Pubdate: Tue, 23 Jul 2013
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2013 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html
Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Alida Fernhout
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n349/a03.html

FATAL COMBO

There is no way you can go to Insite and buy heroin. Participants are 
not even allowed to pass a piece of gum to their friend inside 
Insite, never mind share or buy drugs from one another. I've worked 
there as a nurse.

Cory Monteith likely died from an overdose because he was fresh from 
rehab and hadn't used in some time. We call this "opioid naive" - the 
body is no longer used to the amount of drugs one used when in the 
peak of addiction. Monteith likely thought: "I'll just do two papers 
for old time's sake," not realizing his body could no longer handle 
that much. Added to even a small amount of alcohol - both heroin and 
alcohol are central nervous system depressants - you have a fatal combination.

Licia Corbella's anecdotal story of a woman not being able to find 
heroin once does not immediately result in "there is no heroin in 
other Canadian cities." Addiction is a disease and needs to be 
treated as such. Insite and the associated services recognize this, 
which is why entry into detox and treatment have risen significantly 
since Insite opened. More people are off drugs because they were able 
to use drugs in a safe and trusting environment.

Alida Fernhout, RN, Vancouver
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