#opioid use disorder

[lifewithchronicpain]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a controversial genetic test that uses a patient’s DNA to assess whether they are at risk of developing opioid use disorder (OUD). Although the test is only intended for patients with short-term acute pain who have not used opioids before, there is concern about the test’s accuracy and whether it will be used “off-label” to assess addiction risk in chronic pain patients – who could potentially lose access to opioids as a result. In approving the AvertD test, the FDA stipulated that it only be available by prescription to patients who consent to its use and have no prior history of using an oral opioid for pain relief.

The test is administered by a provider swabbing the cheek of a patient to collect a DNA sample, which will then be tested in a laboratory to see if the patient has 15 genetic markers that puts them at elevated risk of OUD. According to the FDA, the test will help patients “make better informed decisions” about using opioids, such as a patient facing surgery who wants to know what analgesic to use for post-operative pain...

“I’m sure it would be used for anyone who may be considered for opioid therapy,” says Lynn Webster, MD, a pain management expert and Senior Fellow at the Center for U.S. Policy. “I am all for gathering more data to help clinicians make better decisions, but we must exercise caution with such tests. Otherwise, the test may be over-read or misinterpreted. Some patients may be deprived of access to an opioid if they test positive or there can be a false sense of harmlessness from opioids if the test is negative. “I am most concerned that providers will see the results as binary. Either a patient will or won’t develop OUD, depending on the result. That would be a big mistake. Any such device or test must be used along with other clinical and personal information to help mitigate harm from using, or being denied, opioids.”

In 2022, an FDA advisory committee voted 11-2 against recommending an earlier version of AvertD, primarily because of concerns about false-negative and false-positive results. An observational study found the test was about 80% accurate in detecting genes associated with OUD. "I believe 100% of the risk associated with this test is with false positives and false negatives -- both people being untreated or poorly treated because somehow it came back as a positive result, or being given inappropriate treatment because it said negative," said Timothy Ness, MD, an anesthesiologist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who voted no. (Read full article at link)

Yeah I don't like it. I can see how it would be useful for patients to decide, but with the way opioids are controlled I can totally see people being denied necessary pain relief based on this test.

[mlobsters]

court on tiktok

her story of struggling with opioid addiction for ten years to resources that have helped her become housed and working as a harm reduction specialist.

providing information about a new helpline (855 HOW TO QUIT) for people struggling with opioid addiction to connect with other people who have literally been in their shoes

[bpdcodone]

I’m close to relapse

I’ve been so depersonalized it’s killing me this is the worst month for my PTSD and BPD

[legacyhealingcenterrehab]

What Are Opioids, and Why Are They Dangerous?

Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription painkillers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl, as well as illegal drugs like heroin. They are highly effective in relieving pain but also carry significant risks.

Opioids bind to opioid receptors in the brain and body, blocking pain signals and producing a sense of euphoria. However, they also depress the central nervous system, leading to slowed breathing, sedation, and potential overdose.

Opioid misuse can quickly lead to dependence and addiction, as the body develops tolerance and requires higher doses to achieve the same effects. Overdosing on opioids can be fatal, suppressing respiration to the point of respiratory failure.

Opioid addiction can have devastating consequences on individuals, families, and communities, making it crucial to seek professional help and comprehensive treatment for opioid use disorders. Legacy Healing Center in Cincinnati, OH, is here to help.

[insightslicelive]

Opioid Use Disorder Market Positioning and Growing Industry Share Worldwide to 2032 | Indivior PLC, Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc, BioDelivery Sciences International

Opioid Use Disorder Market Positioning and Growing Industry Share Worldwide to 2032 | Indivior PLC, Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc, BioDelivery Sciences International

                                                 The report provides an analysis of the global Opioid Use Disorder market with detailed analysis of sizing and growth. This “Global Opioid Use Disorder Market 2023-2032″ research report gives detailed data about the major factors influencing the growth of the Opioid Use Disorder market at the global and domestic level forecast of the market size, in…

