Disaster-Plan, what will Swiny do if they were on Methadone Maintenance?

[Spucky]

After reading a lot of Files my Cat get a little bit curious how your personal
Disaster Planing will be look alike!

This Posting is from a Discussion of the MMT-Center in the US.

Disappointing Results

In 2005, for a second time, readers were surveyed regarding disaster preparedness. There were 138 responses to this survey, compared with 130 in 2002 – so there was little improvement in response rates, which were modest for an ... survey to begin with. There was a nearly equal mix of patients and clinic staff responding to both surveys.
To begin, the 2005 survey asked, “Has your MMT clinic reviewed and updated its disaster/emergency plans in the past year?”
A combined 70% said either “no” (25%) or “not sure” (45%). Of interest, in the prior 2002 survey an identical 70% answered “no” or “don’t know” to a question asking if their clinics had revised disaster preparedness plans in the wake of 9/11/01 events.
The most recent survey went on to ask, “How familiar are you with your MMT clinic’s disaster/emergency plans and procedures?” Only a third (33%) said they were ‘very familiar” with those; the majority responded “not at all” (55%) and the remainder were only “somewhat familiar.”
In view of the many persons left stranded for an extended period without access to MMT following the hurricanes, a third question asked, “How certain are you that you (or your patients) would receive adequate continuity of MMT in the event of a disaster/emergency?”


As the graph illustrates, only 1 in 5 respondents (20%) were “very certain”; whereas, a 56% majority were ‘not at all certain” and 24% were only “somewhat certain” that uninterrupted care would be available for MMT patients.


Taken together, the survey results are rather disappointing, as many clinics seem reluctant to adequately address issues of disaster preparedness in a proactive manner. It should be noted that ... surveys are voluntary and may not represent a true sampling of MMT clinics around the country; however, other AT Forum survey results usually have been consistent with those of more scientific studies on the issues in question.

Readers Express Concern

“I’m terrified at the thought of missing my medication.
If there was a disaster here I’d have to go to the drug dealers.”

“I’m surprised at myself for not being aware of our clinic’s plans.”

“Our clinic staff are only vaguely familiar with disaster plans and the patients have no knowledge of them at all.”

“My organization serviced many MMT patients displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I was surprised by the lack of preparedness by New Orleans clinics, as well as here in Texas.”

One reader offered a caution of what may become the next crisis:
“What is really getting us revising our emergency plans currently is the possible outbreak of avian influenza [bird flu] in humans, which could cause major disruptions.”

Do the Swinys speak with the MMT or with the Doc about disasters like
Earthquake, Hurricane or now with a Flu?
What will you do in this case,
how you get your Medicine, how to get the Substitut?
Do the Swinys in the US also have a Opioid-Pass to show in a Hospital
or different Clinic?

Regards

Reputation Comments on this post:

	A very interesting find. Something for those on MMT to think about.
	this is a great topic for all people that are on medications from asthma to diabeties etc. to think about.
	Great idea for a topic.

[ex-junkie]

ooh very interesting topic. never thought of anything like that whilst on MMT. swim would have been completely fux0red.

she supposes that patients could get dosed at hospitals if disaster struck, but whos to say it wont take a few days before you could get down to one!

[Spucky]

Hai so desu,
I guess it is very common that People are not aware of this kind of a Problem.
Always we think: "Och, that will be not happen in my Area",
"This is not my Problem, the Clinic have to take care", etc.!
Then, suddenly...: "Because of the Hurricane our Clinic is out of Service"!
And we have to survive the Impact with a Monkey on our Neck!
Maybe even have to take care our Family, Friends, Dogs and Cats.......

Can we trust the Service at Home, do they will protect us?

[ex-junkie]

unfortunately they dont really care about people going without doses. in the event of a natural disaster, MMT patients would be the last on the list of concerns.

:/

[Spucky]

Can the Swinys in other Places like Germany store some of their Sub-Medicine?
Or do it become illegal when they store some for this Kind of, hmmm, Event?

In Germany they cant do this, legally!

There are some horrible experiences with the Hurricane in the area of New Orleans a few Years ago.

