Heroin use in Canada has declined, and prescription opioids such as
morphine, OxyContin or Dilaudid now make up the biggest share of
illicit opioid use, note researchers in the currentCanadian Medical
Association Journal.
A team led by Benedikt Fischer, of the University of Victoria, in
British Columbia, analyzed data from the OPICAN study, a multi-site
examination of drug use patterns among opioid users across Canada.
The researchers said their findings have several implications.
They noted that people who use prescription opioids illegally usually
obtain the drugs directly or indirectly (i.e., through partners or
friends) from sources within the medical system. Changes may be needed
in the way that opioid addiction treatment programs are managed, the
researchers suggested.
The study was prompted by reports of substantial increases in
prescription opioid abuse in Canada.
Source:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/24/AR2006112400675.html
.