[neuroticboyfriend]

something i unfortunately learned the hard way is that you can hallucinate/dream things while you're nodding (going in and out of consciousness due to CNS depression). this is to the point you can think you're awake, when in reality, you're falling asleep... and if you fall asleep for good, you can stop breathing. you can die with absolutely zero awareness that it's happening, even if you were somewhat aware just seconds ago. this is why's it's so important to be careful with depressants (aka downers) - especially if you're on multiple depressants and/or on opioids.

so yeah. if you're ever using alone, you can call the the Never Use Alone Hotline (USA). they'll stay on the phone with you to make sure you're okay, and if you stop responding, they can call emergency services for you. if anyone knows any other resources (non USA especially) please add on.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A new bill in the capitol would legalize safe spaces to use drugs.

The bill would allow the Department of Human Services to license what the bill calls “Overdose Prevention Sites.” People could go to these locations and use illegal drugs under direct supervision, with no fear of criminal prosecution.

Right now, they are far from common in the United States. Rhode Island is the only state to legalize them, but New York City and several other cities have them. A pair of lawmakers are saying those spaces are the next logical step as the state tries to curb overdose deaths.

Opioid overdoses continue to be a leading cause of accidental deaths in the state for those between the ages of 18 and 49. In 2021, 3,013 people died from overdoses. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago), said supervised injection sites are a logical step to help curb those numbers.

“Why would we turn our backs on people struggling with a substance use disorder saying, ‘no, we don’t want to allow space for you,'” Ford said. “‘We would rather see you die on the streets.'”

Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler takes his own unique approach to helping people who are suffering from addiction. The Taylorville Safe Passage program has helped hundreds of people get clean before they get in trouble with the law. The increased supervision is a sensible idea for Wheeler, but he is skeptical of the ramifications that come with giving people a safe space to use.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Wheeler said. “But let’s treat the people.”

Ford said in an ideal situation, there would be treatment options available at these facilities.

“I think we should have the debate to make sure that when we have overdose prevention sites, that they’re not places where people just go use drugs,” Ford said. “It’s the place where people go and get the help that they need while struggling with a substance use disorder.”

But the bill does not require those services. At a minimum, the bill would require these facilities to have a clean space to use, have naloxone to help people survive an overdose, staff that can help people who are in the middle of an overdose and equipment like fentanyl testing strips. It also would give legal immunity to people who use in those facilities.

Wheeler’s Safe Passage program gives people the opportunity to come into the police department and say they need help. It’s gained state wide acclaim, and even earned his department a $250,000 grant from the state to expand.

The program prioritizes getting people to treatment centers. It relies on people to take that first step and admit they need help, and once they take that step, the department — and it’s long list of volunteers — will drive that person to whatever rehab center they can find a spot in, no matter where it is in the state.

He said if the state is going to allow supervised injection sites, they need to carefully design the program, and make sure it leaves no questions unanswered on how it would work.

There is data that shows supervised injection sites have positive impacts, but they also come with societal ramifications, including arguments over where the sites will be located.

“Illinois should answer the call, knowing that this is the best harm reduction tool that we have in our toolbox,” Ford said. “When you look at overdose prevention sites, and you look at other harm reduction tools, this is the number one harm reduction tool that has proven to save lives across the world.”

This is not the first time the proposal has made its way around the Capitol, but it hasn’t found any traction in past years. So far, the bill has not been voted on in any committees.

[mlobsters]

things i learned about the opioid crisis that truly shocked me

oxycontin (oxycodone) is more powerful than morphine (i thought i had a decent understanding of opiates, apparently not)

purdue (makers of oxycontin) claimed less than 1% of people got addicted based on a handful of sentences letter to the editor (link to letter in NEJM) in a medical journal about patients taking short term narcotics in a hospital environment and called it a study

the package insert said "Delayed absorption as provided by oxycontin is believed to reduce the abuse liability of a drug." no proof - just believed.

