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‘Painkiller 50 times stronger than heroin ‘kills at least 60’ ‘
https://www.rt.com/uk/398293-drug-death-heroin-fentanyl/
“At least 60 people have died in Britain since December after taking fentanyl, a dangerous opioid painkiller that dealers are mixing with street heroin to make it 50 times more potent.
Read more
© Global Look Press‘Serial Killer’ drug strikes UK after causing deadly addiction epidemic in US
The alarming statistic comes as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced on Wednesday that drug deaths have hit a record high in England and Wales. Some 3,744 people were fatally poisoned by both legal and illegal drugs in 2016, 60 more than the previous year, it says.
It is the highest number since comparable statistics began in 1993.
Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine. A chemical adaptation of the synthetic drug, called carfentanyl, an elephant tranquilizer, can be up to 10,000 times stronger than street heroin…
‘Prince’s death drug prescribed to New Zealand’s elderly’
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/83570824/princes-death-drug-prescribed-to-new-zealands-elderly
“The drug that killed popstar Prince is being prescribed to New Zealand’s elderly in record numbers, prompting a warning from the Government health watchdog.
The spike in prescriptions of fentanyl – a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin – is being described as “opioid rain” by alarmed medical professionals.
An investigation has found rates of prescribing have doubled in rest homes in four years, while doctors are dishing out strong opioids to already frail over-80s around 10 times more often than to those under 65. Prescription rates varied wildly between regions…
‘One company symbolises everything sickening about the opioid crisis’
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/opioid-crisis-and-insys-therapeutics-fentanyl-spray-2017-4
‘Fentanyl Billionaire Comes Under Fire as Death Toll Mounts From Prescription Opioids ‘
“Employees of John N. Kapoor’s Insys Therapeutics bribed doctors to prescribe large, off-label doses of painkiller, prosecutors charge”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fentanyl-billionaire-comes-under-fire-as-death-toll-mounts-from-prescription-opioids-1479830968
Caucus has lost control!
‘DOJ to deploy ‘opioid fraud & abuse’ units to 12 US cities’
https://www.rt.com/usa/398373-doj-deploying-opioid-fraud-units/
“A dozen federal prosecutors will be sent to cities ravaged by the opioid epidemic to investigate health care fraud and opioid scams fueling the drug abuse epidemic, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced.
Prosecutors will be based in US attorney’s offices in Alabama, California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia.
The use of prescription opioids has been the lead cause of the drug overdose crisis. More than 52,000 Americans died of overdoses in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Heroin was among the lead causes of death, but autopsy records showed that fentanyl – a synthetic opiate 50 times stronger than morphine – had flooded Ohio and was largely to blame for the spike in deaths, reported the Dispatch.
The five companies being sued are Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc unit, a unit of Endo International Plc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd’s Cephalon unit and Allergan Plc.
…Opioids are the most prescribed class of drugs and generated $11 billion in revenue for drug companies in 2014 alone, according to the complaint.
…A growing number of state and local governments are suing drug makers and distributors, seeking to hold them accountable for the opioid crisis. In 2015, Kentucky settled a similar lawsuit that accused Purdue Pharma of misleading the public about the addictiveness of the prescription drug OxyContin. The company agreed to pay the state $24 million.
Very aware of how out of control America is.
My concern is the Minester for health has lost control of his ministry and caucus has let the issue of insufficient Southern Health DHB ICU beds get away. There’s no redundancy to move patients around to other DHB’s where ICU beds are available. Meanwhile Cancer Patients are at extreme health risks.
And now this new issue in the health sector.
The current government are criminally liable. There are plenty dead corpses that indicate that.
+100…and question is how much of a problem does New Zealand have with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids …either prescribed or on the streets
With the election outcome expected to be a close race, the Maori seats may be pivotal in determining the outcome.
Therefore, if the Greens genuinely want to “change the Government” why aren’t they open to doing an endorsement deal with Labour?
Moreover, doing a deal presents the Greens with the opportunity to bolster their negotiation power in exchange for giving Labour their support.
Hence, if the Greens want to increase the odds of changing the Government and want to boost their chances of getting more of their own policy through, surely they’d be into doing a deal?
Of note, two things have changed since the MOU was signed. The Māori Party and the Mana Party have signed an agreement to work together. Labour’s Maori candidates have come off the party list (however, Kelvin will now be back on the list being deputy PM).
Another lame ‘watchdog’ signs off, this time before his time was up:
‘ Auditor-General Martin Matthews stands down’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11898467
Questions remain with the Office of the Auditor General and other watch-dogs, often not investigating matters all that seriously, if they would ever bother. And too often rather doing all to find ways to excuse government agencies’ and some individual’s conduct and handling of affairs and money.
Some things are left untouched, especially where high offices are involved:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2016/09/05/the-new-zealand-ombudsman-underfunded-and-compromised-the-auditor-general-sees-no-need-for-action/
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/senior-scientist-and-legal-experts-discredit-evidence-used-by-msd-and-dr-bratt-when-claiming-the-health-benefits-of-work/
I hear other stories about the Privacy Commissioner and Health and Disability Commissioner, and them dismissing complaints all the time. So much for New Zealand watchdogs, who lost too many teeth.
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