Our Tax Dollars at Work [Hepatitis C]

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From: Waterspider on 3 Jan 2008 03:18

B.C. to supply addicts with crack-pipe mouthpieces
By Kate Webb, The Province
Published: Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Crack-pipe mouthpieces are soon to join syringes, alcohol swabs and water
vials on the list of free supplies distributed by the B.C. government to
drug users.

Starting as early as April, the Ministry of Health will set aside funding
for pieces of sterile surgical tubing that can be attached to the end of a
crack pipe. The two-to-five-centimetre mouthpieces will be available upon
request to B.C.'s five health authorities, the goal being to prevent the
spread of communicable diseases such as hepatitis C.

"People who smoke crack often burn their lips and have sores on their lips,
and that sore can have blood in it," said Dr. Perry Kendall, chief medical
health officer for B.C.

"A well-run [mouthpiece] program offers a lot of promise to reduce
blood-borne diseases and to introduce people to health care and addiction
treatment services as well."

Kendall said crack users also risk contracting potentially fatal diseases
such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, as well as syphilis, by sharing pipes.

The decision by the Provincial Harm Reduction Committee to fund the program
was announced following the Dec. 12 release of a new study, HCV Transmission
Among Oral Crack Users, by the Centre for Addictions Research B.C.

The study was conducted on 51 inner-city crack-cocaine users in Toronto in
2006, 22 of whom tested positive for the hepatitis C virus antibody. The
virus itself was found on a single pipe owned by one of the 22 infected
users.

"They recovered the viruses from a crack pipe, so it clearly can be a
method of transmission," Kendall said, adding that the supply of sterile
mouthpieces could save B.C. millions in health care.

Based on nationwide figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Research,
Kendall estimated the bill for British Columbians with hepatitis C falls
between $71 million and $143 million each year. In contrast, he estimated
each disposable piece of tubing costs fractions of a penny.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority confirmed yesterday it will take
advantage of the supply of free mouthpieces, and Vancouver Coastal Health
spokeswoman Viviana Zanocco said orders are also likely to be placed in the
Lower Mainland.

"If they're available I can't see a reason why we wouldn't," said Zanocco.
"They would likely be distributed through community health centres, places
like Insite or addiction services. You can get needles and condoms there, so
I'm sure you'll be able to get [mouthpieces] there."

Ann Livingston, program co-ordinator for the Vancouver Area Network of Drug
Users, thinks the program could also reduce the number of deaths among
Downtown Eastside crack users from pneumonia, which can be spread by sharing
pipes.

"About 15 of our members probably died last year of pneumonia," she said.
"The people who were dying were more likely to be people who smoked crack
cocaine."

--
Waterspider
Visit www.penderharbour.org
and www.penderharbour.com

From: Ghamph on 3 Jan 2008 14:47

From: TX-012 on 3 Jan 2008 15:26

On Jan 3, 11:47 am, "Ghamph" <gha...(a)localnet.com> wrote:
> "Waterspider" <nos...(a)all.com> wrote in message
>
> news:13np6ilqsdp65a2(a)corp.supernews.com...
>
> > B.C. to supply addicts with crack-pipe mouthpieces
> > By Kate Webb, The Province
> > Published: Wednesday, January 02, 2008
> > Crack-pipe mouthpieces are soon to join syringes, alcohol swabs and water
> > vials on the list of free supplies distributed by the B.C. government to
> > drug users.
>
> Why stop with free plastic tubing? Why not supply the crack (so the quality
> will be pure and organic).
>
> Supply a water pipe, (so they won't irritate their throat).
>
> Open a crack house (like a coffee house) so they won't do the crack on the
> street, (they might catch a cold).
>
> Maybe they should supply bullet proof vests to bank robbers and bank
> tellers.
>
> Don't forget the condoms for rapists.
>
> Flashing hat lights for jay-walkers.
>
> We don't want lawbreakers to get hurt or spread disease to others.

Much better idea: legalize freedom. Let crack users buy their own
crack at fair market value, along with pipes, mouthpieces, malt
liquor, DVDs, books, etc.