the medical officer at the FDA, curtis wright, allegedly drafted the medical review with purdue including claims about very limited rates of addiction and potential for abuse. a year later, he went to work for purdue

sales reps were paid commission by the number of milligrams their doctors prescribed, encouraging doctors to continue increasing dosages

purdue claimed oxy didn't have the peaks and valleys associated with opioids and used an extremely distorted graph that was incredibly misleading to prove their point (log scale that flattened the curves)

they created the concept of "pseudoaddiction" which meant drug seeking addiction behavior was actually untreated pain so the solution was to increase the dosage

the company who launched the fentanyl spray subsys were encouraging doctors to prescribe it offlabel for back pain and the like with the explantion "pain is pain" asking how is back pain different than end of life cancer pain

i knew fentanyl was a serious problem but i had no idea the overdose deaths increase after the launch of subsys and competitors in 2012 was this stark and terrifying

insys was investing $3-4 million dollars in speaker programs that were a cover for bribing doctors to increase prescriptions of their fentanyl product

in 2015, subsys was one of the top five most profitable opioid products in the US - something that was only indicated for breakthrough pain in cancer patients on around the clock pain management with high opiate tolerance levels as part of end of life care

medicare would not approve the prescriptions and pay for them (many thousands of dollars for one month of subsys) for offlabel uses, so insys created a system where their reps would pretend to be from the doctor's office (in collusion with doctors, dr office would give the private patient information so insys could have the information needed) and lie about the diagnosis to get it approved

actual promo video for sales reps to sell fentanyl

from burlakof, former vp of sales at insys: "the only way that i knew how to do it, to get that guarantee, is to bribe doctors." "you're saying bribery, like you're kind of--" "yes, i am" "that has a really kind of, big meaning, that word." "yes. i think to use any other word would be irresponsible of me at this point." "back then, did you think, 'oh, i'm going to bribe people'?" "yes."

90% of all hydrocodone production was going to pill mills in the late 2000s

at one point broward county alone (ft lauderdale, just a bit north of miami) had 150 pill mills

florida regulations were so lax, anyone could open a pain management clinic - including people with felony drug convictions

florida also did not track out of state people filling prescriptions that would throw up red flags like it did in other states

a retired dea agent, lou fisher, worked with large pill mills to make sure they followed requirements and could pass inspections by dea acting as their "compliance officer"

but fisher was being paid by the wholesaler, he maintains he didn't do anything wrong

by putting prescribing into the hands of corrupt doctors, they could technically be following the rules

once the pill mills were shut down, a large population had been addicted to opioids via pills now only had heroin to turn to

the george brothers and others in pill mills were indicted under the federal RICO act and it was the largest prescription drug trafficking case in US history

chris george maintains he just ran a business. he didn't create addicts, he gave them a safer way to get their drugs. and the people coming to florida to buy his pills were the actual problem. "The patients are the ones that caused whatever problems we have here."

(ps the george brothers are also white supremacists)

stuff i've watched/listened to

American Pain (HBO) - documentary on pill mills in florida, primarily about the George brothers

The Crime of the Century (HBO) - documentary directed, produced, and written by Alex Gibney. The film follows the opioid epidemic in the United States, and the political operatives, government regulations and corporations that enable the abuse of opioids, particularly the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma. Part two focuses on the rise of fentanyl by Insys Therapeutics.

Opioids, Inc by FRONTLINE (PBS) full film on youtube

Opioids in America by American Scandal (podcast by Wondery)

Dopesick (Hulu) - dramatized series based on nonfiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy

Painkiller (Netflix) - dramatized series based on Patrick Radden Keefe's New Yorker article "The Family That Built an Empire of Pain" and Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America's Opioid Epidemic by Barry Meier

[outstanding-quotes]

“One of the things that’s really driven me in my work with children and abuse is you see how the general public have so much empathy and gushing sentimentality for abused children and these poor little three, four, five, six-year-olds. By their twenties and thirties, they’re alcoholic and they’re addicted to heroin. And suddenly the public have turned off their empathy switch, and we’ve forgotten the developmental roots of that. And so, as I moved in my own career away from child and adolescent psychiatry into adults’ addictions, what became patently clear was that these patients in their thirties, forties, fifties with alcohol and opioid addictions were the same cohort of little four, five, six-year-olds that I’d cared for in the past.”

