Key Facts

Provided below is a reference to the various drugs available out there (Source: From Grief to Action). This is only a brief (very brief) desciption of each drug, and there are more complexities than listed below. For more information, visit www.ftga.ca.

Alcohol

What it is: a depressant which slows down parts of the brain and nervous system

Effects: reduced concentration; slurred speech; blurred vision; lack of coordination and judgement; increased aggression; possible brain damage; possible overdose/unconsciousness; liver damage; heart/blood disorders; stomach inflammation; impotence; menstrual irregularity

Cannabis (marijuana, weed, pot, dope, grass, ganja, hashish)

What it is: a short name for the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa; what causes the high is the chemical called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)

Effects: a feeling of well-being and lethargy; tendency to talk and laugh more; reddening of the eyes; impaired coordination; reduced concentration; lack of perception of time, sound, and colour; feelings of excitement, anxiety, paranoia, and confusion

Cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride, coke, blow, snow, flake)

What it is: a central nervous system stimulant, derived from leaves of coco plants; floods the brain with dopamine, a natural occuring neurotransmitter

Effects: feeling of euphoria and wellbeing; increased alertness and energy; increased confidence; reduced appetite; increased heart rate and body temperature; enlarged pupils; increased aggressive behaviour; inability to judge risks; headaches; dizziness; restlessness; loss of concentration; lack of motivation; heart pain; heart attack; nose bleeds; cocaine psychosis (hyperactivity, delusions)

Ecstasy (MDMA-MetheleneDioxyMethAmphetamine, XTC, MDM, E, X)

What it is: a synthetic drug that stimulates the central nervous system, often sold  in tablet or powder form

Effects: increased feelings of self-confidence and well being; rise in blood pressure and body temperature; increased pulse rate; jaw clenching; teeth grinding; sweating; dehydration; nausea; anxiety; hallucinations; irrational behaviour; vomitting; convulsions; loss of appetite, insomnia, depression, muscle aches, loss of concentration

Heroin (smack, horse, dope, rocks, shit, down, gear)

What it is: a central nervous system depressant which comes from the opium poppy; usually comes in powder form

Effects: dull perceptions of pain and fear; slow breathing; reduced body temperature; nausea; vommitting; itching; constipation; damaged veins, heart and lungs; irregular menstruation; infertility; impotence

Inhalants (glues, aerosols, liquid paper thinners, butane gas, nitrous oxide, gasoline)

What it is: solvents that depress the central nervous system

Effects: feelings of excitement and relaxation; loss of coordination; disorientation; increased fear; blackouts; mild hallucinations

Methadone

What it is: a depressant drug that slows brain or central nervous system activity; does not produce a high, but used to help stabilize those who are dependent on heroin-like opiates

Effects: sweating; constipation; lowered sex drive; aching muscles and joints; itchy skin; suppression of appetite; stomach pain; nausea; vommitting

Methamphetamine (meth, crystal, jib, speed, ice, crank, glass, tweak, sketch, tina, yaba, shabu)

What it is: a synthetic central nervous system stimulant, usually sold in forms of tablets, capsules, chunks, powders, crystals, and glass shards

Effects: there are many effects of meth, which could not all be listed here, but some effects are irritability; tooth grinding; insomnia; restlessness; anxiety; panic; headache; jaw clenching; decreased fatigue; extreme weightloss; seizures; respiratory depression; convulsions; kidney and heart failure; confusion; paranoia; violence; memory loss

Psychedelics (hallucinogens such as magic mushrooms, peyote cactus, LSD/acid)

What it is: a group of drugs that can change a person’s perception, which makes them see or hear things that do not exist

Effects: changes in thought, sense of time and mood; anxiety; fear; loss of control; inability to concentrate; abnormally rapid heart beat; raised blood pressure; depression; psychosis

Keeping the Door Open: Dialogues on Drug Use

Keeping the Door Open (KDO) brings together different dialogues to bring more awareness and discussion to various substance abuse problems. It is basically a site that provides different resources if one was looking for more information or was looking to discuss different issues like self-injection sites and criminalization. Different speakers (locally, nationally, and internationally) are brought to different venues in order to engage others, by sharing their own stories and insights. The site brings together people from different spectrums including drug users, their friends and family, police officers, elected officials, business people, and the local community.

