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Addiction and mental illness in Victoria


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#1601 Mike K.

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Posted 21 April 2022 - 06:50 AM

What’s the connection between street availability rising and prices falling? Does the doctor mean “safe supply” is costing the user too much so it’s harming them financially?

Know it all.
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#1602 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 21 April 2022 - 06:55 AM

I'm at least as concerned about hiring the drug addict to give advice while she herself is under the influence of drugs.  We don't accept that in other workplaces.  A lot of the time when people are on drugs they are not entirely thinking straight.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 April 2022 - 06:55 AM.

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#1603 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 30 April 2022 - 03:57 AM

British Columbia has ditched a controversial plan forcing youth to undergo treatment for up to seven days after an overdose and will now develop a new strategy with First Nations groups.

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson said concerns about the potential negative impact of the proposed legislation put forward in July 2020 led the province to consult further with First Nations, families, health-care experts and drug users.

“Those conversations have reaffirmed the trauma associated with holding youth against their will, Indigenous youth especially, and that led to our decision not to bring back the youth stabilization legislation known as Bill 22,” she said in an interview.

https://www.timescol...verdose-5316174

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 30 April 2022 - 03:57 AM.


#1604 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 02 May 2022 - 03:40 AM

Results from a study conducted at Lakehead University during the pandemic is painting a picture of the increasingly deadly supply of drugs in Thunder Bay.

The study asked 98 people who use drugs in the northwestern Ontario city a number of questions about their drug use between April and June 2021, including what substances they believed they consumed in the previous three days. Then, a urine test was completed, and the results compared to the survey responses.

https://www.cbc.ca/n...upply-1.6434590


That articke seems to forget to call them illicit drugs.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 May 2022 - 03:40 AM.


#1605 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 03 May 2022 - 11:25 AM

The B.C. Coroners Service is reporting that 165 people died of drug toxicity in March this year, marking the 18th consecutive month where more than 150 people have died in a month.

The number of people who died is nine fewer than in February, marking the third month in a row with a decrease in the number of deaths.

“It is encouraging to see a decrease in the number of lives lost in February and March relative to previous months, but we know the illicit drug market continues to present enormous risks to our community members,” said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner.

https://www.cheknews...oroner-1022807/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 03 May 2022 - 11:25 AM.


#1606 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 16 May 2022 - 06:17 AM

Called NANDU or Nanaimo & Area Network of Drug Users, the group opened a supervised consumption site on a Nicol Street lot about a month ago. There they offer clean supplies, supervision, and a sign-in sheet to keep track of people who have few if any contacts with family and friends.

“It’s definitely important because a lot of us don’t have any of our family,” said Arian Ineson, a volunteer and supervisor at NANDU.

25-year-old Brooke, who was at the site Sunday, told CHEK News that using there could save her from being raped.

“A lot of bad things ended up happening. I’ve been raped a lot, a lot of these girls have,” said the young Nanaimo woman who told CHEK News she had been living on the streets for two years.

“We’re filling up over one sign-in sheet every day, some days it’s been like three sheets,” said Ineson.

Yet they are worried that Nanaimo bylaws will close them down.

“Nanaimo bylaws definitely want us to take down our tent,” said Ineson.

No one from Nanaimo bylaws was able to be reached for comment Sunday.

Drug users like Winterburn insist the threat of people dying without the site is more serious than any bylaws infraction or lack of permit and hope the tragedies averted will be enough to keep it open.


https://www.cheknews...d-site-1031897/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 May 2022 - 06:18 AM.


#1607 LJ

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Posted 16 May 2022 - 07:52 PM

Everything to help them use drugs, nothing to get them to stop using. :whyme:


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#1608 Nparker

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Posted 16 May 2022 - 08:15 PM

Everything to help them use drugs, nothing to get them to stop using. 

I mean, whatever it takes to get them to vote for the NDP, right?



#1609 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 24 May 2022 - 04:00 AM

'Mass poisoning crisis': Canadians need to change how we talk about drug deaths, advocates say


https://www.cbc.ca/n...guage-1.6457834



There's a poisoning crisis gripping Canada, and it's killing thousands of people each year.

It doesn't involve contaminated meat, lettuce or baby formula – the kinds of safety issues that prompt public concern, product recalls, and holding those responsible to account.

It's a vastly different response to Canada's toxic drug supply, as more and more people – including children – die from what harm reduction specialists say are preventable poisonings.

"If we had poisoned lettuce that was contaminated with listeria or something, they would pull all of that out of the shop, there would be warnings … but because the substances that we use are unregulated, there's not a regulatory response," said Natasha Touesnard, the Halifax-based executive director of the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs.




I’m not sure the comparison to lettuce is accurate. People should eat lettuce. They should not consume illicit drugs.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 May 2022 - 04:02 AM.

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#1610 Barrrister

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Posted 24 May 2022 - 04:26 AM

What amazes me is that allow total nonsense to be treated as a serious point of view. We allow idiots to set the agenda. 


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#1611 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 24 May 2022 - 04:36 AM

There does appear to be a lack of “the counter point of view” on this matter.

In my world, if a person presents to the correct facility and wants to get clean, they will be whisked off to a residential facility outside of Prince George for immediate abstinence treatment.

