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I live in Vancouver which has always been ground zero for opiates for 30+ years. 1100 deaths a year just here over fentanyl. Constant ambulances and fire trucks

I live in Vancouver which has always been ground zero for opiates for 30+ years. 1100 deaths a year just here over fentanyl. Constant ambulances and fire trucks on at all times just injecting narcan. Article about how China is basically using the trade as a bargaining trade and extradition chip. https://globalnews.ca/news/4658188/fentanyl-china-canada-diplomatic-tensions/ https://globalnews.ca/news/4658188/fentanyl-china-canada-dip... Seem to remember us joining the Afghan war for fewer deaths.

mediaman 8y ago
Very interesting. The Chinese are doing the same thing the Brits did to them: getting an entire country addicted to opiates. In that one, Britain went to war with the Chinese when the Chinese tried to stop the flow of opium. Something like 10-20% of the population of the entire country was addicted.
- adventured 8y ago
  > The Chinese are doing the same thing the Brits did to them: getting an entire country addicted to opiates. No, that's not actually happening at all in fact, either in the US or Canada. Most of what you're seeing re China is fentanyl - because it's extraordinarily potent - killing a lot of people that would otherwise not be overdosing from heroin at anywhere near the same rate. Their culpability in the spread of opioid use and addiction is minimal, it's primarily the increase in overdose deaths that China's fentanyl is contributing to. US doctors and some specific pharma companies have the vast majority of responsibility when it comes to the opioid addiction and abuse increases we've seen in the US over the last decade.
- sbhn 8y ago
  I suspect that the lengths US and UK go to keep influence over afghanistan is so that it can reintroduce the flow of heroin into china if they ever wants to play that card again
  - bootlooped 8y ago
    I think that ship has sailed. China's strong military and police state would prevent such a thing from happening today. The only way I could see that happening would be by first crushing China in all-out war; but if you do that first then what use would the heroin be?
    - sbhn 8y ago
      Anytime anybody critices china, you only have to replace the word with america, or england, and the story is the same. Except, using china in a sentance significantly raises the clickbait value.
acct1771 8y ago
Is narcan injected now?
- bundiddly 8y ago
  It's usually given as an intramuscular injection. The intranasal form works, but is not quite as effective (though avoids the potential for a needlestick injury to the provider).
- nacho2sweet 8y ago
  It is injected and some of the opiates on the streets are so strong here you are starting to need administer multiple injections. There is the nasal spray and that is often given out on the streets so addicts can help each other. There are narcan administration classes all the time and it is given to and by night life workers because fentanyl is showing up in party drugs like cocaine and mdma. Lots of friends said they have quit their favourite extracurriculars but they get drunk and in a good mood and forget at 2am, or they know their dealer etc... Pretty scary.
acdanger 8y ago
I wasn't aware that Vancouver had a significant opiate problem. Is it just a supply and demand at play via close ties with China? Or are there societal issues at play?
- nacho2sweet 8y ago
  Both. We are/where a major port gateway to Hong Kong/China going way back so triads came in and heroin trafficking came with it. It has always been very cheap, and supposedly high quality back when. Societal stuff is often natives coming into town already in poverty escaping reserves and getting into it, and also people from just across Canada in general that are maybe already addicts. Vancouver has the most mellow climate in Canada as well if you are homeless. East Hastings where it was concentrated was kind of a place hard partying loggers would go and hook up with escorts in cheap motels for a week, so it bred a bunch of bad stuff that never went away 40+ years later. Also neighbouring districts and suburbs don't support their homeless populations so it was just concentrating. Now that there is a affordability crisis here every suburb around has a crazy homeless tent city in parks they are kicking out and moving every 2 months, and opiates def play a big part in those. But the suburbs are full of sort of white baby boomer or new landed chinese immigrant populations who aren't used to dealing with it and don't want any homeless shelters built in their neighborhoods. The stories that make the news the most are probably the same ones in the states where it is like white kid in suburbs taking a fake xanax with fentanyl or a MDMA pill probably pressed in a same pill press or having fentanyl mixed in for whatever reason and OD'ing.
solidsnack9000 8y ago
Article about how China is basically using the trade as a bargaining trade and extradition chip. China encouraging the flow of opiates to a western port city to try to obtain political cooperation?

