MORE ADDICTS TURNING TO PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS

Heroin Use Waning In Most Cities Studied

OTTAWA - Forget heroin. Legal prescription drugs readily available in
pharmacies are now the major source of illicit

opioid drug abuse in several major Canadian cities, a new study
released today reveals.

That raises questions about drug control in the country, it says.

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

"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 were 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 Edmonton, Vancouver,
Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Fredericton and Saint John.

After tracking the changes in drug abuse patterns throughout the
study period, researchers were surprised to see heroin use waned in every city.

In fact, 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.

The increasing trend toward prescription painkiller abuse is a major
problem, Fischer said, which signals significant changes are needed
in the way government and law enforcement approach drug control.

Under the current system, officials are focused on cracking down on
heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs and keeping them out of the country.

But little is being done about the fact Oxycontin, morphine and other
opioids are well-stocked in pharmacies and readily available
virtually everywhere, Fischer said. It's not difficult for addicted
drug users to get their hands on prescription painkillers either, he
said. While some people may steal the drugs, others simply use
"double doctoring" -- seeking the same prescription from several
doctors over a short period of time.

"It's relatively easy in our system to get prescription opioids,"
Fischer said. "We do relatively little to control or monitor what people get."

While many people use such drugs properly to help cope with pain,
government and police in Canada can't ignore the fact many people are
hooked on those drugs, he said.

"They're legitimately in the country, but they're going into the
wrong hands," he said.

In order to address the problem, he said there first needs to be
greater recognition that abuse of prescription painkillers has become
a crippling problem in Canada. Then health officials must focus on
developing prevention and treatment programs.