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Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

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Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#71

Post by heavyset_go »

13of40 wrote: post #55
l0ng1nu5 wrote: post #9

The real question we should be asking is why can't these poor people get access to proper medicine and treatment? Instead they have to resort to playing Russian roulette every time they use. Decriminalisation and regulation are the biggest harm reduction measures that could be taken and it would have the added bonus of freeing up space in the prisons and reducing the power of the cartels. There wouldn't be a fent pro…

> why can't these poor people get access to proper medicine and treatment? Speaking of the US, one of the issues is that drug treatment and mental health care are for-profit businesses, so someone reaching out for help is likely to get grifted even if they have insurance or can pay for the treatment on their own.

There's also perpetual waiting lists, forcing some people who need help to wait six months or longer to get care. Then that care can potentially cost more than a four year degree. Many treatment programs will leave their patients dependent on maintenance drugs that can costs hundreds of dollars a month to fill, and require regular appointments with expensive specialists to get. Those specialists have months long waiting lists, as well

Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#72

Post by dendriti »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #42
l0ng1nu5 wrote: post #9

The real question we should be asking is why can't these poor people get access to proper medicine and treatment? Instead they have to resort to playing Russian roulette every time they use. Decriminalisation and regulation are the biggest harm reduction measures that could be taken and it would have the added bonus of freeing up space in the prisons and reducing the power of the cartels. There wouldn't be a fent pro…

> Decriminalisation and regulation are the biggest harm reduction measures that could be taken It's not actually a solution to the Fentanyl problem. Fentanyl ends up in drugs because it's extremely cheap (among other reasons). The price difference between fentanyl-laced illicit narcotics and the actual substance these people are seeking is actually massive, and end-user cost becomes a huge motivator for people depend…

Why does it matter if decriminalization and regulation are floated as "magic bullets" or not? The Nirvana fallacy so often shows up in discussions of drug policy.

It literally does not matter if decriminalization is "only 5% effective" (in whatever metric you're using to measure success, which here is just marijuana sales?). Sane polities implement laws that don't have 100% effectiveness.

Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#73

Post by girvo »

woodruffw wrote: post #18
girvo wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US and Canada: not really. In other countries, yes. Australia's heroin supply is still basically just heroin, and extremely high purity, even on the street, interestingly. While fentanyl does exist here, it's not that common. I cannot give a good reason as to why. It's interesting.

I'm not saying this is the reason, but out of curiosity: does Australia's drug agency/agencies place as strong of an emphasis on border interdiction? A large part of the US's drug policy emphasizes "flashy" seizures of large amounts of drugs at the border, which has incentivized smugglers to pursue more potent (and therefore more compact) alternatives.

> does Australia's drug agency/agencies place as strong of an emphasis on border interdiction

Yes, even more so than the US frankly. Our border is difficult to get black market goods through.

It's also why heroin is nearly 10x the cost here in Australia, of course.

Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#74

Post by rayiner »

woodruffw wrote: post #16
rayiner wrote: post #5

> people who use drugs (PWUD) New acronym just dropped. :-/

It's consistent with the practice of using "people-first language"[1]. It sounds a little clunky to my ears in a lot of individual instances, but the overarching goal (making it harder to subconsciously dehumanize people) seems reasonable to me. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language

Acronyms are dehumanizing! Someone’s grandfather might be an “alcoholic.” A “PHUA” is a subject being addressed at arm’s length by someone in a lab coat.

Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#75

Post by girvo »

jowsie wrote: post #32
woodruffw wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not saying this is the reason, but out of curiosity: does Australia's drug agency/agencies place as strong of an emphasis on border interdiction? A large part of the US's drug policy emphasizes "flashy" seizures of large amounts of drugs at the border, which has incentivized smugglers to pursue more potent (and therefore more compact) alternatives.

My information on the scene is extremely out of date, but 10 years ago it was more common for users to get some prescription morphine and convert it to heroin themselves. There was also a pretty big market for illicit acetic acid because of this, too. This was because importation was difficult, making any imported product vastly more expensive than what you could make yourself.

Homebake is long gone. To be honest it was on the way out even a decade ago, though you're right it was slightly more common.

These days the bulk of the heroin in the country is brought in from Asia, controlled by Chinese and Vietnamese crime syndicates.

Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#76

Post by bigmattystyles »

chasd00 wrote: post #69
bigmattystyles wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At best, they're cowards who don't want to face ads that imply they condone drug use; at worst, they simply refuse to make it safer for anyone with a drug problem because they see them as human detritus.

If an addict tested their drugs and the test came back saying “do not take these” do you think an addict is just going to shrug and toss it in the trash? The test strips really do nothing for addicts. It’s not an easy problem.

I mean if that were the case, they wouldn’t test to begin with. I agree it’s a difficult, morally fraught problem but this extra tool doesn’t feel like that to me. Plus think of the casual coke user like a college kid; they might test and their life might be saved.

Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#77

Post by braingenious »

chasd00 wrote: post #69
bigmattystyles wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At best, they're cowards who don't want to face ads that imply they condone drug use; at worst, they simply refuse to make it safer for anyone with a drug problem because they see them as human detritus.

If an addict tested their drugs and the test came back saying “do not take these” do you think an addict is just going to shrug and toss it in the trash? The test strips really do nothing for addicts. It’s not an easy problem.

Yeah you’re right, all addicts are equally stupid and are uniformly unaware that a positive fentanyl result can mean instant death. /s

Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#78

Post by dntrkv »

chasd00 wrote: post #69
bigmattystyles wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At best, they're cowards who don't want to face ads that imply they condone drug use; at worst, they simply refuse to make it safer for anyone with a drug problem because they see them as human detritus.

If an addict tested their drugs and the test came back saying “do not take these” do you think an addict is just going to shrug and toss it in the trash? The test strips really do nothing for addicts. It’s not an easy problem.

Fentanyl strips are not only for drug addicts. Anyone buying recreational drugs is affected by such legislation.

Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#79

Post by rayiner »

sonicggg wrote: post #53
rayiner wrote: post #5

> people who use drugs (PWUD) New acronym just dropped. :-/

Sometimes I think people who are writing these dumb articles are living in a parallel world. Nobody in real life would use these expressions, the word they are looking for is junkie or addict. Are they trying to sound fancy or what?

I think it’s just the euphemism treadmill in action.

Re: Why aren't fentanyl test strips more widespread? (2021)

#80

Post by cowtools »

woodruffw wrote: post #16
rayiner wrote: post #5

> people who use drugs (PWUD) New acronym just dropped. :-/

It's consistent with the practice of using "people-first language"[1]. It sounds a little clunky to my ears in a lot of individual instances, but the overarching goal (making it harder to subconsciously dehumanize people) seems reasonable to me. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language

It doesn't seem reasonable to me. In this usage it is normalizing drug use. When you use this terminology, you're implicitly saying "They're a person and they just so happen to be addicted to drugs" as if that drug use doesn't imply anything about the person's character.

A drug user is not the same as a disabled person. If you're a drug abuser, I think the words people use to describe you are the least of your problems.

All this politically-correct clamoring accomplishes nothing in the end. If these new words like "PWUD" became widely adopted, they would just inherit the same stigma as their predecessors. It's happened time and time again.

It has nothing to do with improving people's lives and everything to do with providing lip service to a voting demographic. If you're not a politician, why waste your (and everyone else's) time with this doublespeak?

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