The Chemsex Conversation: Sex, Society and New Psychoactive Substances

How Spiking Happens and How to Stay Safe

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2380417/fan_mail/new] On this episode of the Analytical Zen Podcast, we explore a critical and increasingly urgent issue of spiking. While far from new, incidents are rising and the response must evolve just as quickly. We’re joined by Dawn Dines, Founder and CEO of Stamp Out Spiking, a leading voice in the fight against this growing threat. With over two decades of frontline advocacy, Dawn brings a powerful blend of lived experience, policy influence and tireless campaigning. From contributing to legislative change through the Police and Crime Bill in the UK to advising government bodies and collaborating with law enforcement, her work is helping to reshape how the UK and beyond responds to spiking. This conversation goes beyond awareness. It’s about accountability, prevention and what meaningful progress really looks like in protecting people and driving systemic change across society.  It focuses on prevention, stronger accountability mechanisms and systemic change that meaningfully reduces risk and improves protection for individuals in nightlife and public spaces.

Inside Synthetic Cathinones

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2380417/fan_mail/new] In this episode of The Analytical Zen Podcast, Dr. Simona Pichini guides us through the complex and fast-evolving world of synthetic cathinones. Dr. Pichini is an Italian pharmacotoxicologist and Acting Director of the National Centre on Addiction and Doping at the Italian National Institute of Health. She is a leading expert in the pharmacokinetics and toxicology of drugs of abuse, new psychoactive substances, doping agents and alcohol biomarkers across all age groups. With a PhD in Clinical Pharmacology and more than 400 scientific publications (H-index: 56) and her work bridges analytical science with clinical outcomes. Dr. Pichini also advises national helplines, contributes to Italy’s Early Warning System on NPS, and serves as a scientific expert for the EU Drugs Agency. She is a member of the editorial boards of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. An active member of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT) since 2004, she received the TIAFT Achievement Award in 2010 becoming the first woman ever to do so and she currently serves as Secretary of the Association. She also co-organized the TIAFT 2023 meeting in Rome, Italy.

The Chemsex Conversation: Sex, Society and New Psychoactive Substances

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2380417/fan_mail/new] In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Luis Manuel Menéndez Quintanal joins us to explore the complex intersections between sexual health, substance use and forensic toxicology. From the science of new psychoactive substances (NPS) to the social and health implications of chemsex, this conversation sheds light on an urgent and often misunderstood topic - blending scientific insight with compassionate harm reduction perspectives. 🔬 Listen now and join the conversation on how science and society can better understand and respond to emerging drug trends. #Chemsex #NewPsychoactiveSubstances #DrugAwareness #SubstanceUse #SexualHealth #SocietyAndScience #HarmReduction #ForensicScience #Medicine #ForensicToxicology

Bones Tell Stories: The Reach of Forensic Anthropology

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2380417/fan_mail/new] In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Tania Delabarde, leading forensic anthropologist at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Paris, where she has been instrumental since 2013 in the identification of unidentified bodies and coordination of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) protocols. Dr. Delabarde’s career spans some of the world’s most complex humanitarian and post-conflict contexts, from her early work with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the UN Mission in Kosovo, to missions across South America and Africa. Since 2011, she has also worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Ivory Coast, Mali, Burundi, Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Congo and Central African Republic. A long-time contributor to INTERPOL’s DVI Working Group, Dr. Delabarde brings a rare blend of field experience and scientific depth to the challenges of forensic identification. We also explore her cutting-edge research with the CNRS BABEL UMR8045 team, where she investigates:  🦴 Skeletal markers for identification  🦴 Bone lesions through histological analysis  🦴 Bone diagenesis and postmortem change Join us for a conversation at the intersection of science, justice and humanity with one of the most respected voices in forensic anthropology today.

Cat and Mouse: How Toxicologists Chase Ever-Evolving Designer Drugs

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2380417/fan_mail/new] In this compelling episode, Dr. Kayla Ellefsen—Deputy Chief Toxicologist at the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office in Austin, Texas, United States-offers a rare look into the science of forensic toxicology and its critical role in death investigations. She dismantles Hollywood myths about quick test results and flashy labs, revealing the meticulous process toxicologists follow to identify substances in postmortem samples and determine their role in a person's death. The conversation takes a deeper turn into one of the most urgent challenges facing toxicologists today: Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS). These synthetic compounds are designed to imitate known illicit drugs while evading laws and standard detection methods. Dr. Ellefsen describes the evolving “cat-and-mouse” game between underground chemists and forensic labs, and how advanced tools like high-resolution mass spectrometry are crucial. A particularly alarming trend she highlights is the rise of bromazolam, a designer benzodiazepine. Even more concerning is the emergence of “benzodope”—the deadly mix of benzodiazepines and synthetic opioids. Dr. Ellefsen closes with a strong message: researchers must share data on NPS to build a clearer picture of the threat and support the development of harm reduction tools. Whether you're curious about forensic science, concerned about public health, or trying to understand today’s shifting drug landscape, this episode delivers critical insight into a field on the front lines of modern substance misuse.