They were warned! Withdrawal crisis in Canada.

The fallout from removing OxyContin from the market is here! A month ago the high-powered pain drug was removed from the shelves of Canadian pharmacies amid warnings that there was going to be a withdrawal crisis among those who were addicted to it. At the risk of being unfair, I feel that this is another example of a government completely missing the mark on a problem. With the removal of the pills, the treatment and detox programs are reportedly being flooded with patients. Fears are growing that those unable to get help with withdrawals will turn to other drugs -- notably heroin. For an account of what's going on <click here> . It appears that the heroin dealers are seeing a great new market and, as you'd expect are gearing up to provide for it.

Authorities have traditionally focused their attention on those selling the drugs and have relegated those who are the victims of using them to some isolated corner where they got little, if any, concern or attention. The economic notions of supply and demand apply to illicit substances just as much as they do to hamburgers, automobiles or tennis shoes. When there is a demand for something, a supplier will respond with a product which he makes available for a price. When there is no demand, the sellers disappear. Individuals afflicted with substance addiction have a demand ... and there will be a supply made available in response to it. That supply typically will be some kind of drug (heroin is cheaper and becoming more available than oxycodone). On the other hand, we have to trust that a significant number of individuals would constitute a demand for treatment and recovery mechanisms that would help them move toward breaking free from the chains that hold them into substance dependency. Unfortunately, those able and equipped to make a supply in response have not found the profit (or any other) motive to do so.