INJECTING ROOM – FAILURE ON MAJOR OBJECTIVES WHILE INCREASING CRIME
(what the recent injecting room review actually said)
The recently released review of the North Richmond Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR) evaluated the performance of the facility against its six legislated objectives, with the review’s own data and comments demonstrating failure on five of the six objectives, despite rosier media reports indicating otherwise. The facility has also been associated with increases in drug-related crime.
The review records the following regarding its six objectives:
- Reduce discarded needles on streets – “Local people record no difference in seeing discarded injecting equipment” (p 76 of the review)
- Improve public amenity – “significantly fewer residents and business respondents reported feeling safe walking alone during the day and after dark due to concerns about violence and crime . . . “ (p 85). DFA notes that the review’s cited (small) reductions in reported sightings of public injecting (p xx) are clearly countered by increases in publicly discarded injecting equipment (p xx) which inevitably indicates increased public injecting. Policing crackdowns during daytime increased night-time injecting (p 71), when public injecting is less likely to be observed by local residents or businesses.
- Reduce the spread of blood-borne viruses – “There is not a significant difference between MSIR service users and other people who inject drugs in reporting that they had injected with someone’s used needle/syringe in the previous month.” (p 100)
- Referrals to treatment and other services – “in the first year of operation (the MSIR) has not demonstrated higher levels of service take-up for MSIR users as compared with other people who use drugs.” (p 48).
- Reduce heroin deaths – Figure 17 on p 45 of the review shows that there were 12 heroin deaths within 1 km of the MSIR the year before it opened, and 13 the year after. Figure 19 on p 47 shows that for the top 5 Local Government Areas for heroin deaths in Melbourne there was a cumulative 65 deaths before the MSIR opened and 67 in its first year. Clearly there is no observable reduction in heroin deaths in Melbourne or North Richmond in its first year of operation. Furthermore, had the 112,831 heroin injections in the MSIR over 18 months happened on the streets of North Richmond, there would, according to Australian statistics, have been only one death to be expected, indicating that the MSIR spent $6 million to save only one life, an extremely expensive failure.
- Reduce ambulance and hospital attendances – On the streets of Melbourne, 112,831 opiate injections would have produced 26 overdoses, (25 non-fatal and 1 fatal) according to an important Australian study (see p 59). Of these 19 would likely have been attended by an ambulance. Comparing 18 months before and after, the MSIR would therefore have reduced ambulance callouts by just 5%. Yet the review egregiously claims reductions of 36%, which were clearly due to heightened police operations arresting drug dealers in the vicinity of the MSIR, sending drug dealers elsewhere to ply their trade. Because users most often overdose near where they bought their drugs (p 83), ambulance callouts were clearly the result of policing, which nullifies (see footnote on p 67) the review’s spurious claims regarding callouts. Additionally, analysis of heroin OD presentations at nearby St Vincent’s Hospital “found that the number of heroin overdose cases did not change significantly after the facility opened.” (p 74)
Adding to the failure against objectives listed above, police complained of increasing crime around the MSIR, and residents of a honey-pot effect where drug dealers were drawn to the streets outside the MSIR.
Drug Free Australia will call on Premiers Andrews and Berejiklian to explain to the public why their respective injecting rooms, which are clearly accessory to local drug trades, should receive any further funding. 99% of Australians, according to the largest Australian drug survey, do not approve heroin use.
Gary Christian
RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Drug Free Australia
0422 163 141
18 June 2020
DFA Brief to Parliamentarians - $6 million spent to save only one life
Our Vision: To support and educate young people, their families and communities to prevent the damage caused by drugs
INJECTING ROOM - ONLY ONE LIFE SAVED IN 18 MONTHS
The recently released review of the North Richmond Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR) claims that the facility has saved 21-27 lives in its first 18 months of operation, but the claim is falsified by actual increases in opiate deaths in the vicinity of the injecting room, along with increased deaths across the top Local Government Areas for opiate deaths in Melbourne.
Drug Free Australia notes that there is very well established data from Australia’s most prominent illicit drug researchers indicating that one in every 100 dependent opiate users will die each year of an overdose. With dependent heroin users injecting at least three times a day (see p 58), there is, in Australia, one death for every 109,500 injections (three injections per user per day x 365 days in a year x 100 users for one fatality in that 109,500 total).
Yet over its first 18 months, the MSIR hosted only 112,831 opiate injections in 18 months, which is close to the 109,500 injections causing a fatality anywhere in Australia. What this means is that the MSIR is not capable of even saving one life per year for its $4 million per year of funding from the Victorian Government.
Claims in the MSIR review of 21-27 lives saved are clearly false. In the year before the July 2018 opening of the MSIR, there were 12 deaths within 1 kilometre of the MSIR, while in its first year of operation there were 13 deaths. In the top 5 LGA’s for drug deaths in Melbourne – Yarra, Brimbank, Melbourne, Port Phillip and Greater Dandenong – there were 65 opiate deaths in 2017/18, but 67 in the year after the MSIR opened (all mortality figures contained in the MSIR review). This is precisely the same scenario as with the Kings Cross injecting room, which showed no impact whatsoever on community-level deaths. The Sydney facility had only 55,000 opiate injections, which likewise made it incapable of saving even one life per year, rather taking two years to do so at a cost of $3 million per annum.