[kailey_elise]

Originally Posted by Spucky

Can the Swinys in other Places like Germany store some of their Sub-Medicine?
Or do it become illegal when they store some for this Kind of, hmmm, Event?

In Germany they cant do this, legally!

There are some horrible experiences with the Hurricane in the area of New Orleans a few Years ago.

It is technically illegal, but that doesn't stop people who have take-home doses from storing some/all of it for a potential future use.

But you have to return the empty bottle with the prescription label on it to the clinic the next time you go in. So people just have unlabeled bottles of red (in the USA) liquid sitting around.

~Kailey

[Spucky]

Hi ...-I am wondering how the people in TX, LA, MS, AL, who are displaced and on methadone, are doing? Again, most of you know that I live in .., but I am hearing some horror stories about what people are going through because they are trapped in their neighborhoods due to their cars, and roads being destroyed. (Not to mention the enormous amount of rubble) I know that there are methadone clinics in Baton Rouge, LaPlace, Lafayette, and Opelousas, but those are just the ones I know about. People may wonder why I am asking since I live down here, but communication is still very difficult. Before we had to deal with hurricane Rita, there were still 12,000 people without power in south Louisiana b/c of Katrina. Our phone lines were destroyed, our roads were destroyed, cell towers were wiped out, and keep in mind that a great number of people live in very remote areas. I do know that the people that I have been able to get in touch with that were going to pain mgt. are now going to methadone clinics. The Baton Rouge methadone clinic is still accepting anyone who needs help. The clinic was over whelmend at first, the lines were extremely long for a short while, but now they are serving their patients very effeciently and gladly accepting new patients. The clinic is on Reiger Rd. and the ph. number can be found under the local directory under BRTC. I go to a pain mgt. doctor who was located in New Orleans, but they had a second office in a small town north of New Orleans. My doctors' office opened a week after Katrina hit and I had to spend half a day there because of all the people who had appts. the week that the office was closed. I had the chance to talk them and get the real deal on their situation. Those people were in bad shape, and I felt so bad for many of them.Over the past 3 in a half weeks, I spoke to several people who had to go with out their methadone for 7 days to 2 weeks because they lived in remote areas and had no way of getting out of their neighborhood due to the tangled mess of all the trees, power lines, rising water, and other debris. Many hospitals were closed and others just could not take on new patients because of a lack of supplies and some had been looted of all their medicine. The news only concentrates on what is going on in New Orleans, but there are so many other areas that need attention now! Fema has not even arrived yet in many small towns. Some of them said the experience was so bad(the withdraws from methadone) that they are off the methadone for good and will never touch it again. They are now back taking other street drugs b/c they say if they have to ever have to go through an experience like that again, the withdraws are nothing compared to comming off of methadone cold turkey. I felt so bad for those people because I have had to go 5 days before without it and the pain was excruciating, not to mention the vommiting, panic attacks and the creepy crawlies. I asked my doctor what people should do if we continue to have more severe weather that keeps us from getting to the clinics, and he said get to a hospital immediately. That is if you are lucky enough to have a hospital that is open and not looted. Also, I spoke to many people(who were in pain mgt.) who went to their pharmacist and the pharmacist gave them a week supply of what ever they were taking. I didn't think a pharmacist would do that with scheduled medications, but they did and FEMA did as well in some areas, but not others. That is not fare! Fema gave out methadone, oxycontins, morphine and whatever else people said they needed at first, but I spoke to other people who were told by FEMA that they would NOT give out scheduled medication. So, FEMA had the right hand doing one thing and the left hand doing another, AGAIN!!!! I do realize that there were people taking advantage of FEMA just to sell the stuff to make a profit off of other peoples' suffering which makes me sick! I didn't think the ER doctors would have much compasion b/c of the bad experiences I have had before(in the past I have had to go to the ER b/c of a really bad lung infection, and another time my blood pressure got so high I was about to have a stroke so...I was honest and told them exactly what medications I was on and why, but they treated me like I was a piece of trash.) I even thought with the displacement of so many people b/c of Katrina and Rita that the ER docotors would be inconsiderate, but it seems that I was wrong, and I'm glad.

This is from a other source, just to paint a tiny Picture!

How u can avoid Problems like that,
do we have to speak with our Doc`s to wake them up?

