March 2010
42 posts
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Lisa Haisha: Can We Stop the Drug Overdose... →
I would not say this op-ed is a must-read by any means, but I would like to hear everyone’s opinions on it. The writer DOES mention how overdose is a problem in society as a whole, but harps on the tragedy of celebrity deaths.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t care about celebrity deaths, but is this really the best way to frame the issue? Does it help raise awareness of the...
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The $250,000 Joint | Drugs | AlterNet →
katharinec:
A single joint smoked by Amir Varick Amma cost him an additional 5 years in prison, and taxpayers roughly $250,000…
…In this time of economic crisis in New York State, when politicians are looking for solutions to reduce the budget deficit, they need look no further than the state’s correctional system.
Yet another logical argument for legalization. Wow!
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katharinec:
“If institutions of higher learning are able to comprehend The Wire’s mind-expanding educational value, then it really shouldn’t be necessary for me to beg reformers to put those ridiculous Weeds DVDs aside for a couple weeks and watch the most accurate and revealing depiction of urban drug warfare ever created.”
— If You Call Yourself a Drug Policy Reformer, You Need to Watch This |...
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“California voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana use for...”
– Calif. voters to decide whether to legalize pot
via talkleft
(via sexartandpolitics)
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“One of the most alarming issues in rural areas is the rate of overdose deaths....”
– Rural drug use: deadly, and getting deadlier « Sustained Outrage
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“Utah has one of the nation’s highest overdose death rates. In response,...”
– Utah launches studies of its overdose deaths - Salt Lake Tribune
Drugs
cjernigan:
radicalquaker:
Do the benefits of legalizing drugs (all drugs, not just marijuana. I mean, how many people are being killed over marijuana?) outweigh the consequences?
Yes, because drug addiction and abuse would finally be treated as medical problems rather than criminal ones.
Also, look at Portugal.
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Salinas Calls for U.S. Drug Legalization to Reduce... →
(via katharinec)
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Healthcare Bill Includes Landmark Expansion of... →
katharinec:
Wow, kind of a big deal. Check it. This stood out to me in particular:
Includes substance use disorder and mental health (SUD/MH) services as required benefits in the basic benefit package for individual and small business health plans.
(h/t The Real Cost of Prisons)
Another point for healthcare reform.
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Drop the Rock group also wants to drop some... →
katharinec:
“In the last 10 years, the prison population of New York state has declined by over 13,000 people. At the same time the crime rate has continued to go down,” said Robert Gangi, executive director of the Correctional Association of New York, the nonprofit criminal justice organization encompassing the “Drop the Rock” campaign to repeal the state’s Rockefeller-era drug sentencing...
More Americans Dying in Mexican Drug War →
katharinec:
Last year 79 American citizens were killed in Mexico, up from 35 in 2007 in a trend experts attribute to violence associated with Mexico’s ongoing battle with drug cartels.
At the DPA Conference, one of the panelists, I wish I could remember who, made the excellent point that it’s not accurate or fair to refer to the cartels as “Mexican,” because they have many contacts and members...
New Followers
A thank you to new followers for their support, and of course, a thank you to old followers for their continued support.
And all apologies for the lack of posts. Things are going to pick back up in the next day or so. Stay tuned!
Hmm, is there a bloggy equivalent of “stay tuned”? That seems too tailored to television and radio…
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“McLellan offered genetics and brain disease as proof of the existence of the...”
– Allan Clear: US drug policy at the UN. Is the glass becoming more than half full?
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“For the study, researchers analyzed data on deaths and weather for New York City...”
– More cocaine-overdose deaths seen on hotter days | Reuters
The harm reduction take-away from this study? If the temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) or higher, cut back on your cocaine dosage and try to keep yourself in cooler places.
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Local News | WA governor signs drug overdose... →
Washington is now granting legal immunity to people who call in overdoses and people who experience overdoses. Like the bill waiting for the NY governor’s signature in New York, drug dealers/providers and manufacturers would still be prosecuted.
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Daily Kos: Commission on Narcotic Drugs: Progress... →
MORE coverage of CND from our Executive Director. He’s live-blogging and tweeting all over the place. Well done, Allan!
