Re Narcan ... Having it used on you should be a "come to Jesus" moment. But for a lot of people it seems to be taken instead as a "get out of death free" card. As Mrs B has put it, for those it takes away the bottom you have to hit before you really believe something has to change.
I don't know what the solution is ... but something needs to change.
Re going after the dealer, well. There's a thought! 🤔
Narcan -- the junkie's ipecac. Cures the symptom, not the problem. Voluntary and at least partially "enjoyable" Ingestion, inhalation, or injection is the problem.
What they don't mention is that Narcan puts the user immediately into withdrawal. Some (many?) users just go for another fix asap to fix the withdrawal symptoms.
I'm no expert, but I suspect that makes it easier to OD a second time.
Narcan doesn't remove the existing substances from the body, it just halts their acute effects. As you said, it puts the person into immediate withdrawal, but only the symptoms -- it's not a true withdrawal, in which the drugs have worked themselves out; after Narcan, the toxic substances are still there. Adding more by seeking another "fix" seems like it would quickly compound into a subsequent overdose.
I am very interested in seeing some actual numbers on this, if they exist.
That's all they do. It's a multi-billion dollar industry. There's no money in making people healthy, but there's plenty in making people dependent on substances that prolong the disease by making it more bearable (or less unbearable?) and then selling them that "cure".
Re Narcan ... Having it used on you should be a "come to Jesus" moment. But for a lot of people it seems to be taken instead as a "get out of death free" card. As Mrs B has put it, for those it takes away the bottom you have to hit before you really believe something has to change.
I don't know what the solution is ... but something needs to change.
Re going after the dealer, well. There's a thought! 🤔
Narcan -- the junkie's ipecac. Cures the symptom, not the problem. Voluntary and at least partially "enjoyable" Ingestion, inhalation, or injection is the problem.
What they don't mention is that Narcan puts the user immediately into withdrawal. Some (many?) users just go for another fix asap to fix the withdrawal symptoms.
I'm no expert, but I suspect that makes it easier to OD a second time.
Narcan doesn't remove the existing substances from the body, it just halts their acute effects. As you said, it puts the person into immediate withdrawal, but only the symptoms -- it's not a true withdrawal, in which the drugs have worked themselves out; after Narcan, the toxic substances are still there. Adding more by seeking another "fix" seems like it would quickly compound into a subsequent overdose.
I am very interested in seeing some actual numbers on this, if they exist.
Treating the disease is hard, treating the symptoms is easy.
Welcome to the modern pharmaceutical industry!
That's all they do. It's a multi-billion dollar industry. There's no money in making people healthy, but there's plenty in making people dependent on substances that prolong the disease by making it more bearable (or less unbearable?) and then selling them that "cure".
My heart of stone isn’t very enthusiastic about paying for any assistance to drug abusers.
Drug users are vioating all 4 of the Don't Do list
Don't Do:
Stupid sh*t - (Drugs)
with
Stupid people (other users, friends, family, or pushers)
in
Stupid places (well... anywhere)
at
Stupid times (anytime)
Narcan works well. I agree with "It's Just Boris" that way too many look at it as a "get out of death free" card.