3853 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

If adopted, those more liberal models would put Canada in uncharted territory internationally, says Jonathan Caulkins, a professor and drug policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

"No country in the world has gone farther, faster than Canada has in that direction with cannabis, and no country in the world has even really seriously thought about doing that for heroin or fentanyl or cocaine."


https://www.cbc.ca/n...world-1.6479317

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 June 2022 - 03:06 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Unpredictable potency is one of the biggest threats in the overdose crisis, a Victoria-based drug checking service says.

 

Substance UVic, which operates the Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project, points to unpredictable fentanyl potency as one of the biggest dangers to the community.

 

The Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project, a confidential drug-checking program in Victoria’s North Park neighbourhood, releases monthly and weekly data about the samples brought in by service users.

 

On May 27, in response to an Island Health overdose advisory for the region, Substance UVic said it was seeing a wide range of fentanyl concentration among opioid samples — from one to 30 per cent.

 

“We’re not seeing any particular bad batch when these overdose advisories being released by Island Health,” said Bruce Wallace, a University of Victoria professor and co-lead for the project. “What we’re reporting is a significantly unpredictable drug supply.”

 

 

https://www.timescol...rt-says-5463913

[LJ]

I see they are bringing in new regulations to further stigmatize smokers, each cigarette will have to have a warning label.

 

Why are they doing this? It works! The more stigmatization, the fewer smokers.

 

Why can't these same "experts" figure this out with drugs?

[Nparker]

It's even more of a head scratcher when you look at how much tax revenue* is generated from the sale of tobacco. The same can't said for the sale of illicit drugs (at least not yet).

*Tobacco taxes represent about 1.5% of Canadian tax revenues and about 1.1% of total government revenues (https://smoke-free.c...xes-an-update/)

[todd]

 

Unpredictable potency is one of the biggest threats in the overdose crisis, a Victoria-based drug checking service says.

 

Substance UVic, which operates the Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project, points to unpredictable fentanyl potency as one of the biggest dangers to the community.

 

The Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project, a confidential drug-checking program in Victoria’s North Park neighbourhood, releases monthly and weekly data about the samples brought in by service users.

 

On May 27, in response to an Island Health overdose advisory for the region, Substance UVic said it was seeing a wide range of fentanyl concentration among opioid samples — from one to 30 per cent.

 

“We’re not seeing any particular bad batch when these overdose advisories being released by Island Health,” said Bruce Wallace, a University of Victoria professor and co-lead for the project. “What we’re reporting is a significantly unpredictable drug supply.”

 

 

https://www.timescol...rt-says-5463913

 

 

"..paramedics responded to 1,952 overdose calls in the city. Those who survive an opioid overdose can suffer brain, heart, liver or kidney damage, as well as a decreased opioid tolerance due to hospitalization or time away from use..."

 

 

This is why it keeps getting worse downtown.

[Victoria Watcher]

God forbid they “suffer” from a “decreased opioid tolerance”. We want our addicts to be able to take the max.

After all, most addicts are doctors, lawyers, teachers, police officers, Toronto Mayors, daycare workers etc. We are told. We need them ready for work in the morning. Or emergency surgery duties at any time.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 June 2022 - 02:31 PM.

[todd]

After all, most addicts are doctors, lawyers, teachers, daycare workers etc. We are told. We need them ready for work in the morning. Or emergency surgery duties at any time.

Thank god, I thought they were functioning normally.

[Victoria Watcher]

An organization that works with schools across Canada to create CPR and defibrillator training programs is now looking to offer naloxone training programs for teachers and high school students.

The program will teach secondary school students about opioids, how to recognize a suspected overdose and how to administer nasal naloxone spray.

Naloxone is a drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

https://www.cbc.ca/n...l-act-1.6488585

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 June 2022 - 04:55 AM.

[Nparker]

It's never too soon to get the next generation of addicts indoctrinated.

[dasmo]

Sell the disease sell the cure.

[Mike K.]

Monkeypox is being renamed by the WHO.

[pontcanna]

Victoria’s first peer-led mental crisis response teams to start by fall

Jun. 15, 2022

Police are the default frontline responders to crisis events in B.C., and it’s those calls that end up, the most deadly.

“There is no question that the many many if not the majority of our cases in particular the officer-involved shooting cases involve persons who are in crisis or suffering from some form of mental or health wellness issue,” said Ron MacDonald, chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO).

 

 

“One has to wonder, are we doing it the right way here in Canada?”

As an alternative to policing, Victoria’s ‘Peer-Assisted Crisis Teams’ have been promised, and are now set to launch at the end of August.

The formation of the teams is being prepared along a similar line to the CAHOOTS program launched in Eugene Oregon.

In Victoria, the teams responding to mental health calls will be made up of a peer, with lived mental health problems who has received care in the system, and a mental health worker.

 

 

“Folks have got to trust these teams, you’ve got to test them out in the community and that will happen in the latter part of the summer,” said Jonny Morris with CMHA.

While they are working with E-Comm, CMHA says right now it’s unknown if the calls will go through emergency dispatch or a separate phone line.