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Plight of the impoverished drug addict - Drugs -... →
katharinec:
“Poor addicts — and there are millions of them — have been pushed to the margins of society, deprived of medical attention, often exposed to conditions, including imprisonment, that exacerbate their illness,” Costa said according to a copy of a speech he delivered at a Vienna meeting of the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
It’s a perpetual cycle. Addiction feeds off of lower...
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Allan Clear: Live From the 53rd Annual UN Drug... →
Allan Clear is the Executive Director of Harm Reduction Coalition. He’s in Vienna right now for the annual United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). He’s covering the meeting on Huffington Post. Check it out.
His live-tweets are pretty awesome, too. Follow @harmreduction for some live-tweeting goodness.
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Condoms in 'extra small' for boys age 12 set for... →
rassilon:
fuckyeahslightlyamusing:
“Extra small condoms for boys as young as 12 could soon be on our shelves.
The Hotshot condoms are going on sale in Switzerland after research found that not enough 12 to 14-year-old boys were having protected sex.
The condoms are likely to end up on sale in Britain, said their manufacturer Lamprecht AG.”
Seriously?
I would rather 12-year-olds have safe...
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More Directory goodness
staff:
After several attempts at creating a decent way for new and experienced users to find interesting blogs, we finally have a Directory that works pretty darned well. In fact, your recommendations are resulting in thousands of new followers for some your favorite blogs!
So we’re giving the Directory some more love this week:
Instead of being reset every Tuesday, your recommendations now...
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“Society is comfortable with harm reduction in other areas, such as teenage...”
– Mark Haden
Harm-reduction advocates say needle-exchange efforts have lost ground
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Bill passes giving immunity when reporting an... →
This is certainly good news and a step in the right direction. The bill excludes people who provide drugs, from friends to dealers, so that’s not ideal. The ideal would be to get the overdose wording out of the penal code altogether.
The bill also allows for the usage of Naloxone to reverse overdoses. This was met with some objection, the main claim being that people overdosing would die...
somaroy:
“Grayslake Police Cmdr. Matt McCutcheon said Tuesday the student did not overdose on Vicodin, that it was possibly a muscle relaxer called Soma, but police are awaiting test results. The 14-year-old boy was taken to the hospital Feb. 23 after he had seizures at the school.”
Second middle school overdose :: News Sun :: News
Apparently, a high schooler gave free pills to these middle...
A Comment by an HRCtumblr Follower
This was posted as a comment by morningstar on the Surprising Truth About Heroin post. I thought it was well written and wanted to bring more attention to it since some people might not read the comments. I also hope this will facilitate discussion on this topic and create more of a community feel to the HRCtumblr.
It’s beyond obvious that not (fully) understanding something that is a...
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“They found global coverage is very poor, but also varies widely. Worldwide, only...”
– Failure to aid drug users drives HIV spread: study | Reuters
Drug overdose deaths decline in New York: study →
874 deaths in 2006 to 666 deaths in 2008. Coincidentally, 2006 is the year lawmakers authorized naloxone distribution in New York City.
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AFP: First free heroin clinic opens in Denmark →
abcsoupdot:
notemily:
katharinec:
“Our objective is not to cure heroin addicts, but to help those who are not satisfied by methadone by providing them with clean heroin, allowing them to avoid disease and the temptation of criminal acts to obtain the drug,” a doctor and head of the clinic Inger Nielsen told AFP. (h/t DRCNet)
Denmark does a lot of things I wish the US would do.
Related: No...
“Harm-reduction measures are always shot down by the drug warriors, who fear such...”
– How the ‘war on drugs’ can kill | Jennifer Abel | guardian.co.uk (via katharinec)
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Overdose Prevention: A Primer
I did a small presentation to fellow MPH (Master’s of Public Health) students last week regarding accidental deaths due to overdose defined as a public health problem. We were all required to ask questions about all the presentations we saw that day, and incidentally, my classmates asked me some great questions. The exercise has also inspired to start a series of posts I am going to call...
“Some 85 percent of the U.S. prison and jail inmates either meet the official...”
– Think Outside the Cage: Only 11% Of Inmates With Substance Abuse Problems [And Addiction Disorders Receive Treatment During Their Incarceration] (via katharinec) 