Dr. Ben Sessa, in an interview from How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan

[legacyhealingcenterrehab]

The Ohio Opioid Epidemic: Understanding the Crisis and Finding Long-Term Solutions

The Ohio opioid epidemic has been a pressing issue, highlighting the devastating impact of opioid addiction on communities. Ohio has been particularly affected, with high rates of opioid-related deaths and overdoses.

The crisis stems from the over prescription of opioid pain medications, leading to widespread misuse and addiction. Many individuals who initially became addicted to prescription opioids turned to illicit substances like heroin and fentanyl, which are cheaper and more accessible.

The Ohio government has implemented various measures to combat the epidemic, including improving access to addiction treatment, increasing naloxone distribution, and implementing prescription drug monitoring programs. Education and prevention efforts have also been crucial in raising awareness about the risks of opioids.

Long-term solutions require a comprehensive approach, including expanding access to evidence-based treatment, addressing the root causes of addiction, and promoting alternatives to opioids for pain management. By addressing the Ohio opioid epidemic through multifaceted strategies, it is possible to reduce overdose rates, save lives, and support individuals in their journey toward recovery. Learn more how Legacy Healing Center in Cincinnati can help.

[patriciafortunato]

In January of 2022, a medical director of government relations partnered with an addiction medicine content manager and medical director, to write a white paper on the importance of expanding access to medication for addiction treatment (MAT). The paper expounded on methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), racial disparities in access to MAT, the community pharmacist role, and supports H.R.6279: Opioid Treatment Access Act of 2022, introduced by Congressman Donald Norcross in December of 2021.

The Act aims to increase access to and modernize the process of obtaining MAT. This proposed change in federal legislation would decrease barriers to treatment by sustaining relaxed methadone dispensing regulations enacted during the COVID–19 pandemic and making methadone available at pharmacies, enabling ease of patient access to evidence-based treatment and empowering them to spend less time waiting in line for their medication. During the pandemic, federal restrictions have been temporarily lifted and allow patients to take home larger quantities of methadone at a time; preliminary studies have shown that this has increased engagement with treatment. The federal exemption has been extended—however, patients are still required to obtain their medication albeit larger doses from opioid treatment programs (OTP). The bill also calls for research to evaluate the effects that legislative changes have on treatment access and outcomes.

The paper was presented to Senator Joseph F. Vitale and the New Jersey State Legislature, and an iteration abridged summary was published in the New Jersey Medication for Addiction Treatment Centers of Excellence (MATCOE) newsletter. Learn more here.

Recommended citation:

Fortunato P, Haroz R, Baston K. E. Expanding Access to Medication for Addiction Treatment: A White Paper Prepared for the New Jersey State Legislature. Cooper University Health Care Center for Healing, State of New Jersey Medication for Addiction Treatment Center of Excellence. 2022.

[pharmanucleus1]

Global Opioid Use Disorder Market: Navigating the Insights and Innovations

Opioid Use Disorder Market 

KEY MARKET INSIGHTS 

The global Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Market size was valued at USD 2.88 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from USD 3.11 billion in 2022 to USD 5.64 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.9% during the forecast period. Based on our analysis, the global market exhibited a decline of -10.1% in 2020 as compared to 2019. The global COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and staggering, with opioid use disorder experiencing lower-than-anticipated demand across all regions compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Click here for full report:

https://www.pharmanucleus.com/reports/opioid-use-disorder 

Opioid Use condition (OUD) is a complicated condition characterised by the compelling use of opioid medicines, even if the individual wishes to quit or if the drugs significantly impact the person's mental and physical well-being. Buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone are the three pharmacological groups used in the pharmaceutical therapy. These are the only drug classes authorised by the FDA in the United States. 

The number of prescriptions for painkillers, which commonly contain opioids, is expected to climb as the worldwide population of individuals suffering from chronic pain grows. When these opioid-based medications are used and the patient's suffering is relieved, the patient's reliance or addiction to these drugs rises. This addiction is dangerous since an opioid overdose can result in death or lifelong impairment of a person's normal psychological and physiological functioning. 