Drug Free Australia notes the problems with the reviewers’ manipulative estimates - the researchers have clearly calculated their ‘lives saved’ estimates from the immense number of overdoses in the MSIR, which are a full 100 times greater** than anywhere on the streets of Australia. We would simply ask Parliamentarians to ask any Science 101 lecturer anywhere in this country whether you can make reliable estimates on lives saved without first comparing overdose rates in the facility with rates of overdose on the streets – particularly when clients of the facility only average 2 in every 60 injections per month in the MSIR and 58 of 60 injections per month on the street. This makes the review’s estimates either fraudulent or inept, and the mortality data from North Richmond and the various Melbourne LGAs prove it so.
Look for Drug Free Australia’s next media Brief on how the Melbourne MSIR has driven up crime, public injecting and discarded needles in the North Richmond area.
** The review records 2,657 overdoses in 18 months for less than 113,000 opiate injections in the MSIR. There has been a lot of research on overdose within this country indicating that for every 109,500 opiate injections we can expect 24 non-fatal overdoses and one fatal one, a statistic that was a centrepiece of the Kings Cross injecting room’s first review (see p 59). There should have been around 26 overdoses per 113,000 injections rather than 2,657.
Media Contact
Drug Free Research Director
Contact: Gary Christian –0422 163 141, (02) 4362 9839
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Feeling burned: The first year of legal cannabis has been a complete disaster for investors
https://business.financialpost.com/cannabis/cannabis-business/cannabis-investing/feeling-burned-the-first-year-of-legal-cannabis-has-been-a-complete-disaster-for-investors?video_autoplay=true&fbclid=IwAR0rqFUkB8vLUAddECl5A5noKLoQjoJIHFuzNfJR1xhwIql-sj03XMT83wo
Shares of the 10 largest Canadian cannabis producers have been bludgeoned, yielding an average negative return of more than 57%.
It does appear that Greed is one of the top motivating factors in this Industry.
Kerlow points to the CannTrust scandal as a “tipping point” that placed a stigma on the entire industry. The Vaughn, Ont.-based licensed producer was found to be growing cannabis in unlicensed rooms by Health Canada and has had multiple licences suspended as a result. The investigation and the stock’s collapse have shown investors just how much money they can lose by betting on the sector.
https://business.financialpost.com/cannabis/canntrust-promotional-video-featured-ceo-standing-in-front-of-unlicensed-room-former-employee-claims
Those five rooms, which were not identified in the statement, only received Health Canada licensing in April 2019, two months after the video was published on YouTube.
In an interview with the Post on the day CannTrust announced it was being investigated by Health Canada, Aceto was directly asked if he knew that cannabis was being grown in unlicensed parts of the Pelham facility. “It is a question I have thought about a lot,” he said at the time. ”Getting to understand what happened here is a priority.”
When asked about the video, CannTrust responded with a statement attributed to Robert Marcovitch, a member of the company’s special committee which was appointed by the board earlier this week to investigate the unlicensed growing at Pelham.
The Pot Industry is blaming the Canada Government for not getting anything right e.g. giving out 120 License to much hype.
Looking closely at the Canada model both Australian and New Zealand sadly are going down this same path.
Kind Regards
Herschel Baker
Director Drug Free Australia (Queensland Branch)
International Liaison Director,
Unit 30 23 Macadamia Drive
Maleny Qld 4552
0412988835
Prevent.
Don't Promote Drug Use.
www.drugfree.org.au
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Hello
Australia and New Zealand TGA and food safety committees also need to take very serious notice of CBD products being sold here.
FDA Warns Companies Illegally Selling CBD Products to Treat Medical Conditions, Opioid Addiction
For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2020
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warns-companies-illegally-selling-cbd-products-treat-medical-conditions-opioid-addiction
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to two companies for illegally selling unapproved products containing cannabidiol (CBD) in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). This action is a continuation of the FDA’s efforts to pursue companies that illegally market CBD products with claims that they can treat medical conditions, including opioid addiction or as an alternative to opioids.
“The opioid crisis continues to be a serious problem in the United States, and we will continue to crack down on companies that attempt to benefit from selling products with unfounded treatment claims,” said FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D. “CBD has not been shown to treat opioid addiction. Opioid addiction is a real problem in our country, and those who are addicted need to seek out proper treatment from a health care provider. There are many unanswered questions about the science, safety, effectiveness and quality of unapproved products containing CBD, and we will continue to work to protect the health and safety of American consumers from products that are being marketed in violation of the law.”
The two warning letters were issued to:
- BIOTA Biosciences, LLC of Washington state for marketing and distributing injectable CBD products as well as an injectable curcumin product. These products are marketed for serious diseases and as an alternative to opioids. BIOTA Biosciences markets private label CBD and wholesale CBD extracts, and their products include beverages, bulk CBD extracts, and water soluble CBD, as well as injectable curcumin.