Where a Patient can go if something happen like a Hurricane,
where is a Emergency-Clinic or a Hospital-Pharmacy?

[ex-junkie]

they should issue methadone/maintenance patients with a little card, which shows their dosage, prescribing doctor, prescription start/end date, a photo, and signature- sort of like a drivers license, or other form of identification that cannot be "edited"/forged.

when disaster strikes, they then should make their way to a hospital/clinic/pharmacy to get a certain amount of take home doses, depending on which type of disaster has happened.

furthermore, if there is a hurricane warning, they should be allowed to get at least 4 take home doses in preparation for it.

"IMO"

Reputation Comments on this post:

superb idea..

[Spucky]

Originally Posted by ex-junkie

they should issue methadone/maintenance patients with a little card, which shows their dosage, prescribing doctor, prescription start/end date, a photo, and signature- sort of like a drivers license, or other form of identification that cannot be "edited"/forged.

In English-Speaking Country`s they don`t have Stuff like that?
Because we have
a.) ID. that we are in a Maintenance Program
b.) kind of a Opate ID. for Pain Patients
(Of course both ID. have to be issued by Order!)

They are very good in the Case of a Accident when you need a special Medicine but can`t speak anymore
or like Subutex/Suboxone where there will be a Fatal Action!
Also very good as a proof that there is a Reason why you carry Narcotics!

Originally Posted by ex-junkie

furthermore, if there is a hurricane warning, they should be allowed to get at least 4 take home doses in preparation for it.
"IMO"

Problem with a Disaster like a Hurricane is that there was a Evacuation-Order, that means "everyone Have to Leave"!
But i totally agree, People who are stable on a Substitute
need a new and special agreement with the Law!

[thebige]

Swim is not one to be a "survivalist" type fanatic.....but from certain life experiences swim has gotten to the point of putting together the things he would need to help get himself through a number of adverse situations.......thats not to say all couldn't fall to shit in a heartbeat.....but at least you are starting with a fighting chance.If that meant hitting the streets to find subs or 'done to be squirreled away before disaster strikes ......Oh well..
After that....trying to be aware of your surroundings and trying to avoid adverse situation is about the best swim can do ...he guesses....

[ex-junkie]

^yeah but what if the internet and telephones are down. records cant be checked. there needs to be some sort of alternative. theres no form of card ID in australia. the records are all kept online. the pharmacist has a photograph and an ID card as such, but if you were to need a dose in hospital, or anywhere else, then the records can only be checked online, or by telephone.

[jloops]

Originally Posted by Spucky

After reading a lot of Files my Cat get a little bit curious how your personal
Disaster Planing will be look alike!

This Posting is from a Discussion of the MMT-Center in the US.

Do the Swinys speak with the MMT or with the Doc about disasters like
Earthquake, Hurricane or now with a Flu?
What will you do in this case,
how you get your Medicine, how to get the Substitut?
Do the Swinys in the US also have a Opioid-Pass to show in a Hospital
or different Clinic?

Regards

First off, if a bridge goes out or something, I think everyone on MMT should have a stock of methadone at home. Period. Doesn't matter how, but you've gotta have a weeks worth at home, or at least a day or two.

Second, SWIM can only say that if a disaster strikes and SWIM cannot get methadone at the usual place, SWIM will force a pharmacy or hospital to give it to me. Or persuade -- that's the word.

That's the disaster plan... And you'll never find better than that.

The easiest solution is to just have a bunch at home. That way if disaster strikes, you'll know *just* where to go to dose!

Another thing... Although it would be unfortunate to make this a consideration, this is definitely one reason to consider staying at the lowest possible dose. At least if you're on 20 mg., you know you won't die from the withdrawal...

I gotta say that if you don't have it at home/can't get home, and you find a hospital or pharmacy, I can't see them refusing you methadone if it's clear you're in withdrawal/you're convincing. (They may very well refuse to give you more than 60 mg or thereabouts unless you have evidence of your dose...)

