Cringe - while talking about treatment access, Rep David Trone also speaking about the need for more supply-side efforts internationally and domestically to address synthetic opioids in drug supply. Who's going to tell him fent enforcement has motivated creation of new analogs?
Check out our @DrugPolicyOrg report, entitled "Criminal Justice Reform in the Fentanyl Era: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back" which problematizes the user/seller dichotomy, and racial disparities in enforcement: drugpolicy.org/resource/crimi…
Most fentanyl and other illicit drugs come in through legal ports of entry. And efforts to target specific countries contribute to spillover/balloon effects to shift supply elsewhere, rather than eliminating it. As long as US demand remains, ppl will try to meet it.
We can talk about expanding Medicaid/Medicare in prisons/jails, but they already have ADA responsibility to provide care. It's clear they don't WANT to. (Even Rep Trone saying this) Maybe we should talk about letting ppl out and getting them community services.
We need to ask WHY so many people with mental health dx and substance use disorders are criminalized and incarcerated to begin with. Although Rep Trone says treatment can prevent recidivism, we can also say that criminalizing drugs and other behaviors is a CHOICE.
Oh wow! Vanda Felbob-Brown suggesting Safer Consumption Spaces as part of solution. Rep Trone heartily agrees! "Harm reduction is the overall key." And he supports naloxone access, especially among family/lay community! Also supports MOUD. #YesToSCS
Who is going to acknowledge that most people who misused Rx opioids weren't the patient who is was prescribed for??
When are we going to talk about X the X waiver? Since the waiver itself limits access and deters many potential providers for taking on patients.
Naltrexone shots after release from incarceration cannot be equated with warm handoffs to methadone or bupe care. And the overdose prevention effects are not the same.
If you support value-based reimbursement that incentivizes doctors to provide better care to people who use drugs, then you cannot fight contingency management as a treatment approach.
If you're going to pay docs more to DO THEIR JOB, then why not patients???
Woohoo! @BeauKilmer talking about #SafeSupply and Heroin-Assisted Treatment. He's highlighting the fact that the US can do more to use treatments proven to work in other countries.
Now sharing the evidence on Safer Consumption Spaces and that they are an important component to overdose prevention. He's saying Fed Govt doesn't need to get involved in several ways.
Caulkins using Vancouver as example of treatment/harm reduction/universal healthcare not being enough in the OD crisis, NOT a fair comparison. They didn't have enough SCS or safe supply, criminalization was ramping up due to gentrification, more inequality, #OpioidCrisis
Glad audience is asking about the "overreaction" policy response that the overdose crisis has not led to undertreatment for patients who need the care. Also that we haven't started covering other good treatments for pain means ppl need something to help.
I'm also going to say again that patients weren't the ones largely misusing prescriptions. But also- let's acknowledge this is a polysubstance overdose crisis. The HT of this event as #OpioidCrisis affirms this false narrative.
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Thrilled to be here at the @MethadoneLib conference!
Great turnout in the room and I’m sure we have plenty folks logged in remotely representing so many diverse groups and regions!
We all share a commitment to #FreeMethadone!
We are listening to an infuriating clip from @National_usu ‘s podcast Naturally Noncompliant to hear from people about their experiences and why we need to #FreeMethadone.
- The US fentanyl-involved OD death rate is 21.6 per 100,000, a rate that more than TRIPLED in just 5 yrs
- Methamphetamine-involved OD death rate more than quadrupled,
- Cocaine rate more than doubled
Watching @CNN and @andersoncooper talking about the overdose crisis. They are talking about two tragic cases of young people who died of overdose with their grieving family members.
Both overdoses were with counterfeit pills. (1/?)
In first story, the young person thought it was a Percocet. When he was overdosing, a friend was deterred from calling 911 for fear of law enforcement.
In second story, the young man ODd while talking to his girlfriend on the phone but she didn’t know signs of him overdosing.
While they are talking about the need for more awareness of fentanyl adulteration, recognizing overdose, and naloxone access—tougher laws and prosecutions are also being proposed by family. They worry that felony charges for the dealer and 4 years in prison are not enough.