(CA) The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is looking at dispensing hydromorphone

[Chip (OP)]

source: https://globalnews.ca/news/3950743/clean-drug-pilot-project-risky-says-expert/

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UBC doctor warns giving users ‘clean’ drugs carries risks of its own

January 7, 2018

A UBC doctor says a pilot project to hand out pure drugs in a bid to curb overdose deaths in British Columbia comes with its own risks.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) is looking at dispensing hydromorphone pills, better known as dilaudid, to registered users who could take them home and swallow, snort or inject them.

The drug is a pharmaceutical-grade opioid five times as strong as morphine.

Potential candidates would be given a card with a daily limit, and could possibly access the drugs through anonymous vending machines at existing addiction or healthcare facilities.

“People can still overdose on [hydromorphone]. It’s an unsupervised model,” Rieb said.

“Also, this doesn’t purify the stimulant use supply, which is also tainted with fentanyl. And to hand out stimulants is also a very unproven tactic. So is giving take-home doses to inject.”

The BC CDC says it hopes to kick off the pilot project in April. Last month, B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy said, “We look forward to seeing the results of that research.”

Between January and October 2017, more than 1,200 people died of suspected illicit drug overdoses in B.C., with fentanyl detected in about 83 per cent of cases, according to BC Coroners Service data.

[dillydudeEL14]

This sounds awesome.  I'm so glad that somewhere in North America is finally doing something like this.  If shit ever hoes south with my doctor and I cant find a new one I will seriously consider moving there. 

Before I got rx'd dilaudid i had wanted to move to one of the European countriesthat uses good shortacting potent opioids for addicts, but moving to Europe was just toomuch for me torealistically do.  I wonder if I could get ciiznship?  I have a blood relative who is a Canadian citizen, but idk how much if any it would help. 

When I finish my degree in about a year though I will have a degree in a field that is very in need of people and pays well so at least I will be able to get a job and they wont think I'm just going there to use their welfare.

Bravo Canada!  Lets hope that it is a success and that it spreads to other provinces and even to the US.  My personal belief is tht it will eventually happen here in America, but just not for a while.  Unfortunate;y I think the current administration is gonna be bad for drug users  that idiot jeff sessions thinks weed is as bad as heroin and he just rescinded the policy of the federal govt to not interfere in stateswhere weed is legal . I cant believe that there are still people alive that see weed as harmful. 

I just wanna add that I'm only referring to sessions as an idiot as it pertains to his view on drugs.  I really don't know much else about him, but tht pisses me off. I like some things about trump and his administration, but I think their drug policy is gonna be really stupid. I mean as an American I like the whole America first thing, Id much rather spend money and effort on fixing our many problems before we spend any money on fixing other countries' problems.  if that makes me selfish then oh well I guess lol. I don't understand why all republicans always have to be so against drugs.  I probably lean more republican, but definitely not on drug policy.  I am really not into politics though for the most part.  I would definitely vote for someone regardless of politicca;l party if they would seriously chamge drug laws.  I just cant believe sessions wants to start prosecuting legal weed sales.  Like really?  even within the realm of drugs you could spend the money on things that are actually harmful.  and it is bringing tax money galore.  We are never gonna be a drug free nation lol its time to give up on that. 

[LadyKalma]

Such exciting news, i hope it goes well and is more widely introduced, and that maybe i can live somewhere like that in the future!

[Thoms]

Why use dilly? They need to switch that hydro for an oxy and then they could cut down on the number of shots people would have to do. A longer acting drug would make tapering down easier too. You wouldn’t think that there would be much of a price difference between opioids..they way I figure about the only drug that would be worse to give them would be fent. I’m just basing that on half lives really. Hell though I know that when you get up into the stratosphere with the amount of fent that you are using the half life seems to go out the window and you are good for a good long bit of time, maybe that’s the same with a stupid big shot of dilly?

Of course that is all secondary to how amazing that it is to see drug policy based on science and not a false sense of moral superiority. It really sounds like it is a fantastic program.

[DreamerOnTheRun]

If this happens, I'm moving to Canada.  Period.  I have a degenerative bone condition and have a hard time finding compassionate doctors in the dirty south.  In a heartbeat I'd be gone.