NYC Funded a Guidebook for Heroin Users

New York City funded a guidebook for heroin users that gives detailed instructions on how to prepare drugs for injection and how to limit risks of infection. The guidebook has the DEA all up in arms about the "Take Charge Take Care" guide; the DEA special agent-in-charge John Gilbride commented on the handbook to the Associated Press, claiming the handout was a "step-by-step instruction on how to inject a poison". This revolutionary guidebook will certainly set precedence for any other state health agencies to get approval for similar handbooks. The DEA must think that giving instruction on safe injections will further addiction, ultimately leading people down a worse road than they were already on.

However, the NYC guidebook "Take Charge Take Care" will help facilitate in the battle of infectious diseases. Not to mention the amount of taxpayers' dollars that will be saved by helping avoid infection, thus keeping addicts away from emergency rooms. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene printed about 70,000 copies of the controversial guidebook with the hope saving lives. The combination of needle exchanges and the new guidebook will certainly show positive results. Assistant Commissioner Daliah Heller said to the AP, instructions on how to perform injections were included because there's "a less harmful way to inject." Education is the greatest weapon against drug addiction despite how contrary it may seem at times.

Addicts caught in the depths of despair often feel like there is no option available and that they will die at the hands of their addiction. Providing addicts the opportunity to acquire clean needles, instruction on injecting, and free HIV tests will help facilitate many addicts in finding treatment. That is the ultimate goal of the creators of the new guidebook - help people help themselves!

I encourage you to watch the short video below. The video echoes some of the common misconceptions about heroin users. The fact is that many heroin users do not know how to correctly inject drugs which causes terrible health issues both short and long term. There are a lot of people damning Mayor Bloomberg's decision to approve the guidebook; but, in the end this guidebook will do more good than harm.

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Buju Banton Arrested Trying to Distribute Five Kilograms of Cocaine

Another famous musician has got themselves caught up in the drug business. The world renowned reggae artist, Buju Banton, was arrested with two other people allegedly trying to distribute five kilograms of cocaine. Buju Banton (real name is Mark Anthony Myrie), has been in U.S. federal custody in Miami since Thursday. The Associated Press reports, "Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman David Melenkevitz said Sunday that Banton was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. The charge stems from a DEA case in Tampa". One has to wonder why a reggae star, like Buju Banton, would get caught up in the distribution of cocaine of any amount.

On April 5, 2004, Banton was fined $9000 for drug possession and cultivation of cannabis; two mature marijuana plants were found in his studio. Banton's defense was that he had just got back from a tour and the plants were there. It is clear that Banton had a history with drugs, but, two marijuana plants is a far cry from 5 kilos of cocaine. "Gargamel Music Incorporated (Banton's label) has announced loyal support for Banton, real name Mark Anthony Myrie, who was arrested December 10 on federal drug conspiracy charges", according to BET. Buju Banton will have help from one of the top law firms in the country, the legal aid will come in the form of David Oscar Markus. Markus defended the former Panama military dictator Manuel Noriega, so it is fair to say that Marcus is known for high-profile drug cases.

It is not clear yet which direction this case will head, there still are many facts that will need to be considered. It appears that Banton has a long trial ahead of him and there are many people who are against Banton and what he stands for. We will keep you updated as to the progress of this trial.

Nursing Home Residents Who Need Pain Drugs

The war on drugs has totally disrupted the health care system in America. Patients and seniors in long-term-care facilities are having trouble getting pain medication; serious delays are causing needless suffering. A number of staff members working in nursing homes steal the patients pain medication to sell or use; the DEA in response now requires doctor's signatures along with a sleuth of other approvals when pain medication is ordered. The Washington Post reports that lawmakers have become concerned and, "wrote to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. this month, urging that the Obama administration issue new directives to the DEA and support a possible legislative fix for the problem, which has bothered nursing home administrators and geriatric experts for years". There doesn't seem to be an easy solution to this problem; on the one hand there are not enough doctors to be around every nursing home at all times, on the other a serious number of prescription pain medications such as: morphine, Oxycontin, Percocet, and Vicodin are being stolen. How to secure the distribution of opiates and provide nursing home residents who need pain drugs in a timely matter is the question?

Pharmacies that provide pain medication to nurses without all the approvals in order face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. "The system is broken. It isn't working, and patients are suffering," said Claudia Schlosberg, director of policy and advocacy for the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. "While we need to ensure there are proper controls on the medications, the overall law enforcement concern has to be compatible with meeting patients' needs, and right now it's not", according to the Washington Post. Scholsberg has a good point, patients' rights need to prevail over all else, there obviously needs to be some restrictions but they can't get in the way of a patients' well being. Nobody would want their loved ones to suffer while in the care of someone else, it just is not acceptable.

It does not seem right that the war on pain has to suffer from the war on drugs; I guess that is war though, they are usually not fair. Nurses and doctors cannot effectively manage their patients' pain as a result of the Drug Enforcement Agencies strict policies. Hopefully, a compromise can be found that will stop all the delays and still monitor the drugs in order to keep them off the streets.