Windsor Area Substance Users Network

Windsor Area Substance Users Network

Empowering people who use substances through advocacy and education

27/01/2023

Do you think city council should rescind (retract, cancel, revoke) support for the approved location of the consumption and treatment site at the corner of Wyandotte Street East and Goyeau Street in downtown Windsor (101 Wyandotte Street East)? Go to https://www.iheartradio.ca/am800 to submit your vote.

28/09/2022

BEAUTIFULLY SAID! A CIRCLE NEEDS ALL OF US TO BE ABLE TO TRUELY BE A CIRCLE

06/02/2022

You are loved!

20/01/2021

Dana Larsen: 10,000 street drug samples analyzed in Vancouver

"In May 2019, I launched a community service called Get Your Drugs Tested at 880 East Hastings. Funded entirely by our unlicensed cannabis dispensary, we've now tested over 10,000 street drug samples, free of charge, as a way of helping tp keep the drug-using community safe.

We have two machines called "FTIR Spectrometers" which allow us to quickly analyze most kinds of chemical substances. We can't do herbs like whole cannabis, but we can analyze all kinds of street drugs, anything from he**in to co***ne, xanax to vi**ra, L*D to DMT. We also use fentanyl test strips when needed to be extra sure.

We're the only place in Canada where anyone can drop by seven days a week or send in samples by mail.

B.C. health authorities also provide free drug analysis, but the NDP doesn't properly fund it so it's not readily available. For instance, aside from our service, drug checking is only available in Vancouver for just a few hours at a time, a few days a week, at some injection sites.

As a result, our more accessible privately-run drug-checking service is doing two-thirds of all tests in B.C.! And unlike the government's drug-checking, we post all our test results right away in an online database which anyone can search by city or by substance.

With over 10,000 results in our database, we have become the world's largest resource for drug analysis results. We provide our data to the B.C. Centre on Substance Use for their research and bulletins, but our main priority is to help drug users make informed decisions.

Data and results

Here's roughly how many samples we've received by city:

8,400 Vancouver

60 Victoria

500 Rest of B.C.

140 Toronto

180 Montreal

90 Rest of Quebec

80 Calgary

70 Edmonton

50 Winnipeg

40 Hamilton

15 Regina

10 Saskatoon

Of the 10,000 samples we have tested, here's what the users thought they were bringing in.

1,700 "Down"

600 Fentanyl

500 He**in

1,900 M**A/MDA

1,600 Co***ne

1,100 Ketamine

600 M**h

500 Xanax

250 L*D

130 DMT

100 Oxycodone

70 GHB

40 Vi**ra/Cialis

35 Hydromorphone

750 Unknown

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has almost entirely replaced he**in on the streets of Canada.

Fentanyl

Fentanyl has almost entirely replaced he**in on the street over the past several years. We found that about half of samples brought in by people who had purchased "he**in" were mostly or entirely fentanyl.

Fentanyl was found in just under 1 percent of co***ne and M**A samples. That's actually a high rate of contamination—imagine if 1 percent of cannabis or alcohol samples had fentanyl! Users of these two drugs usually do not have any tolerance to opiates so fentanyl contamination can be even more deadly in these cases.

In 250 L*D samples we've had one positive test result for fentanyl.

Benzodiapezines

Although fentanyl is usually identified as the biggest driver of overdoses, benzodiazepines have become increasingly common in street "down" and can cause overdoses even more difficult to recover from.

Etizolam is a powerful drug in the benzodiazepine family which we found in about 300 samples. We found many instances of people thinking they had purchased fentanyl but it was actually etizolam, or etizolam and fentanyl together.

We've also found many samples where the user thought they had bought Xanax, but it was actually etizolam.

Co***ne

About four percent of the co***ne samples we analyzed contained levamisole, a dewormer which can have serious side effects. Levamisole is sometimes used to cut co***ne because it has a stimulating effect, a similar appearance to co***ne, and doesn't show up on most street purity tests.

