Unpacking Police Statements on Drug Seizures: What Do We Know?

Police communications about drug seizures fluctuate extensively of their accuracy. These statements not often share particular proof or information sources and generally include errors or overstatements, as within the current case in Belleville, Ontario and rising info on Prince George. Police asserting giant seizures of prescribed options to the unregulated drug provide as Prince George RCMP did this month might drive concern and affect coverage, even when primarily based totally on assumption. With out forensic testing, police might base their conclusions on visible assessments of form, measurement, color and packaging. Many of those visible clues may be intently copied by producers of counterfeit tablets.  

Most hydromorphone is prescribed for ache administration, not as secure provide. If police would not have proof of the explanations seized medicines have been prescribed, it’s irresponsible for them to invest. If police have demonstrable proof that drug seizures embody prescription medicines, they need to discuss with them as such, relatively than guess or assume they’re prescribed safer provide. 

We all know a couple of issues for sure:  

There’s all the time some chance that individuals will re-sell or give away their medicines, irrespective of the rationale they’re prescribed. The sale of prescribed drugs on the illicit market will not be a brand new phenomenon. We additionally know that prescribed options account for under 14 per cent of hydromorphone prescribed within the province of BC – the overwhelming majority of hydromorphone prescriptions are for ache administration.  
We have now zero doubts as to what continues to kill hundreds of individuals throughout the nation, and it isn’t prescription medicines. Unregulated illicit medicine are driving deaths. Charges of drug use throughout Canada have remained steady over the previous decade, whereas drug deaths have skyrocketed. The unregulated drug provide has develop into drastically extra poisonous and extra harmful.  

In response to Well being Canada, of all unintentional obvious opioid toxicity deaths from January to June 2023, 80 per cent concerned opioids that have been solely non-pharmaceutical. Information from the BC Coroners Service exhibits no indication prescribed options are driving deaths. Hydromorphone was detected in three per cent of expedited toxicological testing in 2023, whereas illicit fentanyl was current in 85 per cent of such checks. 

We all know counterfeit prescription tablets are manufactured and bought on the illicit market. These medicine are unregulated and may be harmful, partly as a result of they could be seen as decrease threat. It’s unclear whether or not or to what extent police check seized medicine to find out their precise contents earlier than making public statements, versus assuming their supply and contents primarily based on look or different clues. 
Police declare by eradicating illicit medicine from the streets, they save lives. However rising proof exhibits drug busts are related to increased deadly overdose charges.  

It’s helpful to know why and to what extent prescribed drugs make their approach into the illicit drug market. We should navigate that actuality, each to help individuals and communities and to make sure prescribed options are efficient in lowering the harms of unregulated medicine. But when we search to cease mass drug toxicity deaths, fixating on prescribed drugs misses the purpose. 

We can’t lump all substances collectively. Prescription medicines have the potential to be dangerous, however they don’t kill 22 individuals day by day in Canada. It’s unregulated illicit medicine which are killing individuals. We depend on police to share correct details about public security. Stoking public misunderstanding and concern about prescribed options – a doubtlessly lifesaving intervention with the help of the Provincial Well being Officer, the BC Coroner’s Workplace, the BC Coroner’s Knowledgeable Demise Evaluation panel, a variety of well being professionals, policymakers, public well being specialists, researchers, and sure, even a variety of police companies – is an irresponsible distraction.