mediaman 8y ago

Very interesting. The Chinese are doing the same thing the Brits did to them: getting an entire country addicted to opiates. In that one, Britain went to war with the Chinese when the Chinese tried to stop the flow of opium. Something like 10-20% of the population of the entire country was addicted.

adventured 8y ago
> The Chinese are doing the same thing the Brits did to them: getting an entire country addicted to opiates. No, that's not actually happening at all in fact, either in the US or Canada. Most of what you're seeing re China is fentanyl - because it's extraordinarily potent - killing a lot of people that would otherwise not be overdosing from heroin at anywhere near the same rate. Their culpability in the spread of opioid use and addiction is minimal, it's primarily the increase in overdose deaths that China's fentanyl is contributing to. US doctors and some specific pharma companies have the vast majority of responsibility when it comes to the opioid addiction and abuse increases we've seen in the US over the last decade.
sbhn 8y ago
I suspect that the lengths US and UK go to keep influence over afghanistan is so that it can reintroduce the flow of heroin into china if they ever wants to play that card again
- bootlooped 8y ago
  I think that ship has sailed. China's strong military and police state would prevent such a thing from happening today. The only way I could see that happening would be by first crushing China in all-out war; but if you do that first then what use would the heroin be?
  - sbhn 8y ago
    Anytime anybody critices china, you only have to replace the word with america, or england, and the story is the same. Except, using china in a sentance significantly raises the clickbait value.

acct1771 8y ago

Is narcan injected now?

bundiddly 8y ago
It's usually given as an intramuscular injection. The intranasal form works, but is not quite as effective (though avoids the potential for a needlestick injury to the provider).
nacho2sweet 8y ago
It is injected and some of the opiates on the streets are so strong here you are starting to need administer multiple injections. There is the nasal spray and that is often given out on the streets so addicts can help each other. There are narcan administration classes all the time and it is given to and by night life workers because fentanyl is showing up in party drugs like cocaine and mdma. Lots of friends said they have quit their favourite extracurriculars but they get drunk and in a good mood and forget at 2am, or they know their dealer etc... Pretty scary.

acdanger 8y ago

I wasn't aware that Vancouver had a significant opiate problem. Is it just a supply and demand at play via close ties with China? Or are there societal issues at play?

nacho2sweet 8y ago
Both. We are/where a major port gateway to Hong Kong/China going way back so triads came in and heroin trafficking came with it. It has always been very cheap, and supposedly high quality back when. Societal stuff is often natives coming into town already in poverty escaping reserves and getting into it, and also people from just across Canada in general that are maybe already addicts. Vancouver has the most mellow climate in Canada as well if you are homeless. East Hastings where it was concentrated was kind of a place hard partying loggers would go and hook up with escorts in cheap motels for a week, so it bred a bunch of bad stuff that never went away 40+ years later. Also neighbouring districts and suburbs don't support their homeless populations so it was just concentrating. Now that there is a affordability crisis here every suburb around has a crazy homeless tent city in parks they are kicking out and moving every 2 months, and opiates def play a big part in those. But the suburbs are full of sort of white baby boomer or new landed chinese immigrant populations who aren't used to dealing with it and don't want any homeless shelters built in their neighborhoods. The stories that make the news the most are probably the same ones in the states where it is like white kid in suburbs taking a fake xanax with fentanyl or a MDMA pill probably pressed in a same pill press or having fentanyl mixed in for whatever reason and OD'ing.

solidsnack9000 8y ago

Article about how China is basically using the trade as a bargaining trade and extradition chip. China encouraging the flow of opiates to a western port city to try to obtain political cooperation?