Several governments, like the United States, have put laws in place to successfully handle this condition in order to lessen the risk. These legislative reforms, together with the increasing number of product releases by big corporations, are expected to have a positive influence on the sector. 

Click here for sample request:

https://www.pharmanucleus.com/request-sample/1182

POST COVID-19 IMPACT 

Reduced Demand for Medications amid COVID-19 Pandemic to Negatively Impact Market Growth? 

Depending on the demand, the COVID-19 pandemic had both beneficial and bad effects on pharmaceutical firms. Certain pharmaceutical items saw a drop in demand as fewer individuals risked visiting healthcare institutions such as hospitals and clinics. To stop the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, the different governments ordered strict national lockdowns. As a consequence, patient visits to hospitals decreased dramatically. Non-essential medical services cancellation or delay impacted market development as well. 

On the other side, there was a noticeable increase in patients having opioid overdoses and relapses in the OUD market. However, well-known firms in the field, such as Indivior, saw a significant drop in product sales during this time. Sales continued to fall sharply as a result of Covid-19-related problems. As a result, the worldwide market saw a negative trend during the epidemic. 

Click here for full report:

https://www.pharmanucleus.com/reports/opioid-use-disorder

LATEST TRENDS 

Increasing Consideration of Buprenorphine Patches as an Effective Treatment Mode to Propel Market Growth 

The industry has lately seen an increase in the demand for buprenorphine treatment patches. These patches are regarded as an effective medication for the treatment of opioid use disorders. The numerous advantages associated with transdermal patches, such as ease of medication delivery and decreased discomfort, are customary and self-administered. Furthermore, these transdermal patches may be a viable option for individuals requiring round-the-clock opioid medication for opioid use disorder. 

In 2019, for example, WellSpan Health collaborated with York Opioid Collaborative to conduct a clinical study to develop a Lidocaine patch for the treatment of OUD. During the projected period, such collaboration is expected to boost treatment uptake. Furthermore, increased patient participation is expected to drive worldwide Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) market growth throughout the forecast period. 

DRIVING FACTORS 

Growing Opioid Addiction Cases to Augment the OUD Market Share? 

The worldwide population is today suffering from a variety of severe and chronic ailments, including pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other problems. To treat these problems, painkillers, particularly opioids, are used. Drug usage frequently leads to drug addiction in the patient. The patient is expected to have drug withdrawal symptoms as a result of their increasing reliance on these drugs and their sudden discontinuation. 

According to the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre's (NDDTC) Magnitude of Substance Use in India report published in February 2019, the prevalence of current opioid use is 2.06%, and approximately 0.55% of Indians are expected to require help for opioid use problems (harmful use and dependence). 

On account of these factors, the likelihood that patients will experience tragic outcomes, such as death induced by an opioid overdose, rises. 

Growing Focus of Government & Non-government Institutions to Support Expansion 

Another major driving reason driving market development is the growing involvement of governmental and non-governmental organisations in raising awareness about opioid overdose and associated consequences. The number of opioid addicts has substantially grown, prompting various organisations to take a more comprehensive strategy to combating the problem. Numerous countries have increased their efforts to support patients and reduce the effects of opioid addiction. 

For example, in March 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced financing for substance use treatment and prevention programmes in order to increase access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder and prevent prescription drug misuse. 

Similarly, similar programmes are expected to encourage more people suffering from opioid addiction to seek treatment. These factors are expected to have a positive impact on the worldwide market throughout the forecast period. 

RESTRAINING FACTORS 

Adverse Effects of OUD Drugs to Restrain Market Growth? 

The adverse effects of the medications used to treat opioid addiction are expected to stymie the market throughout the projected period. 

These medicines commonly cause muscular pains, vomiting, diarrhoea, bone/joint pain, respiratory difficulties, bladder discomfort, constipation, and stomach cramps. Furthermore, in severe situations of adverse medication response, the patient may suffer from depression and other psychological issues. 

The hazards connected with these pharmaceuticals have resulted in a warning from the US Food and Drug Administration, which has a negative influence on the drug class, lowering the adoption of medications in this form of treatment. 