[missparkles]

In the UK people on MMT will be on a daily pick up for quite a while (can be months) with the only take home given on Saturday, as on Sundays most pharmacies that provide this service are closed. So here it's difficult to build up a reserve supply.
If you were to go to the hospital and say you're in WD and need Methadone, it's unlikely, hell... I'd put money on it being a miracle, if they actually gave you anything.
In a time of national disaster they wouldn't consider an addiction treatment to be an emergency. After all, although WD isn't nice, it ain't gonna kill ya. They might even see the situation (your lack of methadone) as beneficial to you.
And luckily, we don't have too many bridges here that, if they were unusable, would affect us in our day to day lives.

Sparkles.

[jloops]

Originally Posted by missparkles

In the UK people on MMT will be on a daily pick up for quite a while (can be months) with the only take home given on Saturday, as on Sundays most pharmacies that provide this service are closed. So here it's difficult to build up a reserve supply.
If you were to go to the hospital and say you're in WD and need Methadone, it's unlikely, hell... I'd put money on it being a miracle, if they actually gave you anything.
In a time of national disaster they wouldn't consider an addiction treatment to be an emergency. After all, although WD isn't nice, it ain't gonna kill ya. They might even see the situation (your lack of methadone) as beneficial to you.
And luckily, we don't have too many bridges here that, if they were unusable, would affect us in our day to day lives.

Sparkles.

Maybe I'm too much of an optimist...

Still, I can't see how a hospital could POSSIBLY do that to someone. They have so much of the stuff lying around, why on earth would they deny you?

Now, I'm sure that there are individuals there who would deny you, but there's more than one doctor at a hospital, and, in the midst of an emergency, I'm sure you could find a sympathetic soul.

Additionally, although SWIM is not recommending anything to anyone, there are ways of making sure you don't have to go without by planning ahead of time. SWIM is sure enlightened clinics would even recommend that you plan ahead in this way, even if it's not technically allowed to be done or recommended by the clinic...

[missparkles]

Originally Posted by jloops

Maybe I'm too much of an optimist...

Still, I can't see how a hospital could POSSIBLY do that to someone. They have so much of the stuff lying around, why on earth would they deny you?

Now, I'm sure that there are individuals there who would deny you, but there's more than one doctor at a hospital, and, in the midst of an emergency, I'm sure you could find a sympathetic soul.

Additionally, although SWIM is not recommending anything to anyone, there are ways of making sure you don't have to go without by planning ahead of time. SWIM is sure enlightened clinics would even recommend that you plan ahead in this way, even if it's not technically allowed to be done or recommended by the clinic...

All doctors are sympathetic souls, but a junkie going to hospital cos they're hanging out? No way. Not even if they had a gallon of it in front of em. Well, not here in the UK.
Remember, just because someone says they're in WD, exhibits most of the symptoms, it doesn't mean they are. And if a doctor gave an opiate naive person methadone it could kill them, at sometimes quite small doses. So none of them are gonna take that risk.

Sparkles.

[jloops]

Originally Posted by missparkles

All doctors are sympathetic souls, but a junkie going to hospital cos they're hanging out? No way. Not even if they had a gallon of it in front of em. Well, not here in the UK.
Remember, just because someone says they're in WD, exhibits most of the symptoms, it doesn't mean they are. And if a doctor gave an opiate naive person methadone it could kill them, at sometimes quite small doses. So none of them are gonna take that risk.

Sparkles.

Well, I will say this. Most people getting their methadone from a clinic in the US have some sort of methadone related paraphernalia which, if they have access to their home, they could take to the hospital with them, a take-home bottle being the most obvious example.

With that in hand, I really can't imagine a hospital turning someone away at that point, and I think it's definitely worth taking something like that to the hospital with you if it ever comes to that.

[helene]

A lot of UK peeps might be thinking that this topic is more US-centric, and that it doesn't really affect us lot, but this isn't strictly the case.

Swim lives a very rural area of the West Midlands of England, 20 miles outside of her nearest town. Her house is at the bottom of a rather steep non-tarmaced track.

A couple of years ago we had some really bad floods round our neck of the woods, so bad in fact that we were stranded at home for a few days, with no way of getting into town. At the bottom of the hill a couple of miles from swim's house, the road was a good 3 foot underwater. And every winter there's at least the odd day or two when we're snowed in, last year this stretched to four days where swim was unable to drive her non-4x4 car up the steep track, due to the snow and ice. Of course this is nothing compared to a nationwide disaster, but it still fucking complicates the situation, doesn't it?

