Heroin Overdoses in U.S. Tripled since 2010

[Elley Mae]

'GRAY DEATH' IS THE LATEST OPIOID STREET MIX CAUSING WORRY

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-05-04-16-23-37


The substance is a combination of several opioids blamed for thousands of fatal overdoses nationally, including heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil - sometimes used to tranquilize large animals like elephants - and a synthetic opioid called U-47700.

Last year, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration listed U-47700 in the category of the most dangerous drugs it regulates, saying it was associated with dozens of fatalities, mostly in New York and North Carolina. Some of the pills taken from Prince's estate after the musician's overdose death last year contained U-47700.

 

[Elley Mae]

POLICE: 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL REVIVED WITH NARCAN AFTER OVERDOSE

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-05-04-15-12-46

 

[Pamela_Brewer]

Carfentanil Blamed For 3 Recent Deaths In Maryland

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/04/24/carfentanil-blamed-for-3-recent-deaths-in-maryland/

The drug carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer, has shown up in the autopsies of three Marylanders.

http://nbc4i.com/2017/05/04/police-show-how-much-fentanyl-it-takes-to-kill-you/
See photo:

I also saw this article today.

http://www.wsbtv.com/www.wsbtv.com/...-fatal-overdose-just-by-touching-it/519423310

MOO

 

[Woodland]

'People are dying out there': New guidelines for prescribing opioids encourage doctors to put down the pad

The focus back in 2010, Busse says, was on how to prescribe opioids.

Seven years later, the focus is on reducing prescriptions.
.....

Canada has the second highest per-capita use of opioids in the world, and opioid-related deaths here are more prevalent today than 10 years ago.
.....

Busse says some patients may be able to taper down quite a bit, or even discontinue taking opioids altogether. But he admits others will struggle and could suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms. In those cases, he says tapering could be paused, or abandoned.
...

He said there's always a concern that patients could simply go elsewhere to get their opioids.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-health-cmaj-guidelines-epidemic-mcmaster-university-1.4100833


The point of the last line is, prescription pain killers is the main reason for the current heroin addiction crisis. I'm glad Canada has recognized this and is acting - the' guidelines' are not much imo at the moment - but it's a start by recognizing that opioid addiction starts with a doctors prescription.