NO HEROIN DEATHS IN 2009 (Lebanon County, PA)

"First time in recent memory there were no heroin deaths" in Lebanon County, Pa. in 2009. The County Coroner "... credited the decline to the methadone clinic in North Cornwall Township which the county opened in 2006. 'We are giving the people the option and opportunity to quit heroin, and we are very busy at the methadone clinic,' he said. There is no other reason I could give as an explanation.'" Lebanon Daily News 21 Jan.; http://www.ldnews.com/news/ci_14240574

Fredericton (New Brunswick, Canada) Physicians Revoke All Methadone "Carries" (take-home doses) :

LATEST NEWS (Jan 21, 2010):
Methadone providers rescind ban on take-home doses: "the methadone program will remain unchanged." A fortunate turn of events indeed! Full story in Telegraph-Journal - http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/927747


ORIGINAL STORY: Physicians revoke all methadone "carries" (take-home doses) in response to the death of a 23-month old who ingested methadone. News stories to date make no mention of the possible source of the methadone. The physicians' decision means 478 patients who have been eligible for take-home medication will be obliged to take their medication every day in a pharmacy.

Almost 40 years ago Boston City Hospital abruptly terminated take-home privileges of all patients enrolled in its methadone maintenance program. In short order one-third of patients had dropped out and presumably returned to street use of heroin, and of those remaining, one-half lost jobs they had held before the new policy came into force. If the new, ill-advised policy is not rescinded, similar consequences can be predicted in Fredericton, and the costs will be borne by the entire community.

Individualization is generally viewed as imperative in the medical management of any illness. It is difficult to comprehend this across-the-board policy change. Whatever turns out to be the source of the medication in this case, there is absolutely no basis for concluding that every person receiving methadone for dependence must be considered careless, irresponsible, untrustworthy, or worse. That is stereotyping, and stigmatization at its very worst and it comes from the providers of methadone treatment. It is appalling!

Original story click here

Methadone providers rescind ban on take-home doses: "the methadone program will remain unchanged." A fortunate turn of events indeed! Full storyin Telegrpah-Journal 21 Jan - http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/927747

“Deepak Chopra Lends Name to Squamish Addiction Centre” (Canada):

As the saying goes, for those who like that sort of thing – and can afford it - that’s the sort of thing they’d like. According to the article the cost of 4-6 weeks stay is $18-26,000. One of the principals of the Centre is quoted as saying, “If we position this program authentically, we will not attract those people who are looking for a quick fix and substitute methadone for heroin." Clearly, it is easier to speak of “authentic positioning” (whatever that might mean or imply) than of price, affordability and evidence of efficacy. Incidentally, the title is a tiny bit misleading in its reference to "lend its name"; rather, "Chopra Centre is licensing its brand and curriculum to Paradise Valley in return for a percentage of revenues generated."

Full article, attributed to CanWest News Service, Jan. 9 click here

Liberal Decriminalization Law Now in Effect in Czech Republic

According to an article published 7 Jan 10, "Since 1 Jan the Czech drug laws have become among the most liberal in all Europe." Some specifics: no penalty for possession of up to 15 grams marijuana, five LSD tablets, one gram of cocaine and one and a half grams of heroin - said to be three times more than allowed in The Netherlands.

Article (in German):
http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/tschechien186.html

German Hemp Association Sounds the Alarm

German Hemp Association sounds the alarm over "massively diluted" marijuana. "Millions of Germans are smoking artificial substances, sugar and stuff that's even worse." (Jan 12).

Full report (in German)
http://hanfverband.de/aktuell/meldung_1263333611.html

Swiss drug policies: Change (and lack of change!) over the years:

An article appeared in the Tages-Anzeiger (Zurich) 31 Dec 09. It describes how Switzerland became the first country in the world - 15 years ago - to introduce heroin for the treatment of opiate addiction, and highlights events culminating in a law that took effect Jan 1 firmly and formally establishing the legality of what has become longstanding practice (there are now 22 heroin-assisted facilities in the country). Particularly fascinating is the fact that for years there had been strong and very widespread support for legalizing heroin - assisted treatment (in a Nov. 2008 referendum 68% of Swiss voters approved) - but passage was repeatedly blocked because the proposed law also had a provision calling for decriminalization of marijuana possession. The article states that parliamentary debate was resumed and the bill quite promptly passed after all reference to cannabis had been removed.

Another interesting (and, to some, no doubt very distressing!)note: the report ends by stating, "Pursuant to the [new] law the goal of [Swiss] drug strategies is abstinence." Go figure!

Article can be accessed in German: by clicking here

Liberal decriminalization law now in effect in Czech Republic:

According to an article published 7 Jan 10, "Since 1 Jan the Czech drug laws have become among the most liberal in all Europe." Some specifics: no penalty for possession of up to 15 grams marijuana, five LSD tablets, one gram of cocaine and one and a half grams of heroin - said to be three times more than allowed in The Netherlands.

Article (in German): http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/tschechien186.html

CHINA: ADVANCES IN EXPANSION OF TREATMENT, BUT PERVASIVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Notwithstanding the recent advances made by China with regard to large-scale rapid expansion of methadone treatment and needle exchange services, persistent and pervasive human rights violations targeting drug users are reported. An article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer 6 Jan is headlined " Group slams China's drug user detention centers." It summarizes a Human Rights Watch report (http://www.hrw.org/node/87467) that describes a system in which "addicts are denied proper treatment in China's state-run rehabilitation centers and are sometimes beaten and forced to work without pay." An idea of just how horrendous the system is can be gleaned from a quote attributed to one observer: "Many drug users, when caught by police, would rather admit that they are trafficking drugs than using drugs because at least there is some kind of legal procedure involved in a drug trafficking charge."

There can never be enough research (or so it seems):

Yet another paper has been published of a study whose findings confirm what has been known for decades: "High doses of methadone greater than 100 mg daily may provide a better outcome for illicit opiate use among some patients who would not respond to moderate doses." To reach this conclusion seven authors collaborated in a study involving a total of 59 (!) patients in treatment at the Atlanta (Ga.) VA Hospital.

Source: J Addictive Dis 28:399-405, 2009