A Lesson in Harm Reduction: Introducing Drug Testing at Clubs and Festivals in the UK

The UK’s biggest nightclub has decided to introduce a drug testing pilot scheme for the sake of harm reduction. Manchester’s The Warehouse Project felt compelled to do this after the death of 30-year-old Nick Bonnie, who died in the club after taking an unknown batch of drugs. He was hospitalised along with seven other clubbers, plus…

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Popular Diets Debunked

There are many popular diets which promise rapid weight loss and health benefits. Some of these diets, however, such as the Atkins and Dukan diet – while they may offer rapid weight loss – do not really offer any substantial health benefits. In fact, rapid weight loss can be regarded as an unhealthy change in…

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Understanding and Reducing the Effects of a Hangover

What is a hangover? Well, part of what makes a hangover feel so horrible comes down to dehydration (although it probably isn’t responsible for the majority of the hangover). Dehydration is what gives you the headaches, dizziness, dry mouth, confusion and fatigue. Excess alcohol consumption causes dehydration due to excessive urination. Alcohol is a diuretic,…

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Spanking Children is Both Ineffective and Immoral

No parent should get away with hitting their child with a closed fist. This can easily cause serious psychological and physical injury and should rightly be considered child abuse. Corporal punishment in schools is also illegal in the UK (since 1998), meaning that no teacher is allowed to punish pupils with the use of physical…

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Hebbian Theory Sheds Light on How Your Personality Can Change Over Time

Hebbian theory is a theory in neuroscience which explains how groups of neurons adapt and grow in the brain. It rests on the assumption of neuroplasticity (the plastic, malleable and flexible nature of the brain). Neuroplasticity covers synaptic plasticity, which refers to the plastic nature of synaptic connections in the brain, as well as non-synaptic…

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