“I saw that Republican states fund [24/7 drop-ins] very heavily. It’s because it saves money,” said Amy Allard, co-founder of See Spring Mental Wellness Coalition. “You’re not paying for police hours sitting at the ER, or sitting at the bridge, or in a crisis, you’re not using up doctors’ or nurses’ time, or precious beds at the hospital.”

Allard says in addition to the mobile peer-led crisis response teams, there should be a peer-led drop-in facility that is situated near the hospital, which offers the community an alternative for those in crisis who don’t need medical support. In addition, she’s advocating for what’s called a ‘warm line’ instead of a crisis line.
 

More: https://www.cheknews...y-fall-1049923/

 

[Victoria Watcher]

Try tough love to fight the drug problem

 

Re: “Despite talk of harm reduction, we’re going the wrong way,” commentary, June 11.

 

At last, the voice of sanity. As Bill Cleverley points out, the current harm-reduction strategy has failed.

 

The problem is twofold. Overdose deaths have reached record-shattering numbers and we are creating an entire generation of dysfunctional welfare cases.

 

Some tough love is called for. Shut down the safe-injection sites and put much more funding into detox, rehab and education. Future generations will look back on what we are presently doing and ask whatever happened to common sense.

 

By the way, I notice there is a shortage of tree planters this year. Good money, good exercise and honest work away from the high cost of city living.

 

Richard Graham
Victoria

 

 

https://www.timescol...-weapon-5484642

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 June 2022 - 04:37 AM.

[Mike K.]

On the weekend we had dinner with a couple. One of the individual’s sister is an addict living on the streets of Victoria. We were told even if the sister had a billion bucks and the best rehab in the world, she wouldn’t do it, the addiction is that strong. And after several overdoses, the brain damage is such that she can’t make decisions in her best interest, regardless.

It’s depressing. But reality is what it is. Once individuals start using these drugs, the chance of them overcoming the addiction is virtually nil. If we are going to be providing addicts with government drugs, then perhaps what we also need to do it make the drug therapy part of an institutionalization regime. We will not see improvements to people’s lives and a combatting of their addiction if they are left to their own devices, sadly. Inevitably, the day a government drug is not available for whatever reason, the street supply will come into play and that might be the end. Or the government supply may eventually reach a point of insufficient potency and then the street supply will have to supplant.

These new synthetic drugs are just so strong and addictive that I fear we may never shed this scourge, at least not under the current system.

[Nparker]

As long as society chooses to enable addiction rather than treat it, things will never improve.

[On the Level]

Once individuals start using these drugs, the chance of them overcoming the addiction is virtually nil. If we are going to be providing addicts with government drugs, then perhaps what we also need to do it make the drug therapy part of an institutionalization regime. 

These new synthetic drugs are just so strong and addictive that I fear we may never shed this scourge, at least not under the current system.

 

Portugal reduced drug use by 75%, but they also don't encourage hard drug use like we do.    

 

Our policy is to let those that can't look after themselves chose for themselves.  We also ban institutions.  Of course things are going to get worse. 

 

Our "new" policy and the institutions that promote it, encourage opioid use.  What comes with opioid use?  Addiction. What comes with addiction?  Overdoses.  Regardless of how much money we throw at safe sites and free drugs, we will all be standing around in 5 years in disbelief, wondering why overdoses have become so much worse than today. 

 

But we are going to do it anyways because we have all become incredibly stupid.

[lanforod]

It boils down to what is more important - giving these people the freedom to do whatever the choose to to their own bodies or do we (as in the government) put a limit on that through a managed environment? Historically, there have been issues with mental health institutions too, which has many people leery about restarting similar programs.

 

So we've tried no holds barred. Encouraging or fully supplying hard drugs isn't going to change that or make it safer.

We've tried institutions (albeit its been some time, perhaps we can do it better?).

 

What's been bugging me is that even with all the deaths due to this issue, the problem is growing. At some point I'd have thought the hardest users have died off, but it seems even more and more people are getting sucked into this abyss - how???

[Nparker]

...it seems even more and more people are getting sucked into this abyss - how???

Destigmatization.

[Victoria Watcher]

Heroin, meth and fentanyl use is rampant and often visible on city streets. Portland police officers drive by homeless addicts buying and using.

The signs of drug addiction are actually increasing throughout the state, according to law enforcement sources. Oregon ranks second-highest among U.S. states for substance abuse with nearly one in five adults addicted.

In November 2020, voters overwhelmingly passed Measure 110. The Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act secured 58% of the votes and decriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs such as heroin, meth, cocaine and fentanyl.

________

Sixteen months into this first-in-the-nation experiment, the numbers paint a bleak picture. Drug overdose deaths hit an all-time high in 2021 with 1069, a 41% increase from 2020. And very few people are getting into treatment. According to The Lund Report, after one year, just 136 people had entered treatment, less than 1% of those helped by Measure 110. But the actual number may be even lower.


https://www.foxnews....-effort-tragedy

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 June 2022 - 08:13 AM.

[Mike K.]

Portugal reduced drug use by 75%, but they also don't encourage hard drug use like we do.    

 

It will be interesting to see how they fare with synthetics. Today's drugs are a completely different level of addictive intoxicant that are also very damaging to the user, and it doesn't take long before a user suffers mentally, at which point their are not equipped to make the best decisions for themselves, often/generally.