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Earth Child


Registered: 12/16/10
Posts: 3,473
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White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment
#14046658 - 03/01/11 02:07 AM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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The Obama administration has designated intravenous needle exchanges as a drug treatment program, allowing federal money set aside to treat addictions to be used to distribute syringes to narcotics users.
The change marks a dramatic shift in the argument over needle exchange programs. Two years ago President Obama lifted the 21-year ban on federally funded needle exchange programs as a necessary evil to reduce the spread of HIV among illicit drug users. The new position, determined by the surgeon general, is that the states can receive federal funding for programs that hand out the syringes as a treatment.
"It doesn't pass any serious test of rationality," said John P. Walters, the former drug czar under President George W. Bush. "It's like the surgeon general deciding that handing out lighters is a good way to help people to stop smoking. It's at least that absurd, and the consequences are even greater given the risks involved in IV drug use."
The notice was posted late Friday before the three-day Presidents Day weekend.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin told The Washington Examiner that needle exchange programs can serve as a gateway to treatment for drug addiction, HIV and other diseases.
"This determination, based on years of scientific research, will permit states and territories to use Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funds for what had formerly been termed 'needle exchange,' " Benjamin said.
The notice cited a 11-year-old study in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment that found that addicts who participated in needle exchanges were five times more likely to enter drug treatment.
Dr. Lisa Merlo, an University of Florida assistant professor of psychiatry and director of the Addiction Medicine Public Health Research Group, said individuals who attend needle exchange programs have significantly higher rates of participation in drug abuse treatment programs. Needle exchange programs refer many individuals to drug treatment programs who otherwise might not access those services, she said.
But Dr. Scott Teitelbaum, director of the University of Florida-run Florida Recovery Center, said, "Putting a needle in your arm is not recovery." Teitelbaum said he opposed taking money from legitimate treatment programs to pay for needle exchange.
Dr. Robert L. DuPont, president of the Institute for Behavior and Health in Rockville, said it's possible that addicts will seek treatment after getting clean syringes, but there are more cost-effective ways of getting drug users to seek treatment.
"If someone proposed giving free drinks to treat alcoholism, they'd be laughed out of the building," DuPont said. "But in the drug world, that's considered good science."
A more effective way is to spend the money to go into the shelters and communities hit hard by addictions and bring the addicts into treatment, said DuPont and other drug treatment experts.
Critics say the new policy is a step toward European-style treatment where the government provides the drugs and a clean room to inject them.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime-punishment/2011/02/white-house-moves-fund-needle-exchanges-drug-treatment
-------------------- Life is too short for this sorrow. You may be here today and gone tomorrow.
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withoutawire
hi


Registered: 08/16/09
Posts: 11,384
Loc: Honolulu, Hawaii
Last seen: 7 months, 16 days
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: Earth Child]
#14046709 - 03/01/11 02:30 AM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Psybe said: The Obama administration has designated intravenous needle exchanges as a drug treatment program, allowing federal money set aside to treat addictions to be used to distribute syringes to narcotics users.
Well if lighters spread diseases that are slowly killing people and costing tax payers a lot of money...douche bag
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ahchela
Tourist



Registered: 03/01/11
Posts: 399
Loc: Pacific North West
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: withoutawire]
#14046891 - 03/01/11 04:18 AM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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This is good news for shure, AIDs is a horrible fucking disease - much worse than any drug.
-------------------- Psychedelics will not give you a lobotomy, but tv will.
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downlowfunk
Retired Festival Veteran



Registered: 09/25/04
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: ahchela]
#14046951 - 03/01/11 04:51 AM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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OBama is a gay crack smoking addict. He needs 5-10 so he can be rehabilitated.
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orison
mcfluffysugarnuts


Registered: 01/19/09
Posts: 5,468
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: downlowfunk]
#14047506 - 03/01/11 09:11 AM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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stick the needles up your ass nigga! We want cannabis..
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ahchela
Tourist



Registered: 03/01/11
Posts: 399
Loc: Pacific North West
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: orison]
#14047922 - 03/01/11 10:56 AM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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how bout' lsd
-------------------- Psychedelics will not give you a lobotomy, but tv will.
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funkyjunky
Sigh Low Sippin'




Registered: 12/08/03
Posts: 420
Loc: brick city
Last seen: 10 years, 8 months
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: ahchela]
#14048172 - 03/01/11 12:07 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
ahchela said: This is good news for shure, AIDs is a horrible fucking disease - much worse than any drug.
Great news. I don't know what the ignorant posts are about?
Just because you (and I) don't use needles doesn't mean this won't positively affect us. Needle users do have unprotected sex with non-users, who could then transmit it to other non-users.
People shooting up will shoot up regardless of needle bans, at least now the rigs will be clean. Next step should follow Canada's heroin clinics, getting junkies off the streets, out of jails, and into rehab.
Very glad Obama took this step, even though I disagree with some of his other policies.
-------------------- Long Live the Shroomery Peace
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PeterGriffin467
Dirt Grub


Registered: 09/18/07
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: funkyjunky]
#14048233 - 03/01/11 12:24 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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While it is a good thing to do this they should put the money to better use and make methadone maintenance more affordable to people instead IMO that would be better.
-------------------- "I just need to check inside ya asshole SIR.... Asshole clear!"
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Run
Questioning my existance



Registered: 10/22/09
Posts: 488
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: PeterGriffin467]
#14048258 - 03/01/11 12:30 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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go junkies!Quote:
PeterGriffin467 said: While it is a good thing to do this they should put the money to better use and make methadone maintenance more affordable to people instead IMO that would be better.
Why methadone? why not more of a cleaner drug like Heroin or Opium to ween them off. Methadone has a horrible success rate, most people end up abusing it. But in Europe they give heroin to addicts as one user posted above
-------------------- You, me, this point in existence is undeniably so unique, we take everything for granite ,life , comprehension, feelings, thought, so accustomed to understanding that we've lost the meaning of fully understanding who we are..... we are the extra terrestrial, we are the unknown, we are the mystical...
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PeterGriffin467
Dirt Grub


Registered: 09/18/07
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: Run]
#14048278 - 03/01/11 12:33 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Because those type of drugs arent what they allow for maintenance in the US, if they were yeah that'd be nice but they arent so methadone and sub is all we get and they should fund the methadone or suboxone programs. Also quote me some statistics that methadone has a horrible success rate because that sounds like something you pulled out of your ass.
-------------------- "I just need to check inside ya asshole SIR.... Asshole clear!"
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withoutawire
hi


Registered: 08/16/09
Posts: 11,384
Loc: Honolulu, Hawaii
Last seen: 7 months, 16 days
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: PeterGriffin467]
#14048571 - 03/01/11 01:36 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Heroin and hydromorphone maintenance in europe costs about $10,000 a year while methadone costs in low $2000 range.
It is a financial motivation
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PeterGriffin467
Dirt Grub


Registered: 09/18/07
Posts: 6,647
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Re: White House moves to fund needle exchanges as drug treatment [Re: withoutawire]
#14049077 - 03/01/11 03:15 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Heroin and dilaudid wouldnt be good maintenance drugs IMO anyway, if you just wanna get high legaly then sure thatd be awesome but if you are someone that wants maintenance to make you feel normal again and maintained methadone is much better due to its long half life. Having to dose an opiate with a short half life multiple times a day would kind of defeat the purpose of feeling maintained.
-------------------- "I just need to check inside ya asshole SIR.... Asshole clear!"
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