Re: A pill a day for substance abusers

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/8914

In response to the mail titled `A pill a day for substance users', we need to

remember IDUs of Darjeeling  and adjoing districts of West Bengal.

They have the similar situation like that of Manipur & Nagaland. In 2004 an

epidemic of HIV coupled with HCV has been explored in IDUs of Darjeeling

district and then HIV sero-prevalence was 14% & that of HCV was 48% - explored

by the HIV/AIDS Unit of National Institute of Cholera & Enteric Diseases,

Kolkata (NICED). Now, it is on increasing trend.

OST intervention must be initiated for Darjeeling IDUs as a priority.

WBSACS must take initiative for this.

Dr. Kamalesh Sarkar

HIV/AIDS Unit

NICED, Kolkata

e-mail: <kamal412496@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/8914

" Better late than never " CONGRATES ON THE MOVE!

(A pill a day for substance abusers 17 Jun 2008, 0945 hrs IST, Kounteya

Sinha,TNN) However, DG-NACO would need to bring evidential proof to

substaintiate her claim that " they can commit murder if not put on OST " .

Such statement cannot or should not be used as a generalized one unless there

are enough scientific proof or otherwise.

It would only help in bringing greater negative judgmentalism and shunning of an

already marginalized community. I doubt if this is a responsible statement in

the public health domain.

 

I hope the forum would help me clarify my doubts

 

Thanks,

Anand

Ex-IDU

e-mail: <chanand43@...>

[Guest guest]

[Editors note: Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST) OST substitutes an illicit

drug with a medically safe, long acting agonist licit medication. It is

prescribed by a medical doctor and administered under the supervision of a

trained nurse or pharmacist. Methadone and Buprenorphine are the most well

studied medications used for Oral Substitution Treatment]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/8914

Its good to see more debate on Injecting Drug Users (IDU).

First i would like to share my experience  on OST. I was working in the pilot

project for five major city in 1999-2001 in chennai.

During the intervention we were able to meet the target group. I found it very

interesting and able to contact the client but there was a huge gap.In that most

of the clients wants to get admitted for de-addiction to come out of OST but it

was not happening because we didn't have the support service to refer. 80% of

the clients were not able to  pay for the treatment so they again shifted to

injecting practice. Apart from that it should not be given to other then

injection drug user, monitoring the OST should be fallowed strictly by tapering

the dose in time & finally bringing them to Total Abstinence.

One more area i would like comment is that, addiction itself is a disease 

without addressing this  how can OST is going to help.

Since the clients risk behavior also related to unprotected sex along with

alcohol. The linkages with de-addiction and long term rehabilitations to be

strengthen more if the OST is implemented.

OST is one of the choices, in the treatment plan for drug users. Also over dose

death can be more if OST is implemented.

Drug users are not mad or bad but they are sick so in what way OST is going to

treat the sickness.

The OST is only for the current injection drug user it should be strictly

fallowed then to total Abstinence goal then it works.

I am sharing this because i am an ex-user.

Secondly in chennai the injection drug using crowed is not more then 300 rest of

them shifted to other drug like alcohol,ganja,and pills etc. This is because the

availability of drugs is restricted.

Regrad

varadhan

e-mail: <knsvaradhan2001@...>