Uncover the unknown history of psychedelic use in Africa 🎙️ This week on the Drug Science Podcast, we’re joined by renowned mycologist and educator Darren le Baron. He discusses the unique ways he is spreading ethnomycology to the world — from using horticulture to support at-risk youth 🌱 to exposing hidden connections between psychedelics and African culture. https://www.drugscience.org.uk/podcast/episode/22a07edd/135-ethnomycology-with-darren-le-baron (fb)

As festival season comes to a close, learning about substance use patterns among attendees can help shape more effective harm reduction in the future. A new study of UK festival-goers reveals evolving drug use patterns and risks: ➡️ High rates of alcohol use (92.8%) ➡️ Younger people were more likely to use novel psychoactive substances such as ketamine ➡️ 60.7% reported using multiple drugs at the same time ➡️ Engagement with harm reduction services was very low These findings highlight the urgent need for: ✅ Better harm reduction education and outreach ✅ Greater use of informal and digital platforms to reach festival-goers ✅ Adaptive, targeted interventions addressing alcohol use, polysubstance use, and early help-seeking (fb)