Pharmaceutical-grade Heroin for severe addicts.

[LiamHaddock]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/09/13/canada-has-just-approved-prescription-heroin/
OTTAWA — The Canadian government has quietly approved new drug regulations that will permit doctors to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade heroin to treat severe addicts who have not responded to more conventional approaches.

The move means that Crosstown, a trail-blazing clinic in Vancouver, will be able to expand its special heroin-maintenance program, in which addicts come in as many as three times a day and receive prescribed injections of legally obtained heroin from a nurse free. The program is the only one of its kind in Canada and the United States but is similar to the approach taken in eight European countries.

The move by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government last week is another step in reversing the policies of the previous government, run by Conservatives, and taking a less draconian approach to the fight against addiction and drug abuse

The government says that this kind of treatment will be available for only a small minority of users “in cases where traditional options have been tried and proven ineffective” and that it is important to give health-care providers a variety of tools to face the opioid-overdose crisis.

[LiamHaddock]

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/09/08/canada-allows-heroin-to-be-prescribed-in-severe-opioid-addiction-cases.html
Health Minister Jane Philpott has said the government will hold a summit this fall to address the issue of opioid addiction leading to hundreds of overdose deaths across Canada.

Supervised heroin therapy is used in several countries, including Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, and a clinical trial in Canada has concluded injectable heroin was more effective than standard methadone treatment.

British Columbia’s health minister says addicts need every option to help them regain control of their lives.

“It indicates a willingness on behalf of the federal government to look at a health-based kind of an issue rather than a criminal-based issue and that they’re not limiting the range of treatment options that are available because there isn’t one size that fits all in these situations,” he said.

“Given the opioid epidemic that we’re facing, we need every tool that is available.”

[Nasturtium]

Thank you for starting this thread LiamHaddock.

Fear speaks through dehumanizing and demoralizing current needs and conditions.

The fearful will argue this will cause more users, not less - which, in my opinion, is willful ignorance

[the truth]

seems to me they-Ottawa are govt- should be spending there time legalizing medical marijuana, sure looks like big pharma has there hooks in the liberals also

[LiamHaddock]

seems to me they-Ottawa are govt- should be spending there time legalizing medical marijuana, sure looks like big pharma has there hooks in the liberals also

I for one think it's great the government is looking at more harm reduction measures. Treating addiction issues as the health issue they are.

They're legalizing marijuana for all adults and heroin for severe addicts only at the moment. Both hopefully with take some profits atleast away from criminals and also save lives and reduce harms of use.
Since it's free for severe addicts maybe thefts and petty crime will go down as they aren't stealing to get their fix.
More safe injection sites are in the works.
Maybe they will eventually also provide clean sources of cocaine and other drugs to addicts or maybe even eventually allow just general users to purchase clean supply...

Regardless people will use drugs. If there's a legal source we can ensure they aren't cut with fentanyl killing countless people.

I'm glad this government realizes that and are trying to look at how we can reduce harms and save lives.

[LiamHaddock]

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/british-columbia/fentanyl-ride-along-vancouver-firefighters-1.3753765
"This is our 10th time doing this today, daily routine for us," says Vancouver firefighter Jason Lynch.

He's not talking about knocking down a fire or even rescuing a cat stuck in a tree.

Instead, he's once again kneeled down trying to revive a drug addict. This one isn't responding to two doses of opioid antidote naloxone, which goes by the trade name Narcan.

"Welcome to Welfare Wednesday in Vancouver," says firefighter Ryan McConnell, who explains that with all that cash on the street, fentanyl dealers and first responders are both in very high demand.

Overdose deaths from a bootleg version of fentanyl smuggled from Asia are expected to skyrocket across Canada this year.

According to statistics from provincial coroners, opioid overdoses now kill more Canadians than car crashes

Drug use is costing use either way....I'm glad the government is trying to be proactive instead of reactive and going to try to prevent the addicts from getting fentanyl laced drugs and overdosing in the first place.

[fluffy]

It's not just fentanyl, the potentcy of street heroin has risen as well. I'm in the middle of an article describing how Mexican drug cartels have ramped up production and quality of heroin to replace marijuana revenue lost due to the relaxing of pot laws in the US and Canada. They have also dropped their prices significantly to try and cut in on the growing market for pharmaceutical opioids. It's just business to them, offer a better for a cheaper price to corner the market, but it's a consequence of relaxed pot laws that a lot of people didn't see coming.

[LiamHaddock]

It's not just fentanyl, the potentcy of street heroin has risen as well. I'm in the middle of an article describing how Mexican drug cartels have ramped up production and quality of heroin to replace marijuana revenue lost due to the relaxing of pot laws in the US and Canada. They have also dropped their prices significantly to try and cut in on the growing market for pharmaceutical opioids. It's just business to them, offer a better for a cheaper price to corner the market, but it's a consequence of relaxed pot laws that a lot of people didn't see coming.