About 18 percent of co***ne samples had been cut with phenacetin, a chemical close to acetaminophen with analgesic properties. Phenacetin used to be sold as a fever-reducer but was taken off the market in 1983 due to carcinogenic and kidney-damaging properties.

M**A

The vast majority of M**A samples we tested were pure M**A. However, about one percent contained fentanyl.

In a few cases M**A was mixed with other drugs and being sold as "2C-B".

A common cutting agent for M**A is Dimethyl Sulfone, a relatively safe and neutral buffer substance.

M**A and MDA are also sometimes sold as each other.

Caffeine and Erythritol

Surprisingly, the most commonly found substance in all our tests is caffeine! Caffeine powder is a very common cutting agent, usually mixed with co***ne, M**A and opiates like he**in and fentanyl.

Our results show that a majority of what is sold on the street as "Down" is a mix of caffeine, fentanyl and sometimes other substances like erythritol, a low-calorie sweetener.

Caffeine was present in 2,100 of all samples, erythritol was present in about 550.

Vi**ra and Cialis

Sildenafil and tadalafil sometimes show up in odd places. More commonly known by their trade names of Vi**ra and Cialis, we've occasionally found these drugs in samples that had been sold as M**A, Ketamine, Fentanyl and Xanax.

When people bring in samples of what they believe is Vi**ra or Cialis, it's usually what they expected, but also often cut with something neutral and not 100 percent pure.

There's all kinds of other interesting results to be found in our database of test results. It's fascinating to go through and see what's out there.

Spread the word

One of our biggest challenges is simply making people aware of our service, both in Vancouver and across Canada. We've run national poster campaigns, promoted on social media and sought out media coverage whenever possible. Please spread the word, share our Twitter and Facebook profiles.

If you want some stickers and posters for your community, please contact us and we'll send you some. Remember, if you or someone you love uses drugs, then please get your drugs tested.

Dana Larsen is an author, advocate, and activist for cannabis and drug policy reform. Follow him on Twitter . The Georgia Straight publishes opinions like this from the community to encourage constructive debate on important issues."

straight.com Jan 19, 2021 - A free local service does the most drug checking in Canada.

20/01/2021

Montreal councillors call on city hall to ask Ottawa to decriminalize simple drug possession

"MONTREAL -- A motion introduced at city council calls on Mayor Valerie Plante to join other Canadian cities in asking the federal government to decriminalize simple drug possession for personal use.

Federal data shows the COVID-19 pandemic has led to more deaths due to overdose in the first eight months of 2020 than in all of 2019.

This has prompted cities such as Vancouver and Toronto to make a request to the Federal Minister of Health Patty Hajdu to issue an exemption from the federal law criminalizing simple drug possession.

The exemption would fall under an existing provision in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that allows for, as an example, safe injection sites to operate.

“There is no need, nor any excuse, for delay, particularly amid unprecedented overdose death," said Richard Elliott, executive director of the HIV Legal Network.

"With the dual crisis of COVID-19 and overdoses, all the region's organizations, whether they work in prevention or harm reduction, are affected. On behalf of all these groups, we ask the City of Montréal to act quickly. It is not a legal question, it's about health and human rights, it's a matter of life and death," said Sandhia Vadlamudy, executive director of The Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec.

The motion, introduced by Montreal city councillors Marvin Rotrand and Christian Arsenault, will be debated at the next city council meeting Jan. 25 and 26.

It includes a request that the city ask the SPVM to join the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police who have also called for the decriminalization of personal possession of illicit drugs.

This past July, the CACP said it’s the best way to battle substance abuse and addiction.

Rotrand, an independent councillor for the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, added that the position of the CACP can not be underestimated.

“They said our current approach is a waste of police resources, is ineffective, does not save lives, and does not solve problems of drug trafficking, clogs the courts and costs an enormous amount of money," he said. "For years, public health petitioners have said you need to have a public health approach to addiction, making it a legal approach doesn’t solve a health problem.”

