Overdose prevention centers...Look! Squirrel!!

[coltle6920]

Coming soon to a community near you. Brought to you by elected officials whose practice is "anywhere but my backyard".

These Centers will supposedly be placed in Communities that will accept them. I'm guessing Denver and Boulder will be the first and probably the last to want them given their problems with crime and the homeless.

The thought process is bring your drugs to one of these clean Centers and someone will watch over you to make sure you don't OD. Clean needles provided at no cost. I guess that rehabilitating these folks is more expensive than just getting them out of the public eye and saying you solved the problem.

My question is what if someone does overdose and dies? Could there be any liability from the Center or do the bodies get tossed in the back alley?

This topic was in the news a few weeks ago and replaced when the issue of numerous gun laws took it's place.

 

[RobertJ.]

I'm guessing Denver and Boulder will be the first and probably the last to want them given their problems with crime and the homeless.

It sounds like something that right up Portland's alley!

 

[Rudi]

We are up to our ears in STUPID!!!!

 

[wood714]

Coming soon to a community near you. Brought to you by elected officials whose practice is "anywhere but my backyard".

These Centers will supposedly be placed in Communities that will accept them. I'm guessing Denver and Boulder will be the first and probably the last to want them given their problems with crime and the homeless.

The thought process is bring your drugs to one of these clean Centers and someone will watch over you to make sure you don't OD. Clean needles provided at no cost. I guess that rehabilitating these folks is more expensive than just getting them out of the public eye and saying you solved the problem.

My question is what if someone does overdose and dies? Could there be any liability from the Center or do the bodies get tossed in the back alley?

This topic was in the news a few weeks ago and replaced when the issue of numerous gun laws took it's place.

They can just go down to the local free Narcan vending machine! It really is a thing now.


U.S. Cities Installing Narcan Vending Machines - USA Mobile Drug Testing

 

[DWalt]

It sounds like something that right up Portland's alley!

Given what I see on the news, as soon as the pro-homeless activists set up all those homeless camps all over Portland, they will probably start something like this to go along with it. Something like an estimated 18K homeless in Oregon, nearly all probably in Portland.

 

[bigwheelzip]

I lived in Switzerland during the mid-80s when Zurich had it's infamous "Needle Park" public addict problems. They tried several heavy-handed solutions, unsuccessfully, to deal with the problem. In 1991, they took the pragmatic step of pioneering these supervised drug use centers. 32 years later, there should be plenty of data about the program's efficacy.

Edit: a recent article by a physician who helped create Switzerland's current drug addict policies. The Incredible Story of Z"urich's Journey to Harm Reduction

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

 

[SMSgt]

Do away with Narcan and let nature take its course.

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[jeffrefrig]

Drug addiction is really an expensive problem for us tax payers, and even more expensive for those who have lost children and other family members. Many of us have lost friends and family. Many of these programs are just a temporary extension on one’s life. I admit to experimenting with stuff back in the 70s, but I thank my maker I never “hit the big time” with the heavy stuff. Every drug addict has a different story pretty much, but most have the same ending. My sister- in- law lost two beautiful girls in less than a year. I know too many people who’ve died or have mush for brains to get into it. The pan handlers are all over PGH with cardboard signs. They aren’t hungry for food. Sadly, post #7 has some merit. Jim Morrison had a 149 IQ, according to a book by
Ray Manzarek, but that didn’t keep him off the bad stuff & alcohol. These needle exchange programs make the well-meaning community leaders feel good about themselves, as well as the drug monitoring civic centers’ employees, but at the end of the day they sleep good at night while the junkies’ are trying to figure out how they are going to get their next dose. Listen to John Kay’s version of the Hoyt Axton penned Snowblind Friend. It’s pretty much spot on. These people “want heaven but praying’s too slow.” I’m not smart enough to come up with answers, but I hope someday someone will do more than just feel-good bandaids. Sorry for the drag on blah blah blah. My baby sister would’ve been 60 on the 13th of March.
I love you all…
Jeff Taylor, PGH PA

 

[Skeet 028]

I knew too many who destroyed their lives as well as their families lives in many cases. Never done illegal drugs...alcohol when a teenager...quit drinking at 20. 2 cousins gone. another still a user. All drugs are a problem...yes even marijuana and alcohol about every drugger I ever knew or met started with both of those substances. Talking to a friend from Delaware 2 frequent flyer visits with Narcan deliveries is supposedly 3rd time is enemy action...let nature take irs course...don't know how it's turning out

 

[SMSgt]

I was amazed at the number of repeat visits an EMT said he had given Narcan to some "victims". I think he said one individual was up to five.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Skeet 028 is spot on with the drug abusers starting out on pot & booze from everyone that I know/knew who were full blown junkies, and I might add that those whose parents allowed them to smoke tobacco in junior high on up (not all, of course, but many). Sometimes, tough love needs to kick in at an early age; after high school it's probably too late. Even 6 months in the county "hotels" isn't enough deterrent for many. This dinosaur tranquilizer they add to the smack isn't helping matters, either, but it's decreasing the abusers one OD at a time.
My friend's son was found unresponsive with the needle still in his arm. He was dead just long enough to cause permanent brain damage. Now he's a walking zombie for the rest of his life.

 

[AJ]

Do away with Narcan and let nature take its course.

I agree with SMSgt. Have seen them come into the hospital and get well and then go back and do it again. Of course they can not pay the bill, so it is paid by the Government (Medicaid) or written off by the provider. Taxpayers are who gets hosed in the form of our tax money being spent on them, or in higher bills to make up for the losses. Sad to see, but they do not want to get straight and stay that way. Sooner or later nature does take it's course.

 

[LVSteve]

Letting the druggies OD themselves is the only chance we have of putting the cartels out of business.

 

[Skeet 028]

I actually had a couple threaten me if I Narcan'd 'em. They paid for the "high" and they wanted to "enjoy" it. Our protocol was to Narcan them. If was also protocol to CPR still "warm" victims when we arrived. Sometimes it is just not...the right thing to do. We sometimes did a song and dance while in public view. BTW...I never removed a needle...taped it in place...evidence

 

[woodsltc]

Overdose prevention center !! ............ Hmmmm, seems like another case of treating the symptom instead of the disease . JMO.

Don

 

[Skeet 028]

The average person doesn't realize the cost of just 1 visit to the emergency room "saving" another person who just doesn't want "saving". I had one patient who I gave narcan 4 times before they checked out. She had been a beautiful gal. I bought our drugs for quite a few years. Narcan was expensive. I finally changed to replacing supplies at the hospital pharmacy. Government paid the bill...but saved my budget...even though the government still paid either way. Medical stuff is expensive