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Canada to decriminalise cocaine and MDMA for three years as trial run

Canada to decriminalise cocaine and MDMA for three years as trial run
Jun 1 2022 Share

Canada has just announced that it will temporarily decriminalise the possession of cocaine and MDMA in the province of British Columbia. 

The province asked for the criminal code exemption after overdoses saw the deaths of over two thousand lives last year. This is the first time-limited three-year trial in Canada. 

Adults will be allowed to possess a combined total of 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA. While the substances will remain illegal, adults found in their possession for personal use will not be arrested or charged. 

They will instead be offered information on available health and social services. The province said that it asked for the exemption in order to remove the shame that prevents people from reaching out for life-saving help. 

Federal minister of mental health and addiction Carolyn Bennett said that ‘for too many years, the ideological opposition to harm reduction has cost lives. We are doing this to save lives, but also to give people using drugs their dignity and choices.’ 

The programme will run from the 31st of January 2023 to the 31st of January 2026. BC declared the overdose crisis a public health emergency five years ago. Overdose deaths reached historic heights in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Over 9000 people died of drug overdose in the province since 2016. However, Minister Bennett is hoping the scheme could become a template for other jurisdictions across Canada, and possibly the rest of the world. 

#MaltaDaily

Mercedes-Benz to phase out manual transmission by 2023

Mercedes-Benz to phase out manual transmission by 2023
Jun 1 2022 Share

A spokesperson for automaker Mercedes-Benz revealed that they will be officially phasing out the manual transmission from its vehicles as of next year. According to a report from German publication Automobilwoche, Mercedes-Benz will make the automatic transmissions the only option as of 2023 as new models are introduced. 

The manufacturer had already previously announced it would be dropping manual back in 2020, but this is the first time a date has been confirmed. 

‘With increasing electrification, we see that customer demand is shifting towards electric mobility components, batteries and (partially) electric drive systems’ said a spokesperson. 

The move away from manual transmission is reflected in the wider car community, as increasingly commonplace active safety systems work best with automatic. Along with the overall decline in demand for the manual gearbox, the global market for cars with manual transmission dropped to 17.1% as of 2021. 

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Piles of trash cleaned from St Paul’s Bay by divers

Piles of trash cleaned from St Paul’s Bay by divers
Jun 1 2022 Share

As divers carried out an underwater clean-up at Veċċja Point in St Paul’s Bay on Monday, a large tangled fishing line which had been once abandoned at the bottom of the sea was pulled up onto the boat.

Leading the team of divers was local environmentalist and scuba diver Raniero Borg. With the help of volunteers from GO, the group spent a morning pulling out litter from the bottom of Maltese waters.

The tangled line was just one of the many items which littered the area’s sea floor. Heavy ropes, car batteries, bottles, marker buoys and other items were pulled out of the water. 

Times of Malta reported that volunteers even tried to save fauna that made their home in the discarded litter. Crabs, sea urchins and an octopus were among the sea critters were all rescued. 

The clean-up activity was organised with the GO Cares Committee and the GO Academy, which funds initiatives that help people, animals and the environment. 

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Photo Source: Raniero’s Adventures

New cereal turns milk red to help people talk about periods

New cereal turns milk red to help people talk about periods
Jun 1 2022 Share

A brand new cereal known as ‘Period Crunch’ turns milk red to start conversations around women’s health and menstruation and finally break taboos. 

But the colour transformation of the milk is not the only period-related aspect of the morning snack. Launched by Swedish company INTIMINA, the cereal comes in uterus shapes which are raspberry flavoured. 

INTIMINA is a brand which offers a range of products which are all designed to help women and their health whilst also addressing the many stigmas surrounding the topic. 

The cereal was inspired by a survey wherein 2,000 adults were interviewed, revealing that almost 48% of participants were too embarrassed to talk about periods. 

It also found that 77% of the surveyed people said that they never mention periods in their everyday life. Another 88% wrongly located the uterus on the body. 

Aiming to educate women to better support them through all stages of life, from their first menstruation to beyond menopause, one of the gynaecologists working with the brand expressed the delight at the work the group is doing for women. 

 

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“It’s deeply concerning to hear that so many people remain uncomfortable discussing (periods) when they are just another part of our health. I look forward to Period Crunch kick-starting conversations.”

#MaltaDaily