All the more reason to regulate and provide clean heroin and eventually other drugs..
It's established the illegal criminal producers of the drugs, dealers involved all don't care about the end user...
They will make it more potent, cut drugs with even more potent synthetics and kill and fight for their markets..
To claim marijuana legalization is the cause for heroin being cut with fentanyl or increased opioid overdoses is silly it maybe a miniscule part of it but far from the cause..fentanyl is cheaper and more potent, easier to import and cheaper...dealers can make their product stretch out much farther..need less actual heroin...this would be happening either way...
The only way to reduce harms of criminals controlling the supply of drugs, potency and purity of drug supply is to regulate and try and get the criminals out of the picture the best you can well ensuring the regulated drugs are pure and as safe as possible..not safe but as safe as possible...

[fluffy]

The only way to reduce harms of criminals controlling the supply of drugs, potency and purity of drug supply is to regulate and try and get the criminals out of the picture the best you can well ensuring the regulated drugs are pure and as safe as possible..not safe but as safe as possible...

But aren't we already seeing that that might not be the case? The criminal element will simply go after a different market. Wouldn't it make a little more sense to investigate the roots of all substance abuse and cure the problem at its source?

[LiamHaddock]

Wishing drug use away, prohibition aka war on drugs, just say no ect...are all lovely theories and ideas...
We've tired that and it's proven we will never have a drug free world.
Criminals will focus on other drug markets until we regulate them as well and remove the profits/incentives for them to sell and produce drugs.

The main goal of providing pure clean drugs is to reduce harms of use and save lives.

Sitting back and wishing the problem away, arresting addicts and telling people not to use drugs isn't working.

The bonus is it should in theory take some profits/control away from criminals..

Most importantly it will save lives and reduce the harms of using heroin.

Criminals I assume will focus on whatever drug is most profitable for them...we need to keep taking the profits and control of all drugs ultimately away from criminal control and into a proper regulated controlled framework.

[fluffy]

Drug use isn't the problem, it's a symptom of a deeper, societal problem. If you take away the need for mind-altering then the criminal element has no market.

We've tired that and it's proven we will never have a drug free world.

We've tried to treat the symptoms, never the problem. Doesn't that make your talk of defeat a little premature?

[LiamHaddock]

Drug use isn't the problem, it's a symptom of a deeper, societal problem. If you take away the need for mind-altering then the criminal element has no market.

I agree with you to a degree...many people are self medicating/using drugs for many underlying issues which also should be addressed. Many things lead one to use drugs.

Drug use is still a problem even if caused/increased by many other of society's failures and problem.

Legalizing drugs/regulating drugs is not a solution to the problem but it will reduce the harms of drug use and fentanyl cut drugs until we can one day magically fix all of societies problems, reasonso people use drugs and convince them all to stop using drugs...

In the meantime this will save atleast some lives from fentanyl overdoses and remove some profits from criminals. It's a start in the right direction.

[LiamHaddock]

We've tried to treat the symptoms, never the problem. Doesn't that make your talk of defeat a little premature?

Can't we do both...why does it have to be one or the other.? ..work on stopping people from using drugs but ensure the drugs are pure and not fentanyl laced and profits going to criminals if they do still use. Use any profits from marijuana sales and hopefully future regulated drugs sales and use that for education/helping fund addictions treatment ect...

[fluffy]

One step at a time. I'm fine with marijuana legalization as it's a less harmful choice than alcohol, but I haven't thought things through on addictive drugs yet. My first instinct is "no", having had some personal experience with addiction I know what a slippery slope it is.

With a long range program of regulation, taxation, and restrictions on use significant progress has been made against tobacco, but you really have to wonder where our priorities are at with all the problems that come with alcohol and we are relaxing the laws on it. It is so deeply ingrained in our society that even the mention of stricter control brings a tirade of criticism. And our government keeps cutting funding for help for those who need it. I wonder if relaxed laws for marijuana will reduce alcohol use?

[LiamHaddock]

One step at a time. I'm fine with marijuana legalization as it's a less harmful choice than alcohol, but I haven't thought things through on addictive drugs yet. My first instinct is "no", having had some personal experience with addiction I know what a slippery slope it is.

With a long range program of regulation, taxation, and restrictions on use significant progress has been made against tobacco, but you really have to wonder where our priorities are at with all the problems that come with alcohol and we are relaxing the laws on it. It is so deeply ingrained in our society that even the mention of stricter control brings a tirade of criticism. And our government keeps cutting funding for help for those who need it. I wonder if relaxed laws for marijuana will reduce alcohol use?

Some very good points...

I believe marijuana legalization will end up being a positive...The black market is so well entrenched and use widely accepted for the most part that really I don't see how it will make it worse..

Use may increase a bit and I am biased as a marijuana smoker, but I think that's a good thing. If more people smoked marijuana they'd be a lot more relaxed and understanding. You rarely hear of someone getting stoned angry and fighting people..I wish the same could be said for alcohol.

Maybe relaxed marijuana laws will reduce alcohol use, it would be a nice benefit. I personally don't really enjoy drinking much myself, so maybe some alcohol drinkers will switch to smoking marijuana as well.

I personally believe alcohol is regulated enough but im sure improvements can be made still. The production of product is controlled for retail purchase. There's establishments where adults only can partake. The risks are well studied and info made known. We try to minimize the risk of alcohol abusers use on themselves and others.

Regardless of regulation of any substance be it heroin, cheeseburgers, tobacco, sex or any other vice people indulge in there will be people who abuse/use to excess and if they do we have to try and find ways to get them back on track, offer treatment whatever we can to help reduce harm they are causing themselves and others...