across the world for her knowledge and expertise regarding drug policy, among many other things, and discusses what how decriminalisation could be implemented in the UK and what impact it could have.

Niamh also explains how the UK has found itself reporting record levels of drug-related deaths ever year, for the last 10 years and how 'fear' has provided the foundation to the current approach to substance use policy in the UK.

Release is the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law. The organisation, founded in 1967, is an independent and registered charity. For more information please visit: https://www.release.org.uk/

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please visit barod.cymru and confidentially chat to a trained support worker via Barod's Live Webchat Service, that is open 7-days a week, or call Dan 24/7, Wales' national drug and alcohol helpline on 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066.

Freelance journalist, author and podcast host, Mattha Busby, joins Drugs Unwrapped to discuss whether we should legalise all drugs and the constant developments within the psychedelic world.

Mattha is the author of the book 'Should we legalise all drugs' as well as being a well known freelance journalist, reporting on various matters relating to substance use, from across the world. In 2023, Mattha broke the news that the ACMD, the main advisors to the UK government on drug policy, recommended decriminalising possession in 2016, only for the Home Office to try and keep the 27-page report confidential.

Mattha discusses whether drugs should be legalised and what the catastrophic impact of prohibition has had across the globe. Mattha also highlights some of the developments of the use of psychedelics for multiple purposes as, well as sharing some of the stories heard from his own podcast, 'Unchartered Territory'.

Mattha has reported on many unique stories for various media outlets, including Vice, The Guardian and The Times. Mattha provides an insight into one particular experience, undertaking a 5-day darkness retreat in Mexico and what impact it had on his own wellbeing.

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this episode, please visit barod.cymru and confidentially chat to a trained support worker via Barod's Live Webchat Service, that is open 7-days a week, or call Dan 24/7, Wales' national drug and alcohol helpline on 0808 808 2234 or text DAN to 81066.