From: Cactus Jammies on 3 Jan 2008 16:48

"Ghamph" <ghamph(a)localnet.com> wrote in message
news:13nqeplmgv54n63(a)corp.supernews.com...
>
> "Waterspider" <nospam(a)all.com> wrote in message
> news:13np6ilqsdp65a2(a)corp.supernews.com...
>> B.C. to supply addicts with crack-pipe mouthpieces
>> By Kate Webb, The Province
>> Published: Wednesday, January 02, 2008
>> Crack-pipe mouthpieces are soon to join syringes, alcohol swabs and water
>> vials on the list of free supplies distributed by the B.C. government to
>> drug users.
>
>
> Why stop with free plastic tubing? Why not supply the crack (so the
> quality
> will be pure and organic).
>
> Supply a water pipe, (so they won't irritate their throat).
>
> Open a crack house (like a coffee house) so they won't do the crack on the
> street, (they might catch a cold).
>
> Maybe they should supply bullet proof vests to bank robbers and bank
> tellers.
>
> Don't forget the condoms for rapists.
>
> Flashing hat lights for jay-walkers.
>
> We don't want lawbreakers to get hurt or spread disease to others.
..............
Ghamph,
Absolutely not!
Especially when it costs a lot more money to treat the after effects of HCV
and HIV exposure than it does to prevent it, which was the whole point of my
response to WS's 'Our Tax Dollars at Work' subject line. And that would be
regardless of any lack of any compassion for those people that would
otherwise get infected. If any of us do have compassion for the 12 and 14
year olds that mess with things like crack pipes, then prevention of a
potentially deadly disease could be the bonus. Other than that, don't
forget that Canada has tax payer funded socialized medicare and pharmcare
for every citizen and landed immigrant. There is a subscription cost for
those whom can afford it, and mine is $50 month, with a family deductable
for pharmaceuticals. Those costs are certainly an indirect tax. Nobody
really likes paying taxes, but I've certainly benefitted from being in a
system that has tax support for human things. It's not that much when you
consider the alternative. Our Health ministry budget the province is 42% of
the annual budget of B.C. Which includes things like elder care homes, etc.
etc. So unless we start pitching the old folks off the end of the wharf or
something expedient like that, we give and we take, don't we?

Bank robbers should learn how to use their debt cards like the rest of us.
:)

cactus jammies -----------

From: mawtuan on 3 Jan 2008 21:21

"Waterspider" <nospam(a)all.com> wrote in message
news:13np6ilqsdp65a2(a)corp.supernews.com...
> B.C. to supply addicts with crack-pipe mouthpieces
> By Kate Webb, The Province
> Published: Wednesday, January 02, 2008
> Crack-pipe mouthpieces are soon to join syringes, alcohol swabs and water
> vials on the list of free supplies distributed by the B.C. government to
> drug users.
>
> Starting as early as April, the Ministry of Health will set aside funding
> for pieces of sterile surgical tubing that can be attached to the end of a
> crack pipe. The two-to-five-centimetre mouthpieces will be available upon
> request to B.C.'s five health authorities, the goal being to prevent the
> spread of communicable diseases such as hepatitis C.
>
> "People who smoke crack often burn their lips and have sores on their
> lips, and that sore can have blood in it," said Dr. Perry Kendall, chief
> medical health officer for B.C.
>
> "A well-run [mouthpiece] program offers a lot of promise to reduce
> blood-borne diseases and to introduce people to health care and addiction
> treatment services as well."
>
> Kendall said crack users also risk contracting potentially fatal diseases
> such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, as well as syphilis, by sharing pipes.
>
> The decision by the Provincial Harm Reduction Committee to fund the
> program was announced following the Dec. 12 release of a new study, HCV
> Transmission Among Oral Crack Users, by the Centre for Addictions Research
> B.C.
>
> The study was conducted on 51 inner-city crack-cocaine users in Toronto in
> 2006, 22 of whom tested positive for the hepatitis C virus antibody. The
> virus itself was found on a single pipe owned by one of the 22 infected
> users.
>
> "They recovered the viruses from a crack pipe, so it clearly can be a
> method of transmission," Kendall said, adding that the supply of sterile
> mouthpieces could save B.C. millions in health care.
>
>
> Based on nationwide figures from the Canadian Institute for Health
> Research, Kendall estimated the bill for British Columbians with hepatitis
> C falls between $71 million and $143 million each year. In contrast, he
> estimated each disposable piece of tubing costs fractions of a penny.
>
> The Vancouver Island Health Authority confirmed yesterday it will take
> advantage of the supply of free mouthpieces, and Vancouver Coastal Health
> spokeswoman Viviana Zanocco said orders are also likely to be placed in
> the Lower Mainland.
>
> "If they're available I can't see a reason why we wouldn't," said Zanocco.
> "They would likely be distributed through community health centres, places
> like Insite or addiction services. You can get needles and condoms there,
> so I'm sure you'll be able to get [mouthpieces] there."
>
> Ann Livingston, program co-ordinator for the Vancouver Area Network of
> Drug Users, thinks the program could also reduce the number of deaths
> among Downtown Eastside crack users from pneumonia, which can be spread by
> sharing pipes.
>
> "About 15 of our members probably died last year of pneumonia," she said.
> "The people who were dying were more likely to be people who smoked crack
> cocaine."
>
>
> --
> Waterspider
> Visit www.penderharbour.org
> and www.penderharbour.com
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I am completely in favour of this initiative. It is refreshing to see
government leaders
that are so caring and in touch with their people. Along those lines, I
think another great
social program would be to provide heat resistant gloves and silencers for
gang bangers.
This would reduce the risk of burning their fingers on hot gun barrels or
damaging their
hearing when firing full-auto bursts from Mac 10's during drive-by
shootings.
It's so sad to think of the injuries those poor folks must endure while
simply protecting
the turf of their homeys. We must stand up for the common man!
Thom

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