But is there public support for decriminalization?

Arsenault, who is also an independent city councillor for Cote-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace, feels there’s a moral obligation.

“Perhaps one of the questions to ask that really captures the paradigm shift is do we want to judge and criminalize people who have what basically amounts to a health problem, a health problem that is often the consequence, a symptom of other factors like poverty, like trauma," he said. "I think that decriminalization is the first step towards a more compassionate approach to helping people.”

"Arsenault, who is also an independent city councillor for Cote-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace, feels there’s a moral obligation."

Bravo Councillor Arsenault. 👏👏👏

montreal.ctvnews.ca A motion introduced at city council calls on Mayor Valerie Plante to join other Canadian cities in asking the federal government to decriminalize simple drug possession for personal use.

19/01/2021

Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy - CSSDP

With the new year comes new resolutions. In 2021, we want to see the federal government resolve to decriminalize people who use drugs.

What does your 2021 resolution look like?

19/01/2021

City council endorses deployment of naloxone for first responders

"WINDSOR, ONT. -- City council has voted unanimously in favour of endorsing the deployment of naloxone for all first responders, including Windsor Fire and Rescue and police.

This development on the heels of a report presented to council today, requested by Ward 9 councillor Kieran McKenzie back in 2018.

McKenzie believes the report lays out and justified the use of naloxone by all first responders.

The motion does not direct the police to carry naloxone but endorses the idea of it.

It does direct Windsor Fire to carry it.

MacKenzie says naloxone is part of the tool kit and he doesn’t understand why it’s taking Windsor so long to get on board.

The report also states that the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit supports the use of naloxone by first responders and will provide the kits free of charge.

Administration estimates it would cost about $2,000 for Windsor Fire to be trained and equipped with potentially life-saving drug."

windsor.ctvnews.ca City council has voted unanimously in favour of endorsing the deployment of naloxone for all first responders, including Windsor Fire and Rescue and police.

18/01/2021

First responders should carry naloxone, including police, says councillor | CBC News

Windsor's city council will table a report on naloxone use by first responders on Monday, but one councillor says he's disappointed to find police were not included as officers are often the first on the scene of a drug overdose.

Coun. Kieran McKenzie first asked the city to look into the implications of first responders, including police, carrying naloxone, in December 2018. Naloxone can save lives when administered to someone who has overdosed on opiods, he said.

He said the report contains a lot of a "good information," but he's a bit disappointed overall.

"I think it's fair to say that we didn't take a look at whether or not it's appropriate to equip our police service with naloxone," he said.

Coun. McKenzie wants all first responders to carry and administer naloxone when it is appropriate to do so.

In an email statement to CBC, the city says, "police answer to the police services board so that's why they likely weren't involved in a council report."

McKenzie said he understands that "the police service or oversight of the police services falls within the jurisdiction of the police services board, made up of community members as well as members of council, but it's still the same municipally delivered service. It's a service that I think most residents would associate falls under the jurisdiction of city council."

He also said the report lays out the case that "it is appropriate for first responders, fire, I would argue, police as well as EMS, to carry and administer naloxone in the field when it is appropriate to do so."

The report states that drug-related overdoses and deaths "continue to be growing problem in North America. Of particular concern is the use of opioid drugs due to their potency and their highly addictive," adding that the "annual rate of opioid-related deaths in Ontario increased 285 per cent from 1991 to 2015."

It argues that "naloxone is an effective tool in reversing the effects of opioids and preventing an overdose death, provided it is given shortly after an overdose of an opioid occurs."

It says the local health unit and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) support the use of naloxone by first responders as a harm reduction measure.

McKenzie said he will ask why the report did not focus more on police, though he acknowledges progress is being made with that service.

"It's my understanding that that is happening already to some extent," he said.

Some WPS units to carry naloxone this year
Three Windsor police units are to be equipped with naloxone within a year, Windsor Police Chief Pam Mizuno said in October.