For instance, in January 2022, the U.S. FDA warned about dental problems with buprenorphine medicines dissolved in the mouth to treat OUD and pain. Dental issues, including oral infections, cavities, tooth decay, and teeth loss can be serious and have been reported even in patients with no history of dental issues. 

Such factors might hamper the market growth during the forecast period to a certain extent. 

[neuroticboyfriend]

an early morning poetry draft (formatted weirdly bc tumblr mobile sucks) about addiction:

oh, darling / there is no love / shining / through the window / of your soul,

for your eyes betray / your silver tongue / and quick wits / always one step ahead / ready to bite and snare,

you constrict / and change your tune at will / just to keep the fleeting thrill / held hostage within your veins,

what sorry man you are / if only you knew / your life never had a cost / but if it had one / it certainly wouldn't be this.

untitled as of now, wouldn't mind suggestions actually, but i cant promise i'll take them.

[clarksam923]

Opioid addiction treatment Lexington KY with medication and counseling

In recent years, we have been accustomed to hearing more about some of the media headlines relating to prescription drug overdoses and lethal heroin overdoses. The accompanying social, economic, health, and legal consequences pose a threat to society. This necessitates substance abuse Lexington KY rehabs envisioning a one-of-a-kind treatment technique to assist impacted persons in totally recovering. 

Offering a dependable and safe framework of integrated care, together with appropriate community support and collaborations would be the most effective community response to opioid addiction.

It is critical to work together in a meaningful way to develop a safe opioid addiction treatment Lexington KY model of integrated programs that reflects the difficulties of addiction. The recurrent nature of addiction should be stressed more so that sufferers are aware of the possible risk.

Preliminary stage 

The first stage would be to establish a fluid, dependable, and efficient model of engaging with afflicted persons for they to receive therapy. Patients are divided into two groups. Some people require mental health care, while others require physical health care. Both of these groups of afflicted persons would be stabilized and effectively treated if they were treated with the assistance of a designated local care provider closer to their place of residence, in their community.

So, what remedies does the substance abuse Lexington KY rehabilitation center provide?

They investigate the case to see how the substance usage progressed over time. The substance abuse Lexington KY therapists take all essential precautions to avoid the victim's urge and social pressures to return to the addicted zone. There is mental health treatment aid available. Risk factors are investigated. A specific program for a well-balanced life is devised, and they are then regularly evaluated to ensure that they maintain their optimum mental and physical well-being long after recovery.

Psychoanalysis

Technical neutrality, transference analysis, interpretation, and then finally counter-transference analysis are the major steps involved in this process of psychoanalysis. It is good to explain the patient's mental and emotional disorder in the first place. Then when they understand, they cooperate to find a cure.

The symptoms of opioid withdrawal are diverse. The critical period is limited during the first ten days after quitting opioids. However, the severity of the symptoms would only last 3 or 4 days. Depending on the degree of opioid addiction, symptoms may include cramping, sweating, vomiting, and, in extreme cases, death. So, after properly studying the matter, it is always preferable to seek the aid of professionals who know how to deal with any unique scenario.

Counseling and opioid addiction treatment Lexington KY treatments are necessary adjuncts to withdrawal medicine to reduce the chance of recurrence.

Medications for opioid addiction treatment Lexington KY

Many drugs, including naltrexone, methadone, and buprenorphine, are used to treat withdrawal symptoms. For any of these drugs, substance use disorder Lexington KY counseling is also required. Both the patient and the therapist would discuss the advantages and hazards of various types of medications, as well as the accompanying regimen. Only then is the treatment plan implemented regularly. Any of these approaches and substance use disorder Lexington KY treatments would only help victims control addiction if they were utilized correctly.

[vaspider]

Measure 110, or the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

So if y'all aren't local to Oregon, you may not have heard that the Oregon state legislature just voted to -- essentially -- gut Measure 110, the ballot measure which decriminalized all drug possession and use in the state. It turned all drug use into a citation instead, and the citation and fine could be waived by completing a health screening. The entire point of Measure 110 was replacing jail with health care and services to help people instead, and while I could probably write a very long side post on the imperfections of that approach, it was at the very least a move in the right direction after decades of the pathetic failure and absolutely racist mess that is the "War on Drugs."

