Does anyone care that \’safe injection sites\’ are neither safe nor legal?
FEBRUARY 16, 2018 – by Stu Bykofsky, @StuBykofsky | [email protected]
Thank you, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, for giving me cover so I don’t wind up being painted as the “worst person in the world,” the label Keith Olbermann used on his TV show to hang on people he didn’t like.
I have been silent as the opioid epidemic raged because I had no clear-cut solution. The debate currently swirls around the idea of city-approved “safe injection sites,” more formally known as CUES – comprehensive user engagement sites.
First, contrary to the name, “safe injection sites” are not “safe.”
We have so many overdoses because of the unpredictable potency of the drugs. “You shoot this poison in your veins and you have no idea whether you’re going to live or whether you’re going to die,” says Shapiro.
Second, the sites would be against the law, Shapiro was quoted as saying. I was so happy to read that the state’s chief law enforcement officer believes in law, I had to talk to him.
Turns out he has his own ideas about how to fight the opioid epidemic.
First, arrest the dealers. Second, go after doctors to prevent diversion of legal drugs to illegal use. Finally, he tells me, take on pharmaceutical companies to slow the flow of drugs into the community.
That injection sites are illegal is something CUES proponents like to ignore or brush off.
At the (not) safe injection sites, volunteers would provide life-saving doses of naloxone to those who overdose. Will the (not) safe injection sites do anything to reduce drug use, or will they actually expand drug use by providing life preservers?
I understand the impulse to help, but it is misguided.
Would we consider safe smoking sites where tobacco addicts could light up and be handed oxygen canisters? How about safe alcohol venues where drunks can get blasted with volunteers waiting to drive them home? Both smoking and alcohol kill, but not as fast as heroin or fentanyl.
For complete article http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/stu_bykofsky/attorney-general-josh-shapiro-cues-safe-injection-sites-illegal-opioids-stu-bykofsky-20180216.html
Melbourne hospital staff take a stand against \’violent, aggressive\’ patients
Emergency department staff deal with violent, aggressive patients at the Royal Melbourne Hospital so often they\’ve decided to lead the charge for change.
Last year there was almost 7500 incidents and nurse unit manager Susan Harding says it\’s only gotten worse.
\”We\’d have at least one incident of violence or aggression each shift every day,\” Ms Harding said.
A video containing CCTV footage of situations of violence towards hospital staff has been released by the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
To fight back, Emergency Department staff has produced a shocking video Help Us, Help You which will play in the waiting area to raise awareness of occupational violence. The video shows CCTV footage of patients throwing chairs, smashing doors and other examples of aggression against hospital workers.
There were 7438 \’code grey\’ incidents in 2017 – an 85 per cent increase in just four years. There were also nine \’cold black\’ situations, which involve aggressive patients with a weapon.
The most common reports included physical violence, threatening behaviour and harassment.
For more https://www.theage.com.au/melbourne-news/melbourne-hospital-staff-take-a-stand-against-violent-aggressive-patients-20180226-p4z1pw.htm
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Melbourne hospital staff release horrifying video of emergency room violence
Staff at Royal Melbourne Hospital have released a horrifying video showing the violence faced by those working in the emergency department.
The Cannabis Paradox
Roger Ladouceur — Canadian Family Physician February 2018
“The evidence indicates the most consistent effects of medical cannabinoids are adverse events. A variety of adverse events have a greater magnitude of effect than the potential benefits for the conditions targeted.1
The conclusions drawn by this analysis are not surprising. Study after study, analysis after analysis, and review after review2,3 have all reported the same findings: cannabis has little place within current therapeutic arsenals, except as a last resort in very specific situations or when nothing else has worked…”
For complete article The Canadian Family Physician http://www.cfp.ca/content/64/2/86.long#ref-1
Signs of a Meth Lab: How to detect a meth lab — Common ingredients
Although Methamphetamine can be produced or cooked in many different locations there are certain warning signs that may indicate a drug house.
Making or cooking methamphetamine requires minimal training and experience and limited amounts of equipment and chemicals, both of which are relatively inexpensive. Meth Labs can be found in almost any location, from houses, apartments, cars, rental storage units and motorhomes. There are many external recognition clues alluding to a meth lab. Some of the common warning signs of a suspected meth lab include:
- Strong odours (acrid, sour, ammonia, solvents, pungent)
- Windows covered with foils or plastics
- Renters who pay landlords cash
- Excessive trash and rubbish
- Unusual structures
- Increased activity, especially at night
- Discolouration of structures, soil and pavement or driveway
- Increased security systems or other devices
For complete article http://methlabs.com.au/signs-of-a-meth-lab/
Alcohol & Drugs, Criminal Justice / 17th February 2018 / 5 min read / CSEW, sexual assault
83% do not report being sexually assaulted
Alcohol-and drug-related
Respondents who reported they had been victims of rape or assault by penetration since they were 16 were asked whether they thought the offender (or offenders) was under the influence of alcohol or drugs and whether they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs themselves at the time of the incident.
In their most recent rape or assault by penetration (including attempts), 38% of victims reported that the offender(s) were under the influence of alcohol. The same proportion of victims (38%) said they were under the influence of alcohol themselves.