This announcement came days after CBC News learned that Windsor police officers were the first to arrive on scene of a drug overdose without naloxone in-hand on at least 14 occasions last year.

"I just I think that there needs to be a clear articulation from council that we support adding that service level. And we support adding that service level robustly in a way that is both safe for all of the first responders, the police themselves, but also can add an additional layer of protection for folks in the community," McKenzie said.

He said he doesn't know what is going to happen at Monday's meeting with respect to the report, but believes it could spark an interesting debate and hopes there will be enough support to pass the motion.

cbc.ca City council is set to meet on Monday for its second meeting of the year. One of the agenda items being brought forward to council is a report on naloxone use by first responders.

17/01/2021

Drug Research Ignores Stable or Pleasurable Use—And That’s a Problem

In the United States and beyond, drug research ignores most people who use drugs. While the large majority of people who use drugs (PWUD) do not suffer from substance use disorders (anywhere from 80-90 percent), research in the field predominantly focuses on the minority experience of harmful use.

In part, this is an issue of the needs and urgency surrounding severe substance use disorders. At the same time, it is also an issue of funding.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), which funds around 80 percent of all drug research around the world, has the stated goal of funding research on “drug abuse and addiction.” The question of what drug research is “fundable” and/or “publishable” in this context incentivizes researchers to continue to do more research on the harms of drugs, often at the expense of other questions they could also explore.

Compounding the problem are the challenges of identifying a self-regulating population of PWUD. The considerable stigmas of drug use—worsened by racism, classism and sexism—create an environment in which people who use drugs are discouraged from being forthright.

Meanwhile, people who have been criminalized or medicalized for their drug use are more easily recognized as “problematic users” (whether true or not) because of their systems-involvement. This makes them more identifiable and available for researchers to study, skewing outcomes.

Why Does This Matter?
Too often, drug research proceeds from the assumption that self-regulated drug use is unlikely or extraordinarily rare. Yet people engage with drugs on a continuum of use, from abstention to addiction. The focus on harmful drug use not only vastly overemphasizes the extent to which people struggle with their use, but also muddies the waters by conflating any or occasional use with “misuse” or “abuse.”

We know relatively little about people’s motivations for drug use, and the body of research on the conditions that allow people to control their use is limited. More closely examining self-regulating drug use will help illuminate that PWUD have agency and should be able to determine if, when, and how they use—as well as the complex decision-making in which people engage.

The multifaceted motivations of functional drug use include much more than the desire to be intoxicated.

The Global Drug Survey’s Net Pleasure Index and other research reveal that people who manage their drug use make intentional, informed decisions about that use based on multiple factors. Research into these choices (motives, decision-points and influencing factors), and into the benefits of self-regulating drug use, will give us a much more nuanced understanding.

The multifaceted motivations of functional drug use include much more than the desire to be intoxicated (in the many forms one might experience that). Motivations range from desire to feel less anxious or more balanced, to other aspects of life management and performance enhancement, as well as psychological and spiritual self-exploration. We imagine that a myriad of other reasons for using substances would emerge from additional research in this area.

Investigations into self-regulating drug use could also shed light on the ways in which our current drug policies impact use choices: from which substances people choose to use and in what combinations, to modes, frequency and contexts of use.

There is a whole body of information to be gleaned about the complexity and subtleties of why and how people moderate their drug use, the strategies they employ to enhance pleasure or other desired effects while reducing harms, and cultures of use (e.g., how do friend/family groups introduce and use drugs together?). Such research also has the potential to help us better understand why some people are able to use substances in ways that enhance their lives, while others struggle to control their use.

Researchers want their work to be accurate and rooted in representative data. Currently, that’s not always the case.

As advocates and policymakers explore legalizing substances, including ma*****na and psychedelics, research into self-regulating use can help us better understand how legal markets will impact use. It can lend insight into how to create regulatory systems that maximize the benefits for people who choose to use drugs while minimizing public health harms. Similarly, such research could inform discussions, like those happening in Canada, about creating a safe supply for opioid users to reduce the risk of overdose from illicit substances, such as fentanyl.