I found the site interesting as they bring up a broad range of issues to discuss. I particularly like the fact that it recognizes the complexity of addiction and its (often) attachment to mental illnesses and trauma. The event that caught my eye the most was the one held most recently in March/April of 2008- Rethinking Treatment: Recognising and Responding to the Spectrum of Substance Use. This event discusses the fact treatment is currently being provided with “enormous and unrealistic time pressures by inadequately trained staff and does not follow established best practices.” I believe that in fact treatment is provided under unrealistic time pressures and many do not recognize (or understand) that the battle with addiction is one that lasts a lifetime.

It is easy to present facts about addiction but it’s another story when trying to engage others in the process of analyzing how to make it more effective. This is a good site for those who are willing to talk about the issues and are ready to begin creating innovative ways of solving the problem.

Onsite: Insite’s detox floor

Onsite is an addition to Insite where the injection users can turn to should they ever decide to quit using. It is located on the second floor of the same building, and consists of 12 detoxification rooms (each with its own bathroom). The facility also includes a common room and kitchen, and is staffed with nurses, doctors, and counsellors for their various services. Onsite incorporates a methadone program and enforces standard rules; like any other detox facility, drug use is prohibited and can result in withdrawal from the program.

I feel that the addiction of Onsite to Insite reinforces the goals of this organization. As I have stated in one of my previous posts (CBC’s Fifth Estate: “Staying Alive”), the point of Insite is not to encourage or increase drug use, but to ensure that the drug users are safe and directed away from crime and disease. Those who are looking for a way out can finally be a step closer to it-or in this case, a flight of stairs closer. In addition, up another flight of stairs is a temporary shelter which houses 18 rooms, for those who need a night away from the madness on the streets, or have nowhere else to go. When I discovered this, I questioned whether many drug users overstay their welcome at Onsite; however, I quickly answered my own question when I re-evaluated the power of addiction. I feel that many users probably do not stay long; instead they are probably already looking for the next fix first thing in the morning.

I am not sure whether these resources are adequate for the number of users out there; 12 detox beds and 18 temporary shelter beds seem like a small number, but you have to start somewhere. If all of those detox rooms are filled, there is potential that there are 12 less users on the street, and therefore potential of getting 12 users off the streets and off the drugs (though this may be unlikely because of relapse, one cannot help but think of the best case senario.) Even if half of those users stayed clean, it is a start. If you don’t offer anything at all, then nothing is done (sounds redundant, but true). And sometimes the power of suggestion goes a long way.

Addiction: a choice or a disease?

It is often argued whether addiction is considered a choice or a disease. Some say that people choose the addiction, therefore they can choose to end the addiction. Some say addicts have no choice, that the addiction takes over and becomes a disease that one now has to battle.

What is addiction? According to www.dictionary.com, addiction is:

“the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.”

One doen’t choose to be enslaved in such a horrendous feeling; however, one does choose the step of doing the drug in the first place. One choose the drug (or addiction I guess you can say) of choice and chooses to move forward with doing that drug while fully knowing the the consequences for it.

But once that whirlwind begins, can one just simply choose to leave it? I don’t think it’s that easy. At this point there are pyschological and physical dependencies, and usually a lack of resources to get back on the right track. One can no longer think straight or be physically well without the drug-is that really a choice?