On these occasions, swim has been very lucky to have had a few days supply of meth at home to tide her over. However, this wasn't the result of any fore-planning on swim's part, the fact that she wasn't left rattling for the duration was purely down to chance. Thankfully, swim's prescribing service were very understanding of the situation, and made things as easy as they could for swim, giving her extra methadone when she was finally able to get into town n order to cover her for the period of expected bad weather.

Originally Posted by missparkles

In the UK people on MMT will be on a daily pick up for quite a while (can be months) with the only take home given on Saturday, as on Sundays most pharmacies that provide this service are closed. So here it's difficult to build up a reserve supply.

Whilst generally speaking this is the case, exceptions are made. Whilst living here, swim has never been on daily pick-up. When she started her current script, she was working out this way, living here in the middle of nowhere with no bus services, and didn't have a car. So there was no way swim would have been able to get into town every day to pick up her script, if she was put on daily pick-up. They understood this at swim's drug service, and put her on weekly pick-up straight away, the only stipulation being that swim provided monthly clean tests whenever possible.

In fact, when swim lived up in North Wales, again on the side of some god-forsaken mountain, the same applied. So it's not quite such a hard-and-fast rule, on a case-by-case basis there is some degree of flexibility especially in rural areas.

H

[missparkles]

If there were a disaster in the UK on the scale of an earthquake, as seen in some other countries, Sparkles doubts that any methadone user would be able to walk into a hospital and obtain methadone, or any substitute, if they were in WD. As long as the drug services are accessible, in a personal crisis, they can be supportive. But this is the exception as opposed to the rule.

Sparkles was once told by someone using the local drug services that when they were discharged from the hospital (after treatment for a "non drug use" medical condition) they rang their drug team, and explained the situation and said they were feeling too unwell to attend an appointment with the doctor to get a new script.

The script was sat there, signed and waiting. This was on Wednesday afternoon. They were told they could see a doctor on Friday morning, not before, and untill then there was nothing that could be done. When the man complained that an exception should be made this time, they said they were sorry, but it couldn't be done. They then said one day wouldn't be too bad, after all he'd be seeing the doctor first thing on Friday morning.

When he complained he was told "if you'd been on heroin, and just got out of hospital, you'd have managed somehow to get to a dealer, so you should be ok to make your appointment." How the fuck can you argue with that? The town Sparkles lives in has 3 GPs who prescribe methadone and there are 4 other drug services that also prescribe. There are possibly 6-8 other organisations linked to the NHS that provide needle exchange facilities, health care services specific to drug use, and basic support/advocacy help, these include counseling and referals to further services.

But one thing they seem not to provide is a flexible service. They're so strict. The only time you'll see any flexibility is if someone has a GP as their methadone provider. Sparkles was surprised when she was picking up one morning to see a policeman waiting beside her. She thought "fuckin' hell, so it's true, on methadone you can do any job." But he was there to pick up for all the people that were in custody and on scripts.

In the UK the treatment you recieve, or the flexibility of it, is determined partly by location (where you live) and your personal circumstances. Sparkles also thought that possibly, because she spoke nicely, looked presentable, and was exceptionally reasonable, she got more from her local service than others who were in the same situation as she was. She didn't have to wait months to pick up less regularly and she didn't have to submit to random piss tests as often as everyone else. But then she was prescribed by her GP. The morning she told him she was addicted to heroin and fixing in her neck again, he gave a her a script there and then.

Sparkles.

[mickey_bee]

Originally Posted by missparkles

If you were to go to the hospital and say you're in WD and need Methadone, it's unlikely, hell... I'd put money on it being a miracle, if they actually gave you anything.Sparkles.

A little over a year ago swim ended up in hardcore heroin and methadone withdrawal after his script was fucked up, he was in a new city, and he'd got robbed.......tough times....
Anyway the police picked him up at a train station because people were getting worried about the state he was in.
The police insisted on taking him to the nearest hospital, despite swim telling them it was just a waste of time and he had to get home.