Researchers want their work to be accurate and rooted in representative data. Currently, that’s not always the case. An explicit recognition that most people can and do self-regulate their drug use may reorient drug research toward more balanced study of the full spectrum of use.

It could also help policymakers to think beyond the framework of prohibition to envision policies that, rather than criminalizing self-regulated drug use, allow and account for it.

The Good News?
Experts from across disciplines are recognizing these research gaps—about pleasure, normative drug use, self-regulation and cessation—and want to improve our research on motivations and contexts of drug use. Both outside of the US—and, more recently, within it—researchers are taking note that our current approach to drug use is reductionist and inaccurate.

Over the past two years, Drug Policy Alliance’s* Department of Research and Academic Engagement has convened some of these experts through a project called Unbounded Knowledge: Envisioning a New Future for Drug Policy Research. Researchers from over a dozen disciplines have come together to identify the constraints of the current drug research landscape and to develop an aspirational research agenda—one that will better equip policymakers to make informed decisions and ultimately transform drug policy.

This November, the Department of Research and Academic Engagement will host a pilot project: a one-day research incubator to address the lack of research on self-regulating and pleasurable drug use. This incubator expands on the Unbound Knowledge project, advancing rigorous research that reflects the dynamic, diverse realities of people who use drugs.

Researchers will convene to develop interdisciplinary, collaborative projects. The group will then work together to seek funding for these research projects. Scholars from all disciplines and at all stages of their careers are encouraged to submit proposals by September 13.

Understanding self-regulating use allows us to envision an end to the drug war that doesn’t require an end to drug use.

Researchers and funders have the opportunity to shift our focus to the potential benefits of drug use, to the skills and knowledge of people who use drugs non-problematically, and to the roles of self-regulation and pleasure in drug use. We can capture a better, more complete picture of people who use drugs.

Understanding self-regulating drug use as an everyday experience for many people allows us to envision an end to the drug war that doesn’t require an end to drug use. Instead, with a deeper understanding of self-regulation, we can move to end the criminalization of drug use—whether the use is “problematic” or not—and focus on expanding care and support for everyone who uses drugs.

This article was co-authored with Ingrid Walker and Jules Netherland.

Ingrid Walker is associate professor of American Studies in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington, Tacoma, where she researches and teaches about the politics of contemporary culture in the United States—particularly critical drug studies. Her research and activism focus on destigmatizing drugs and the people who use them. In her book, High: Drugs, Desire, and a Nation of Users, she examines how drug prohibition and health care have created disparate, harmful beliefs and practices regarding drug use. She discusses social biases about psychoactive drugs, from caffeine to methamphetamine in her TEDx talk, “Drugs and Desire.” Her most recent work focuses on the erasure of pleasure in drug use.

filtermag.org In the United States and beyond, drug research ignores most people who use drugs. While the large majority of people ...

17/01/2021

LEVY: One-stop safe injection sites coming to COVID shelters

Wow! What a disgraceful human being Sue Anne-Levy is! This is such stigmatizing nonfactual garbage. We need to educate people about what Safe Supply is, not what it isn't.

CAPUD (Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs) has some excellent FACT BASED information on their website, which we have provided a link to:

https://www.capud.ca/resources?category=Safe%20Supply

torontosun.com Jennifer Franssen Keenan was absolutely horrified to learn in mid-December a safe injection site was opening in the Bond homeless hotel.

16/01/2021

Windsor Area Substance Users Network (WASUN) - Empowering people who use substances through advocacy and education.

Did you know that the invisible majority of people who use substances do not do so problematically?

Stigma is what drives the ideals that all substance users misuse substances. Making society see people as nothing more than their substance of choice.

The fact is that many people CAN successfully use without forming a dependency.

16/01/2021

Windsor Area Substance Users Network

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