You may hear this pointed to in coming years as a reason why we have to just throw people into jail for using drugs, because Measure 110 failed. And like... it did fail, kinda. Sorta. It failed in that it did not manage to fix everything immediately, and it created some new issues while also exposing older issues more sharply.

It also saved the state $40 million in court costs prosecuting low-level drug offenses, kept thousands of people whose literal only crime was putting a substance into the body of a consenting adult (themselves) out of jail, put at least one addiction services center in every county in the state, invested $300 million in addiction services, and an awful lot more. See the end of this post for more reading.

But where it failed, it failed because it wasn't supported. Police and advocacy groups both asked for specific tickets for this new class of offenses which had the phone number to call to go through the health screening and the information about how going through that health screening would make the ticket go away printed on it prominently - lawmakers declined to fund this. Governor Kotek budgeted $50K to train officers on how to handle these new citations and how to direct people to the treatment and housing supports, but lawmakers thought that training officers on this new law at all was a waste of money. Money moved extremely slowly out to the supports that were supposed to come into play to help people obtain treatment or get access to harm-reduction strategies. People freaked the fuck out about clean-needle outreach, fentanyl testing strip distribution, Narcan training, and other harm-reduction strategies.

And at the end of the day, Measure 110 gets called a failure because it wasn't a silver bullet. Never mind that thousands of people are not sitting in jail right now for basically no fucking reason. Never mind that people have gotten treatment, harm has been reduced, overdoses have been prevented...

So, yeah. You'll probably start hearing this trotted out as proof that, well, we triiiied decriminalizing drugs, but look what happened in Portland! Well, what happened in Oregon is that we got set up to fail, and still didn't fail, just didn't totally succeed.

Measure 110 highlights, quoted directly from Prison Policy Initiative:

The Oregon Health Authority reported a 298% increase in people seeking screening for substance use disorders.

More than 370,000 naloxone doses have been distributed since 2022, and community organizations report more than 7,500 opioid overdose reversals since 2020.

Although overdose rates have increased around the country as more fentanyl has entered the drug supply, Oregon’s increase in overdoses has been similar to other states’ and actually less than neighboring Washington’s. A peer-reviewed study comparing overdose rates in Oregon with the rest of the country after the law went into effect found no link between Measure 110 and increased overdose rates.

There is no evidence that drug use rates in Oregon have increased. A cross-sectional survey of people who use drugs across eight counties in Oregon found that most had been using drugs for years; only 1.5% reported having started after Measure 110 went into effect.

There has been no increase in 911 calls in Oregon cities after Measure 110.

Measure 110 saves Oregonians millions. Oregon is expected to save $37 million between 2023-2025 if Measure 110 continues. This is because it costs up to $35,217 to arrest, adjudicate, incarcerate, and supervise a person taken into custody for a drug misdemeanor — and upwards of $60,000 for a felony. In contrast, treatment costs an average of $9,000 per person. The money saved by Measure 110 goes directly to state funding for addiction and recovery services.

There is no evidence that Measure 110 was associated with a rise in crime. In fact, crime in Oregon was 14% lower in 2023 than it was in 2020.

Further reading/sources:

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A study conducted by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control has found that prescribing medical-grade opioids dramatically reduced the rates of deaths and overdoses for drug users living in B.C. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, is described as "the first known instance of a North American province or state providing clinical guidance to physicians and nurse practitioners for prescribing pharmaceutical alternatives to patients at risk of death from the toxic drug supply." Researchers looked at anonymized health-care data of 5,882 people between March 2020 and August 2021, all of whom had opioid or stimulant use disorder. Those individuals filled a prescription under the B.C. Risk Mitigation Guide — clinical guidance developed in March 2020 to allow for physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to reduce deaths through harm reduction.

Continue Reading

Tagging @politicsofcanada