Insite, The Early Years Journey

Serving Vancouver and the Downtown East Side Since 2003.....

Controversial since first opening its doors, Insite has provided injection drug users with a safe place to use.  Insite is operated under an umbrella of services provided by Vancouver Coastal Health with respect to vulnerable populations.  It began as a pilot project allowed by the Liberal government, under an exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.  It was to run for 3 years and expired in 2006.  The program was so successful in reducing deaths and injury, as well as providing much relied upon counselling, detox and point of entry to addiction treatment programs that an extension was requested. This marked the beginning of a long and arduous battle, fought with old and familiar weapons.  

The moralizing, judging, and demonizing of those without power by those in power.
    See "Drugs Policy" page for full article
 

Access to Pain Medication - Discrimination

As a known drug user I am terrified of the day I find myself in crisis resulting from pain. Hospitals automatically and notoriously treat those on Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) and other people known to them as drug users as “drug seekers”.

Staff don't care whether or not you have presented with a condition normally warranting pain medication and treatment. You will almost certainly be made to wait while arguments against your treatment are considered at length, or you may be provided with alternative measures which are at best ineffective or you could be completely turned away, and refused medication period.

In fact despite what some medical professionals may prefer to claim, there is a culture of “addiction paranoia” within practitioner circles. Even if you have zero history of illicit drug use, you may be refused pain medications or not provided with a high enough dose or for a long enough time. All because doctors fear the possibility of addiction.

Over the next weeks I am going to provide some information, tips, and advice about how best to advocate for yourself when you are in need of pain medications. And I am also going to be talking about current initiatives to change the paranoia practice in Canada and internationally.

It is a human right to be provided with adequate, effective, and speedy access to pain relief of all kinds, including access to narcotic pain medications.

International

SOROS is one of the leading international agencies dealing with denial of pain medications for all kinds of reasons including unfair pricing and policy for so called 3r world countries, and refusal for reasons related to discrimination. Check out some of their work here: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/about

This web site talks about the practice of refusing patients pain medication world wide. They also deal with issues of forced sterilization and forced drug treatment. There is an interactive map allowing you a glimpse into practices by continent.

http://www.stoptortureinhealthcare.org/news-and-resources/access-pain-treatment-human-right

In Canada

Activists in Canada such as the Canadian Pain Society (www.canadianpainsociety.ca) and the Canadian

Pain Coalition (www.canadianpaincoalition.ca) are calling for a National Pain Strategy.

Read about what is needed in a national strategy here:

http://www.canadianpainsummit2012.ca/media/11445/final%20nat%20pain%20strategy%20for%20can%20121511%20eng.pdf 
Core Values Of National Call Out for a Pain Strategy

•  Access to the treatment of pain without discrimination is a fundamental human right
• The treatment of pain requires an inter-professional approach to care
• The treatment of pain must be patient and family centered
• Pain is a continuum (from acute to chronic and from birth to death)

Endorse the strategy demanding the federal government implement a National Pain Strategy here:

http://www.canadianpainsummit2012.ca/en/home.aspx

To Learn More attend one of the upcoming Canadian pain conferences in 2012.

1. Rise Up Against Pain. Ottawa, On April 24, 2012 See the call for submissions too!
    http://www.canadianpainsummit2012.ca/en/home/event-information.aspx
   
   

2. Pain Hurts Everyone, Searching for Solutions – Whistler, BC - May 23-26, 2012
    http://www.canadianpainsociety.ca/en/