I think addiction involves both choice and disease. Like I said previously, the involvement with the drug is by choice. One often turns to drugs in order to cope with trauma, loss, and pressure; however, we all know that drugs is not the only answer. Many choose to deal with the above factors in a completely differently light, and therefore choose not to be involved with addiction. The addiction itself- the dependency factors (once developed) is where I think the disease lies. The inability to make rational, sober choices is due to a malfunctions in different organs, taking the choice away from the drug user. The lack of resources (e.g., a home, money, counselling) also takes away the ability for the drug user to battle his or her disease.

Take for example another disease, let’s say lung cancer. If you were a smoker, and found out you had lung cancer, yet could not afford any treatment for it, would you really quit now knowing that you were going to die in a few months anyway?

Addiction is a controversial issue and I believe that while it is a disease, there are many choices that are presented along the way. It is how one interprets these options and whether he or she chooses the way out. But sometimes, when there is nothing or no one there to help you, you let the disease take over. The hopelessness, the despair, that is the disease. It is powerful and heavy; many think they are invincible from catching this disease and only think twice it’s too late.

CBC News: The Fifth Estate- “Staying Alive”

(Thanks Graham for bringing my attention to this episode; it was really interesting to watch and gave me a lot of perspective on the topic.)

Before watching this particular Fifth Estate episode, I really didn’t have a strong stand on whether Insite was a good or bad idea. I had heard arguments from both sides- and saw the justfication in both. After watching the brief 40- minute presentation, I still see the justification of both sides; however, I did manage to gather more thoughts on it.

The point in Insite is not to encourage drug users to shoot up; in my opinion, drug users do not need encouragement to do drugs, they are already physically and psychology addicted, which means they are going to shoot up whether there is or isn’t a safe place for it.  Insite provides that environment for them, and ensures that these drug users are using clean needles and not overdosing. In the video I saw staff walking around, checking on each user to make sure he or she is still alive and breathing.

Who is there to do that if these drug users are left to inject on the street?

Without the proper resources, users are forced to share needles (or even pick them off the street) in order to get their next fix. Some are afraid to sleep at night in fear that they will be robbed, which turns them to more drugs in order to stay awake throughout the night. Although Insite does not provide housing, they put forward their best efforts in order to help those who are seeking it. Darwin Fisher, the Intake Manager, is continuously making phone calls to help set up housing and doctor’s appointments. He even walks around Vancouver when he feels he hasn’t seen a particular user in awhile, to make sure that he or she is still alive.

Watching this video only scratched the surface in my knowledge of this topic; however, there is a lot more to it and many opinions for and against it. In my eyes, addiction will exist even if Insite were to shut down; and the problem then would be increased disease, crime, and homelessness. Users do not wake up and decide to stop using just because there is no place or materials for it. That is the power of addiction; it will take you to places you’ve never seen to do things you would never imagine doing. Insite is simply providing a service so that users do not have cross that line, in hopes of bringing them some hope and resources to get out of the drug world.

Supervised Injection Sites: Yay or Nay?

Companies like Insite provides accessibility to (injection) drug users who have poor access to health care services. This group of people include those who:

• Use more than one drug
• Have both an addiction and mental illness
• Have a history of trauma
• Are homeless
• Live in shelters/substandard housing
• Are of Aboriginal descent
• Have tried to beat their drug addiction previously but were unsuccessful

Many view this program as beneficial because it ensures safe drug use (no sharing needles = less spread of diseases such as HIV), as well as decreased drug related crime rates. However, some may view it differently. What are your views? Do you think this program is beneficial to drug users?

What do you do?

The drug abuse in the Downtown Eastside is a social problem that has led to the formation of other social problems. The money spent on drug addiction can mean the sacrifice of meals, clothes, and shelter.  The lack of resources can lead to various crimes-theft, breaking and entering, burglary, the list goes on. We see evidence of this on the streets of Vancouver, where many people panhandle in order to get a few dollars for their next meal.

So when those panhandlers ask you for money, what do you do? Do you hold back because you know that the money you give them may be spent on drugs? Do you give them the money, having faith that they will really spend it on food? How do you feel? (Like you are doing enough, or not enough?)