They should also sell heroin in pharmacies so people can inject an accurate dosage. This would greatly reduce overdoses and drug trafficking.
Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
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Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
#52The US isn't. The City of Seattle is. This is an important distinction.
Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am not convinced that that it will reduce overdose or trafficking. It depends on the drug's economics and pharmacodynamics, ease of production, addictiveness, LD50, etc. What's better? More people using high-grade heroin in a controlled, safe environment, or less people using low quality heroin in an uncontrolled, dangerous environment? If the LD50 is very easy to arrive at in everyday usage, then I don't see this…
Opioid use is not inherently dangerous (indeed, long-term pharmaceutical-grade opioid use is remarkably safe does not cause organ damage, unlike alcohol). There are several actual circumstances where opioid use gets dangerous to life and they are: 1) Dosage/concentration uncertainty 2) Contamination of a lower strength opioid (say, morphine or heroin) with a much higher strength one (fentanyl or fentanyl analogues) 3…
Good points, but what about addiction and neurotransmitter equilibrium? If something is addictive enough, and highly available, do you think that it would become an unnecessary brain dependency?
Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
#54Yes, finally people are starting to see drugs addicts as the valuable people they are and not as disposable felons. Addiction is a sickness that affects people not a failure of morals that needs a jail sentence.
Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
What are you going to do when they start taking drugs again and die? Or kill someone? Pass down some moral judgment?
> What are you going to do when they start taking drugs again and die? Shrug my shoulders. Those things are banned because they're dangerous, and if people die while using them it's not like we didn't give them enough fucking warning.
> and if people die while using them it's not like we didn't give them enough fucking warning.
Who is "we"?
And do you actually think that "warning" is the main contributor in avoiding addiction and dependance on drugs?
Your comment reads as if your opinion is common knowledge. Can you elaborate?
Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
#56I used to work at a retail pharmacy and we would have addicts come in to buy needles all the time. On the one hand I felt bad about supplying these people with what they needed to feed their habit, on the other hand I felt good that they were coming to us instead of sharing needles with their buddies.
I'd not feel bad one bit, you are preventing Hep C, HIV and many other infections from spreading by selling needles. There are already 3 million Hep C infected people in the US, despite it being a curable disease now :(
Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
#57I live in Seattle and regularly see needles on the street, and occasionally see paramedics tending to OD'ing addicts. This is a great development but should've happened years ago.
Definitely, as a Seattlite I'm all for it, less needles in parks, under I-5, and on the streets are good. Having users all in one place where they can be monitored, attended to and offered services much more effectively and at a lower cost to the taxpayer is also a huge win!
Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
It works in some countries > Heroin assisted treatment is fully a part of the national health system in Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin-assisted_treatment
There's about 200 chronic addicts doing a heroin treatment study in Vancouver too http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/vancouv... They found using pharma grade heroin worked better than methadone in weening addicts off heroin but it is difficult to get from Europe, so they did another study to see if hydromorphone worked just as well and it did, effectively cutting costs for any prescribed opiate trea…
Its a step in the right direction for Seattle, and hopefully we will go further to treat this epidemic.
Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
#59We've had this in Australia for some time and I think it's abominable. Western civilisation is founded on the rule of law. Obey the law and you do fine, break the law and you get punished. When you start saying to people "Hey guys, we know you're breaking the law, but go ahead and fucking do it in this room, we don't mind, you won't get arrested or punished" Here's a better approach to drug users: catch them, sentenc…
I feel it's important to mention that not all drug users are addicts. So where is the line between 'drug user' and 'problematic addict' being drawn here? ...Are you conflating the two?
There are so many situations in which someone might illegally use drugs.
For instance, I self-medicate with various substances. I've gotten great relief over the years with ketamine, lsd, and mdma. I learned how to administer drugs in a safe and cautious manner. I have never been arrested, nor had any major social conflict, while under the influence.
With your approach, I should be sought after and sentenced.
Interesting
Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
It works in some countries > Heroin assisted treatment is fully a part of the national health system in Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin-assisted_treatment
There's about 200 chronic addicts doing a heroin treatment study in Vancouver too http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/vancouv... They found using pharma grade heroin worked better than methadone in weening addicts off heroin but it is difficult to get from Europe, so they did another study to see if hydromorphone worked just as well and it did, effectively cutting costs for any prescribed opiate trea…
Ibogaine is a miracle. If only more people knew about it.