But as spanky has pointed out here before, we have a local facility that is well short of intended capacity. Because nobody wants to go.

Even though we are told daily by the advocates that “nobody wants to be hooked on drugs”. BS.

Being hooked on drugs here gets you extra benefits.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 May 2022 - 04:37 AM.


#1612 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 24 May 2022 - 06:16 AM

https://www.cbc.ca/n...guage-1.6457834

 

screenshot-www.cbc.ca-2022.05.24-10_14_54.png

 

screenshot-www.cbc.ca-2022.05.24-10_14_25.png



#1613 Barrrister

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Posted 24 May 2022 - 06:36 AM

VicWatcher: The point I keep making is that the drugs do major damage to the brain particularly the dopamine centers and the parts of the brain that evaluate risk.

 

To put this as simply as possible, serious drug addicts have no ability to make decisions regarding treatment. This is no a matter of choice but a matter of an actual physically damaged brain. (you can see the damage on scans). This is basic science confirmed by scan data at places were they do actual science like John Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Stanford and U of T and McGill. 

 

These damaged brains need at least two to five years to recover (if ever), This is not a matter of will power or decision making. The only solution for these poor souls is to involuntarily institutionalize them and hope that the brain recovers enough with time that treatment is eventually is possible. 

 

I find it amazing that the same politicians that kept telling us to follow the science when dealing with Covid choose to totally ignore the science when it comes to drug addition. Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that it is not ignorance but rather a vested interest in providing jobs for the boys in creating an enormous poverty industry based on voodoo social policies from the universities and the theories of the woke.


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#1614 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 25 May 2022 - 03:18 AM

A Nanaimo community services agency is eager to see a planned overdose-prevention site set up to serve the growing number of people choosing to inhale toxic illicit drugs rather than inject them.

__________


In 2016, the percentage of deaths linked to illicit drugs through injection in B.C. was 39 per cent. By 2020, that had dropped to 20 per cent.

But in the same period, deaths from toxic drugs consumed by smoking increased to 56 per cent from 31 per cent, a B.C. Coroners Service report said.


https://www.timescol...-inhale-5403355


If the number of skydiving deaths increased 25%, would our solution be to provide more planes?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 May 2022 - 03:20 AM.


#1615 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 25 May 2022 - 02:19 PM

Island Health is warning drug users on the South Island of an increase in overdoses linked to poisonous opioids and stimulants circulating in the region.

“Overdoses are increasing in Victoria, the West Shore and Sooke,” reads the advisory. “Friends, family and community members using opioids and stimulants face increased risk from both injection and inhalation.”

Island Health is asking people who use illicit drugs to either stagger use with a friend so someone can respond if needed, or to start with small amounts and go slow. They can also visit the region’s overdose prevention sites such as The Harbour at 941 Pandora Ave. or Rock Bay Landing at 535 Ellice Street.


https://www.cheknews...-sooke-1035218/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 May 2022 - 02:19 PM.


#1616 Nparker

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Posted 25 May 2022 - 02:31 PM

...Island Health is asking people who use illicit drugs to either stagger use with a friend so someone can respond if needed, or to start with small amounts and go slow...

But they NEVER suggest that people not use illicit drugs or try to get clean. As far as I am concerned Island Health is culpable in every overdose death.



#1617 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 25 May 2022 - 02:35 PM

The disappointing thing, we never see clear stats on the number of users.

Is it going up or down?

I know the answer. But surely we should be trying for less addicts, no?

Because 20+ years of “safer” addicts esp. in DTES has not worked.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 May 2022 - 02:36 PM.


#1618 Nparker

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Posted 25 May 2022 - 03:02 PM

No one wants to admit that "destigmatizing" is leading to more and younger users of illicit drugs.



#1619 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 30 May 2022 - 08:10 AM

I'm quite influenced by the success of Portugal, which I think has been one of the most successful efforts to deal with addiction. They moved from using arrest and incarceration, to decriminalizing drug possession and focusing on public health outreach. So the number of heroin users in Portugal has gone down by about two thirds. It has the lowest level of overdose fatalities in Western Europe. I think that in North America, we sometimes have learned the wrong lessons from that. And we think that it's all about decriminalization. And in fact, I think it's really about treatment. And Portugal has really, really worked very, very hard to get everybody access to treatment and push them into treatment and help them make treatment very easy to get. Treatment pays for itself many times over, and yet we, we don't do a great job at that.

 

My overall sense is that we, we need to do what we can to reduce the kinds of forces that drive people to self-medicate. And beyond that to help people get treatment using the tools of public health.

 

https://www.capitald...isible-problems


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 30 May 2022 - 08:12 AM.


#1620 Nparker

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Posted 30 May 2022 - 08:32 AM

We'll never likely eradicate the issues that make people self-medicate, but that doesn't mean we should normalize illicit and highly addictive drug use. Like much of the rest of our "health care" system, addiction treatment in BC is a sad joke. There needs to be more emphasis on treatment and less on "safe" usage.

Of course, so much of the problem stems from the abandonment of the mentally ill decades ago when hospitals were closed in favour of the "community" model. This has been a 100% failure.


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