Episodes
Wednesday Dec 06, 2023
‘Bridging the gap between drug services and sexual health services’ with Adrienne Hannah
Wednesday Dec 06, 2023
Wednesday Dec 06, 2023
In this episode Julie and Austin are joined by Adrienne Hannah as she reflects on her career as she retires from SDF. Over 11.5 years with SDF, Adrienne's work has focused on educating drug services about sexual health and educating sexual health services about drug use. Alongside highlighting this work she shares her insight into current issues related to the HIV outbreak, children and young people, and gender and sexuality.
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Arild Knutsen is Leader of The Association for Humane Drug Policy in Norway. Arild recently visited Scotland and presented on the role of people who use drugs in helping develop drug policy in Norway at SDF’s International Overdose Day conference. In this episode, Arild joins SDF colleagues, Jason Wallace, Louise Aitken, and Wez Steele to talk about the representation of living and lived experience voices in policy and service delivery and the effects of stigma from various levels of society.
This episode is part 2 of two part conversation with Arild, to listen to part 1 visit https://drugsuncut.podbean.com/e/changing-attitudes-and-policy-through-living-experience-representation-with-arild-knutsen/
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Arild Knutsen is Leader of The Association for Humane Drug Policy, a drug user organisation in Norway.
Arild recently visited Scotland and presented at SDF’s International Overdose Day conference. In this episode, Arild joins SDF colleagues, Jason Wallace, Louise Aitken, and Wez Steele to talk about the influence of living experience; the importance of living experience representation in the media, policy and government; how this involvement plays out in reality and harm reduction initiatives, drug consumption rooms and overdose prevention in each country.
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
Ryan Marino, MD works in emergency room medicine in Ohio where he encounters the people victimised by America’s opioid overdose crisis. Meanwhile, he fights the myths and ignorance that hinder efforts to address that crisis and specifically synthetic opioids like fentanyl via his social media activity for which he has an audience of 100 000 followers. Drugs Uncut asked Ryan to share his experience and insight and considers the lessons for the UK where synthetic opioids are being discovered within our heroin supply.
Thursday Mar 02, 2023
Building an Inclusive Workforce
Thursday Mar 02, 2023
Thursday Mar 02, 2023
Drugs Uncut is back! In this episode we are joined by Scottish Drugs Forum’s Louise Aitken and Chris Messenger and discuss employment and training and the Addiction Worker Training Project.
The project has recently seen changes and has received its first funding from The Scottish Government in response to the recommendations of The Drug Deaths Task Force which will double its capacity.
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
Wednesday Aug 25, 2021
In this episode we are joined by Police Scotland's Assistant Chief Constable for Partnership, Prevention and Community Wellbeing, Gary Ritchie to discuss Police Scotland's pilot test of change project which sees officers carrying intranasal naloxone.
ACC Gary Ritchie helped lead the organisation to participate in Scotland's National Naloxone Programme and in this episode he recounts some of the landmarks and some of the issues that arose in ensuring that police in Scotland could trial the carriage of naloxone. He talks of a public health approach to policing which is part of, and symptomatic of, significant attitudinal and societal changes in Scotland.
Thursday Dec 17, 2020
'From then to now: HIV, heroin and harm reduction in Scotland' with Dr Roy Robertson
Thursday Dec 17, 2020
Thursday Dec 17, 2020
Dr Roy Robertson has worked as a GP in Edinburgh since 1980, where he was at the forefront of identifying and taking steps to address the emerging dual public health crises of HIV and injecting heroin use. He is also Professor of Addiction Medicine in the University of Edinburgh Usher Institute.
Throughout his career, Roy has consistently had to challenge the status quo to support the vulnerable people in his care, whilst simultaneously informing the rest of the world through a range of research and policy work.
In this episode, Roy discusses what it was like in the early days of the HIV epidemic in Edinburgh in the 1980s, reflects on his years of practice, and provides insight into the potential solutions to addressing Scotland’s on-going public health emergency - drug overdose deaths.
This episode was recorded especially for World AIDS Day and before the tragic drug-related death figures for Scotland in 2019 were announced on the 15th of December 2020.
Monday Jun 29, 2020
Monday Jun 29, 2020
Dr Andrew McAuley is currently Senior Epidemiologist within the Blood Borne Virus and Sexually Transmitted Infections team at NHS Public Health Scotland where he has a lead role for projects involving people who inject drugs.
In this episode, Andrew talks to us about his research relating to HIV, naloxone, the Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative (NESI) and more, including why Glasgow has the most compelling case in Europe for a Drug Consumption Room.
Tuesday Jun 02, 2020
'Has COVID-19 prompted real action on homelessness?' with Hugh Hill
Tuesday Jun 02, 2020
Tuesday Jun 02, 2020
As a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, street homelessness in Scotland was almost eradicated overnight through the use of hotels to accommodate people who have been rough sleeping.
In this episode, we are joined by Hugh Hill, Director of Services and Development at The Simon Community Scotland - who have been instrumental in providing support to those temporary accommodated - to discuss the lockdown and the unexpected benefits for some people living on the Scotland’s streets; how services have struggled and improved; and what happens when lockdown eases.
Friday May 22, 2020
'Recognising Burnout' for Mental Health Awareness Week with Katy MacLeod
Friday May 22, 2020
Friday May 22, 2020
Mental Health Awareness Week is held every year in May to highlight issues relating to mental health and wellbeing - things that are particularly pertinent during the current COVID-19 lockdown.
This year, the theme is kindness. Being kind to others can go a long way, but being kind to yourself is just as important.
In this bonus podcast episode, we are joined by Katy MacLeod, SDF's National Training and Development Officer to discuss burnout - including how to recognise it and what steps can be taken to address it.