In the end swim waited in A&E for about 3 hours, and was actually sick on the floor during that time. Then when he got to see the doctor, he simply said, 'sorry, unless you've got a script valid for this area, there's nothing i can do, don't worry, you won't die though'...

So then he had to stagger all the way back to the train station, jump the barriers, (or rather crawl over them), and bunk his way home.

eurrrhghghghhh!

[missparkles]

Originally Posted by mickey_bee

A little over a year ago swim ended up in hardcore heroin and methadone withdrawal after his script was fucked up, he was in a new city, and he'd got robbed.......tough times....
Anyway the police picked him up at a train station because people were getting worried about the state he was in.
The police insisted on taking him to the nearest hospital, despite swim telling them it was just a waste of time and he had to get home.

In the end swim waited in A&E for about 3 hours, and was actually sick on the floor during that time. Then when he got to see the doctor, he simply said, 'sorry, unless you've got a script valid for this area, there's nothing i can do, don't worry, you won't die though'...

So then he had to stagger all the way back to the train station, jump the barriers, (or rather crawl over them), and bunk his way home.

eurrrhghghghhh!

That's brutal, and it's disgusting. But that's just how Sparkles has found it. Unfortunately medical professionals here are completely uncaring. Even if a nurse or a doctor moves to this area, perhaps from somewhere where addicts are treated more sympathetically, they will change. Sparkles had a French doctor a few years ago, he was so kind, he listened to her and genuinely seemed to want to help. He gave her a script for her usual pain meds, but because he gave her more than she was usually given, he was reprimanded. He left her practice and eventually left the area.

Sparkles was in hospital 2 years ago having a stent implanted (a long thin metal tube that goes from your kidney to your bladder, it makes kidney stone removal painless, it's left in for about a year) but her bladder was accidentally cut when she had her last child (C Section) and had become fused to her uterus. This wasn't picked up on until she had her hysterectomy, then she had to undergo bladder surgey at the same time to correct it. Unfortunately because of this, her bladder is now at an odd angle in her body.

On its own this posed no health risks, but when the stent was implanted it caused her excruciating pain. The doctors saw the problem on her X-Ray, and were going to operate on the Monday to try to re-situate the stent to ease the pain. On Saturday afternoon/evening the doctor came to see if the pain relief she was getting was finally at the correct dose as it had been difficult getting it just right. Not too much, she didn't want to take more opiates then she really needed, (she's an addict, she can't take chances) but not too little, (too much pain is also a big relapse trigger). She said thank you it was, but she mentioned that she was struggling to get to sleep. They discussed it and although she was offered benzo's, the doctor agreed that due to her previous addiction, her decision not to be prescribed them was a good choice. He then complimented her on her determination to stay drug free, and on her recovery.

A short time later, he came back and asked her if she'd like to go home until Sunday night, perhaps she would sleep better there, and now they'd got her pain meds sorted and she didn't need constant injections, her pain could be managed with tablets. She decided it was a good idea, but asked if her taking strong opiates home would be allowed? The doctor said "no problem." But not long afterwards, she was told that the pharmacy couldn't deliver her meds for a few hours, and due to their strength, she couldn't just go pick them up. The said normally over night drugs can be taken from ward stock, but apparently it's against the law for strong opiates to be used in this way. They have to be signed for by staff memebers as they're used on the ward, and checked off in a controlled substance book. Sparkles said "no big deal" if it couldn't be sorted soon she'd stay. The ward sister was doing the drug round in Sparkles ward/bay, and she said in a loud voice that every other patient could hear "well, if we can't provide the DRUGS you need, you can always go the 'The Junction'." She stressed the word "drugs."

"The Junction" is the main substance misuse service in this area. Everyone knows what "The Junction" is. Sparkles had been drug free for over two years at that time, and had actively refused drugs that would have fucked with her recovery. The consultant actually said "he couldn't understand how she'd managed to tolerate the pain before she decided to get medical help." Then he joked "you must really love recovery." Sparkles asked other patients what they'd heard, and they all said they'd heard the ward sister make this comment. They also said it was terrible and offered (she didn't ask) Sparkles their full names and addresses. She then she told the staff she wanted to make a complaint. To cut this disgusting testament to the NHS, and their attitude to drug users, short, Sparkles decided to just drop it in the end.