Fewer victims reported that the offender was under the influence of drugs (8%) and that they themselves were under the influence of drugs they had chosen to take (2%). In addition, 6% of victims reported that they thought that the offender had drugged them during the last incident of rape or penetration (including attempts) they had experienced.
More victims were under the influence of alcohol when the offender was a stranger (65%) compared with when the offender was a partner or ex-partner (19%). A similar pattern was evident for whether the victim thought the offender had drugged them — 17% when the offender was a stranger, 4% when the offender was a partner or ex-partner.
![](\"http://www.russellwebster.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ONS-sex-18-alcohol.jpg\"){kind=link}
Criminal Justice posts are sponsored by Get the Data
For complete Article http://www.russellwebster.com/dastats18-2/
How a Police Chief, a Governor and a Sociologist Would Spend $100 Billion to Solve the Opioid Crisis
The consensus of the experts was that any effective strategy should include funding for four major areas: treatment, harm reduction, and both demand- and supply-focused solutions. The answer above is an average, as our panelists disagreed about the best way to divide up the money they were considering.
Our panel spent more money on treatment programs than anything else. (Over two million Americans are estimated to have a problem with opioids.) It was the top priority for more than 20 of the experts.
There was substantial disagreement about whether to focus on treating addiction or on trying to prevent the addiction from forming in the first place by addressing the underlying social issues that allow opioid addiction to thrive.
Our answers also suggest that the severity of the opioid crisis is breaking down longstanding divisions between public health officials and law enforcement, with over two-thirds of our panel including increased funding for law enforcement or international interdiction efforts. (Most of our panelists are public health and policy experts; others are politicians and law enforcement officials who have dealt with the crisis extensively.)
FDA declares popular alt-medicine kratom an opioid
by MAGGIE FOX 7/2/2018
The Food and Drug Administration declared the popular herbal product kratom to be an opioid on Tuesday, opening a new front in its battle to get people to stop using it.
New research shows kratom acts in the brain just as opioids do, FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. And he said the agency has documented 44 cases in which kratom at least helped kill people – often otherwise healthy young people.
“Taken in total, the scientific evidence we’ve evaluated about kratom provides a clear picture of the biologic effect of this substance,” Gottlieb wrote.
The dangers of using alt-medicine kratom
Kratom is used by some as a home remedy for opioid addiction – and by others just for fun. It has a passionate following.
“Kratom should not be used to treat medical conditions, nor should it be used as an alternative to prescription opioids. There is no evidence to indicate that kratom is safe or effective for any medical use.”
Last November, the FDA cautioned people not to use kratom.
Supporters of kratom use have been fighting to keep it legal for years. The Drug Enforcement Administration temporarily listed kratom as a Schedule 1 controlled substance last August, but withdrew the decision after an outcry and a targeted petition effort.
Related: Kratom can kill you, FDA says
The FDA says scientific evaluation shows there is no wiggle room.
“As the scientific data and adverse event reports have clearly revealed, compounds in kratom make it so it isn’t just a plant – it’s an opioid,” Gottlieb wrote.
For complete article KratomToxic
Meth, the Forgotten Killer, Is Back. And It’s Everywhere.
By FRANCES ROBLES FEB. 13, 2018
The scourge of crystal meth, with its exploding labs and ruinous effect on teeth and skin, has been all but forgotten amid national concern over the opioid crisis. But 12 years after Congress took aggressive action to curtail it, meth has returned with a vengeance. Here in Oregon, meth-related deaths vastly outnumber those from heroin. At the United States border, agents are seizing 10 to 20 times the amounts they did a decade ago. Methamphetamine, experts say, has never been purer, cheaper or more lethal
Meth Seizures Are on the Rise Across the Nation
The amount of methamphetamine seized by U.S. authorities has been increasing, especially in Southwest field offices.
But meth, it turns out, was only on hiatus. When the ingredients became difficult to come by in the United States, Mexican drug cartels stepped in. Now fighting meth often means seizing large quantities of ready-made product in highway stops.
For more https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/us/meth-crystal-drug.html
ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA TOGETHER MAGNIFIES DRIVING DIFFICULTIES
13/2/18Bottom of Form Mixing Alcohol and Marijuana Amplifies THC in the System
Three news stories exemplify the tragic results of mixing alcohol and marijuana before getting behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Most recently, a suspected-DUI driver crashed into a California Highway patrolman in a parked vehicle on Christmas Eve. Andrew Camilleri, 33, died instantly. He left behind a wife and three children.
A driver who drank alcohol and smoked marijuana killed CHP Officer Andrew Camilleri, on Chrstmas Eve.
A New York teen admitted that he used both marijuana and beer before the crash that killed his 16-year-old friend on August 31. Another 14 year-old in the vehicle was injured. Authorities have charged the teen with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. Yet, the teen claimed that he didn’t feel that he was ‘messed up.’ He said that he had taken 3 or 4 hits of a joint, and drank from two partial cans of beer. But when driving, he “encountered a deer on the road and swerved to avoid it,” leading to the crash.
For complete story http://www.poppot.org/2018/02/13/alcohol-marijuana-together-magnifies-driving-difficulties/