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I've read some surprising and really shocking articles on Canada's increasing drug problem, (especially with fentanyl which is 100 times stronger than morphine). The problem with prescription drugs is now bigger in Canada than the US. Last year, enough prescriptions were written for this drug that equated to the equivalent of 1 in 2 Canadians being on this drug. It's more addictive than heroine and a single grain the size of a grain of salt is enough to kill. Pretty shocking.
It seems that although measures have now been taken to stop this drug from being over prescribed, the problem is so bad with it on the black market and a national epidemic has been declared. It's resulting in home invasions, gun crime and homicide increases that are set to escalate over the next several years as a result of the high percentage of Canadians being addicted to this drug and using gangs and drug dealers to get it since doctors are being told not to prescribe it wherever possible. Police have said that crime and home invasions are now creeping into good, middle class, previously safe neighbourhoods as so many of those addicted are middle class people who started their addiction as a direct result of being prescribed the drug unecessarily by their doctor.
My question is, do many of you know anyone affected by this? Have you seen crime come in to your neighbourhoods recently where previously there wasn't a problem? Are people worried at all about this, particularly those with children who will be growing up in the midst of an epidemic of one of the most addictive substances on the market? What are people's thoughts?
I've read some surprising and really shocking articles on Canada's increasing drug problem, (especially with fentanyl which is 100 times stronger than morphine). The problem with prescription drugs is now bigger in Canada than the US. Last year, enough prescriptions were written for this drug that equated to the equivalent of 1 in 2 Canadians being on this drug. It's more addictive than heroine and a single grain the size of a grain of salt is enough to kill. Pretty shocking.
It seems that although measures have now been taken to stop this drug from being over prescribed, the problem is so bad with it on the black market and a national epidemic has been declared. It's resulting in home invasions, gun crime and homicide increases that are set to escalate over the next several years as a result of the high percentage of Canadians being addicted to this drug and using gangs and drug dealers to get it since doctors are being told not to prescribe it wherever possible. Police have said that crime and home invasions are now creeping into good, middle class, previously safe neighbourhoods as so many of those addicted are middle class people who started their addiction as a direct result of being prescribed the drug unecessarily by their doctor.
My question is, do many of you know anyone affected by this? Have you seen crime come in to your neighbourhoods recently where previously there wasn't a problem? Are people worried at all about this, particularly those with children who will be growing up in the midst of an epidemic of one of the most addictive substances on the market? What are people's thoughts?
Cheers!
Hi, pharmacist here. The fentanyl crisis stems less from over prescribing of fentanyl than it does from smuggling in of fentanyl from overseas by drug dealers. Because of its potency, there can be many doses of, say, fake oxycontin produced from the fentanyl smuggled in from China in a printer cartridge where the ink has been replaced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is a major problem not because it is leading to more opioid addicts, but because existing opioid addicts, or other drug users, are overdosing from illicit products that contain it, when, because of its potency, those products are accidentally or deliberately made too strong. The crisis is one of safety for drug users, not the general public, if anything the fentanyl crisis discourages drug use, but at the unacceptable cost of many lives. Fentanyl is rarely prescribed except for people with chronic pain already using opioid pain killers like morphine longterm. The vast majority of my patients who are prescribed it use it for pain related to cancer or other serious illnesses, or they were on palliative care. Over prescribing of opioids may have been related to the long standing opioid addictions that are now more dangerous in the context of the fentanyl crisis. There are new prescribing guidelines to limit there use into the future.
AS BIM BAM above notes, it's an existing problem being pulled to another level: Calgary wise I have a person I'm looking for who's now homeless. A long term chronic pain and addictions issues person, she none the less up until very recently had her own place and a minimum of issues visited upon others. My friend goes back to a photo of the two of them in diapers in the same crib. You do what you can.
The Calgary Police interviewed a person on the street who said they'd seen her, and she was fine. The police then closed the file. (!!????) Calgary specific the city has a pretty weird attitude, as indicated. I'm going to the desk next in town, and looking for a friend. Calgary is not that big a place; I'm pretty sure I can find her quit fast.
Calgary has always been a big epicentre of "entertainment" as people come into town with a big check. Recently as biker gangs got hit the substitution for street distribution went to Mexico bringing in distributors: one gets popped and another takes it's place coming up from Salt Lake City or one of the usual runs. The loose money is a little lower now, so its been a little more quiet. Also, so many of the "Ralph Klein Go Home" Club have gone back to TO, Quebec and the Maritimes.
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