LEGAL DRUG ABUSE SOARS

Forget heroin. Legal prescription drugs readily available in
pharmacies are now the major source of illicit opioid drug abuse in
several major Canadian cities, which raises questions about drug
control in the country, a new study released today reveals.

Research shows users are turning to opioids, or prescription
painkillers such as Oxycontin, Percocet and morphine, at an
increasing rate. Heroin addiction has been one of the most
significant drug problems in Canada for years.

"The intensity of the shift surprised me quite a bit," said Dr.
Benedikt Fischer, study author and addictions researcher at the
Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia. "This study, for
the first time, shows that systematically, and I would not have
assumed, this is such a dramatic shift."

The findings are published in today's issue of the Canadian Medical
Association Journal.

The study looked at hundreds of regular users of illicit opioids from
2001 to 2005 to track their use patterns and other social and health
factors. Researchers focused on 679 users in 2001 and followed up
with about 60 per cent in 2005. Researchers recruited new
participants in order to ensure a large enough sample size in the
follow-up. The study involved drug users in Vancouver, Edmonton,
Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Fredericton and Saint John. After
tracking changes in drug abuse patterns throughout the study period,
researchers were surprised to see heroin use waned in every city in the study.

Vancouver and Montreal were the only cities where heroin was the most
commonly used opioid among study participants. In some cities, heroin
use was virtually absent. Researchers also found the use of crack and
cocaine declined throughout the study period.