The culture here (the town where Sparkles lives) is such that any understanding nurse or doctor gets brainwashed, they become hard ans seem lose all compassion. Eventually, they adopt the biased, judgmental, attitudes and opinions of the people they work with. If they can't go with the flow, they leave. Sparkles has heard some absolute horror stories from other users.

No, addicts aren't fuckin' angels, and yes, they are devious, manipulative people. But at the end of the day, even if no treatment can be offered, they still deserve that "no" to be to be delivered with compassion, they are still entitled to be treated with respect. And are entitled to be treated by medical staff, at hospitals and doctors surgeries, with equality, regardless of their medical status.

Apologies for the over long rant, but it really is one of the only things can illicit an extreme feeling of anger in Sparkles, in fact it's the only thing that she can become totally enraged by.

Sparkles.

[Spucky]

One important point is "Why they should give a (junkie) a Painkiller"?
if a real Disaster strike a fiktive Place there will be a high demand of Painkillers,
and when ie. 100 Kids from a Kindergarten cry because of Pain even my Cat will support them and not someone who is a Drug-User!

[jloops]

Originally Posted by Spucky

One important point is "Why they should give a (junkie) a Painkiller"?
if a real Disaster strike a fiktive Place there will be a high demand of Painkillers,
and when ie. 100 Kids from a Kindergarten cry because of Pain even my Cat will support them and not someone who is a Drug-User!

Why?

Kids, OK, that's fine. But honestly, they're not going to use methadone for kindergarteners. I still don't see how the pain of an adult in withdrawal (especially from legal MMT) should be treated differently than the pain of an adult who has a physical injury.

And why on earth should a drug user's pain be treated as any less significant or worthy of treatment than another human being's?!?!?!? ESPECIALLY when we're talking about people who are on methadone maintenance -- a LEGAL, MEDICAL TREATMENT!

That'd be like telling someone that they couldn't get any medicine to continue any other legal treatment...

E.g., it would be like denying a chronic pain patient medication. Not to mention, unlike the pain of an injured person, opiate withdrawal CAN kill people! Just look up the TWO deaths in Orange County (California, USA) jail from methadone withdrawal!

Methadone maintenance is legal, and users shouldn't be discriminated against at all... If someone is on maintenance, is it fair to call them a "drug user" and discriminate against them any more than it is to refuse a former alcoholic treatment for a problem just because he's a "drug user". Neither has used any illegal drugs/intoxicating legal drugs in some time, broken a law, etc.

(As an aside, I'd hope that they'd treat someone on illicit opiates equally well, I know they wouldn't, but I wish they would. It'd only take, literally, $0.75 of methadone to make sure that they didn't have a dangerous withdrawal. And I do think that you are likely to get that much. Also bear in mind the danger of being in withdrawal in the midst of an emergency in which one might need to fight for one's life.)

Anyhow, just all the more reason to make arrangements for yourself and to make sure you'll be able to access SWIY's stock with relative ease any time there is a threat of severe weather, or, if you live in an earthquake prone area, at all times!

[Spucky]

In my Cats own Personal "System of Value" someone is responsible for all the Things he/she do!

Drug-Abuse that lead to Addiction is "mostly always" (this means not always!!!) a sign of weakness,
as well as arrogance, both are deadly Sin`s and have to be paid sooner or later!

But a discussion about this Topic need a new Thread!

Also bear in mind the danger of being in withdrawal in the midst of an emergency in which one might need to fight for one's life.

Ping Pong, one of the main-Reasons to get out of Addiction
You can`t safe anyone or yourself with a Monkey on the Back!

[missparkles]

Most addicts Sparkles knows would have no problem providing a bottle with their name on it, and ID to prove they are who they say they are, but it would still be bogus. Junkies are very resourceful people.
And in an emergency the fight or flight response would kick in, regardless of anyone being in WD, you couldn't stop it, and you would survive.
Sparkles.

[Dickon]

[last two posts ^ ^]

interesting, if somewhat depressing stuff, but let's keep this thread on topic please.

Thanks

Dickon