drug use – World Justice News

Canada denies Toronto’s request to decriminalise hard drugs

May 20, 2024 World Justice News 0

Canada’s government has refused Toronto’s request to decriminalise the small possession of hard drugs in the city. It was denied because of concerns over public safety and lack of political support, officials said. Toronto had […]

US child dies from fentanyl kept under nursery nap mat

September 20, 2023 World Justice News 0

The fentanyl that killed a one-year-old child at a nursery in New York City was hidden in the nap room under a mat as he slept, police say. Nicholas Dominici, who had been at the […]

Australia legalises psychedelics for mental health

July 1, 2023 World Justice News 0

Australia has become the first country in the world to legalise the use of psychedelics to treat some mental health conditions. Approved psychiatrists can now prescribe MDMA to those suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and magic […]

Nitrous oxide: Possession of laughing gas to be criminal offence

March 26, 2023 World Justice News 0

Possessing laughing gas is to be made a criminal offence for the first time, the government has announced. There will also be tighter controls on retailers to prevent the supply of nitrous oxide for misuse. […]

Canada trials decriminalising cocaine, MDMA and other drugs

June 1, 2022 World Justice News 0

Canada has announced it will temporarily decriminalise the possession of small amounts of some illicit drugs in British Columbia (BC). The province asked for the criminal code exemption after overdoses claimed more than two thousand […]

Sackler family to pay $6bn for role in US opioid crisis

March 4, 2022 World Justice News 0

The wealthy Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, is set to pay $6bn (£4.5bn) for its role in America’s opioid epidemic under a new deal. The sum is nearly $1.7bn more than a previous settlement. […]

Malta becomes first EU nation to legalise cannabis

December 15, 2021 World Justice News 0

Malta has become the first EU country to legalise the cultivation and personal use of cannabis. Adults will be allowed to carry up to seven grams of cannabis, and grow no more than four plants […]

Porn star Nacho Vidal held in Spain after man dies in toad-venom ritual

June 4, 2020 World Justice News 0

A Spanish porn actor is being investigated on suspicion of manslaughter after a photographer died during a toad-venom ritual, police say. Nacho Vidal, 46, and two others were briefly detained last Friday over the death. […]

Myanmar police seize largest haul of synthetic drugs

May 18, 2020 World Justice News 0

Police in Myanmar have seized South East Asia’s biggest ever haul of synthetic drugs, the scale of which they described as “off the charts”. More than 200m methamphetamine tablets, 500kg of crystal methamphetamine and 300kg […]

Australia’s biggest meth bust: Drugs found hidden inside speakers

June 7, 2019 World Justice News 0

Australian authorities say they have seized the nation’s largest-ever haul of methamphetamine, an illicit drug known locally as ice. The drugs, with an estimated street value of A$1.2bn (£660m; $840m), were found hidden inside stereo […]

Human Rights

Senegal PM proposes tougher anti-LGBT law, doubling prison terms

February 26, 2026 0

Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has introduced legislation that could double the maximum penalty for same-sex relations, making them punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The proposal was sent to parliament on Tuesday […]

Human Rights

Rare prison sentences handed to Cameroon soldiers after killing of 21 civilians

February 22, 2026 0

Three Cameroonian soldiers have been sentenced to prison for their role in the killing of at least 21 civilians in the country’s troubled Anglophone region. The jail terms for the crimes, which took place six […]

Human Rights

Nigerian court orders UK to pay £420m over 1949 killing of miners

February 8, 2026 0

A Nigerian court has ordered the British government to pay $27m (£20m) to each of the families of 21 coal miners killed in 1949 by the colonial administration in the south-east of the country. The […]