- Homero Corp DBA Natures CBD Oil Distributionof New Hampshire for marketing and distributing CBD products as a treatment to opioid addiction as well as other serious diseases. The firm is an own label distributor for CBD products as well as a retailer for Green Roads CBD products.
Under the FD&C Act, any product intended to treat a disease or otherwise have a therapeutic or medical use, and any product (other than a food) that is intended to affect the structure or function of the body of humans or animals, is a drug. The FDA has not approved any CBD products other than one prescription human drug product to treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy.
Unlike drugs approved by the FDA, there has been no FDA evaluation of whether these unapproved products are effective for their intended use, what the proper dosage might be, how they could interact with FDA-approved drugs, or whether they have dangerous side effects or other safety concerns. In addition, the manufacturing process of unapproved CBD drug products has not been subject to FDA review as part of the human or animal drug approval processes. Consumers may also put off getting important medical care, such as proper diagnosis, treatment and supportive care due to unsubstantiated claims associated with CBD products. For that reason, it’s important that consumers talk to a health care professional about the best way to treat diseases or conditions with existing, approved treatment options.
In March, the FDA provided updates on its work related to CBD products with a focus on protecting public health and providing market clarity. The FDA continues to be concerned that some people wrongly think that the myriad of CBD products on the market have been evaluated by the FDA and determined to be safe, or that using CBD “can’t hurt.” The FDA remains focused on educating the public about the number of questions that remain regarding CBD’s safety. There may be risks that need to be considered before using CBD products outside of the monitored setting of a prescription from your health care provider.
The FDA has requested responses from the companies within 15 working days stating how they will correct the violations. Failure to correct the violations promptly may result in legal action, including product seizure and/or injunction.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
Media:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
301-796-6248
Consumer:
888-INFO-FDA
Kind Regards
Herschel Baker
Director Drug Free Australia (Queensland Branch)
International Liaison Director,
Unit 30 23 Macadamia Drive
Maleny Qld 4552
0412988835
Prevent.
Don't Promote Drug Use.
www.drugfree.org.au
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
UK DISCOURAGING MEDICAL CANNABIS FOR CHRONIC PAIN
The UK has recently recommended against medical cannabis being prescribed for chronic pain, recognising the poor results for medical cannabis as seen in the 2018 review of 104 journal studies of Chronic non-Cancer Pain (CNCP) comprising almost 9,958 patients.
The extensive review concluded, “It seems unlikely that cannabinoids are highly effective medicines for CNCP. . . . We also found minimal evidence that cannabinoids are effective in improving other important domains in people with CNCP such as emotional and physical functioning. Cannabinoids are unlikely to be a monotherapy for CNCP.”
Drug Free Australia has sent this information to the Federal Senate Inquiry looking into Australian access to medical cannabis. It has given evidence to the same Inquiry that recreational cannabis users in the US most commonly use the ruse of pain to legally access medical cannabis in those states where recreational use of cannabis has not been legalised but where medical cannabis is available. 90-94% of medical cannabis patients in various US states access medical cannabis for chronic pain.[iv] When profiles for regular chronic pain patients are compared to the profiles of US medical cannabis patients they are sharply different. A majority of chronic pain patients are women mostly in their 80s while men are in their 60s.[v] Medical cannabis chronic pain patients are 75% men with an average 32 years of age, mostly having commenced cannabis use as teenagers.[vi] This suggests that medical cannabis for most is just a cheap form of recreational use accessed by ruse. Doctors, of course, cannot objectively verify chronic pain, relying on a patient’s subjective descriptions. It appears that the majority of Australian applications to the TGA for access to medical cannabis are for pain, raising questions as to whether large numbers of Australians are using the same ruse here for ‘legalised’ use.
The UK population is more educated than Australians about the harms of cannabis use due to their televised media being willing to publicise scientific findings such as this Lancet study which found that 30% of all new London psychosis diagnoses were caused by high strength cannabis, with 50% for Amsterdam. This has led to the UK government taking a more cautious approach to medical cannabis dissemination.
Drug Free Australia also submitted evidence from enquiries made of a number of medical cannabis clinics in Sydney, asking whether there was difficulty getting TGA applications approved for rare and unusual conditions which medical cannabis might alleviate. Last year, Channel 7’s Sunday Night Program had urged governments to legalise the recreational use of cannabis in Australia on the grounds that certain medical conditions were unable to access medical cannabis. Both clinics agreed in September, the month after the Channel 7 program went to air, that there were no known impediments to the TGA approving such applications, particularly since Federal and State medical cannabis requirements had been rationalised and streamlined. It is evident that activists promoting legal recreational cannabis use are using misinformation about medical cannabis as their pathway to cannabis legalisation in this country.
Gary Christian
RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Drug Free Australia
0422 163 141
[iv] Arizona Department of Health Services (Apr. 14, 2011-Nov. 7, 2012) Arizona Medical Marijuana Act Monthly Report, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (Dec. 31, 2012) Medical Marijuana Registry Program Update, Oregon Health Authority (Oct. 1, 2014) "Oregon Medical Marijuana Program Statistics
[v] Blyth et al. “Chronic PainAustralia: A prevalence study" (Jan. 2001) Pain
[vi] https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7517-4-16
