Some psychoactive drug tidbits to consume

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Early indications of the price of taking Oxycodone to slow release formulation and off the market Oxycodone losing funding  are showing up in increased heroin use.  Merely anecdotal reports currently, but a shift should be expected  and the failure to have good surveillance in place is a major oversight.  London report of increased heroin use.  US reports note that part of the shift reflects the discovery that heroin is cheaper than a dose of Oxycodone. 

This site is one of many that have supported a shift from the “War on Drugs” to using a rationale public health approach to the use of psychoactive substances intended to minimize the health consequences.  One of the potential unintended consequences of the shift would be an increase in secondary exposure to marijuana smoke.  Not surprisingly, smoke of any nature can be associated with health impacts.  Two Canadian articles in the journal Chemical Research in Toxocology scratch the surface on the potential downside for exposed persons Chemical toxicity of cannabis smoke  and Genotoxicity of cannabis secondary smoke .  Both studies should increase concern about secondary exposure, and in particular to women considering pregnancy.  It is an area for expanded concern.

Health Canada does try to post objective lay information on health effects of cannabis in various forms Cannabis health effects.  We would recommend the Ontario Centre for Addiction and Mental Health site as more comprehensive and current CAMH and cannabis.

As the AIDS 2012 conference progresses in Washington, more voices are speaking out loudly against the War on Drugs efforts because of its contribution to accelerating AIDS dissemination CBC story.   The comments are of themselves worth reading to reflect the diversity and sometimes very opinionated views  on HIV infection and drug use.   Check out the AIDS conference blog AIDS blog , in a year of political instability in the US, this conference is sure to carry many innuendos on both the disease and the linkage to drug use.