Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, September 13, 2011
Drugs Levamisole Test-Kit Results: An Update
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 10:31 AM
It's been about a year since The Stranger published its four-part series on the mystery of the tainted cocaine and launched test kits so people could test their cocaine (rock, powder, whatever) for levamisole, a drug intended for livestock that's being cut into the world's cocaine supply (for reasons that still aren't definitively understood) and can obliterate the immune systems of regular users.
Since the national Center for Disease Control stopped keeping track of levamisole due to budget cuts, The Stranger (along with Dr. Mike Clark, DanceSafe, and the good people at People's Harm-Reduction Alliance in the University District) included pre-stamped, totally anonymous postcard-surveys with each kit.
One arrived yesterday saying that the test was positive for levamisole and that the user "just quit smoking crack because of this test... I have spent thousands of dollars on a drug that is killing me." To that recent crack-quitter: Our pleasure and good luck. She/he also requested that the "dangers should be more publicized."
To that end, here you go.
And our survey results show a 91.50% contamination rate of cocaine in the Northwest (from Vancouver to Portland). Basically, it's safe to assume that if you're taking cocaine you're taking levamisole. (Old national estimates put the contamination rate at around 70%.) We still don't know why levamisole makes some people sick and leaves other people alone. But the take-away message is that some people are still getting sick and we don't know why. We tend to see more sickness in people who use daily, so there may be a cumulative effect. But the CDC stopped its research, so we're still surrounded by a haze of mystery.
Please—try to play safe, users. You're good people. We need you. And if you come across a kit, please use it and fill out the survey. We're not trying to bust you. We're just trying, in our meager way, to figure out what the fuck is going on.
Thanks to Girlie Press for printing these survey-postcards pro bono, to the attorneys-general of King County and the City of Seattle for agreeing to interpret these kits as a public-health measure and not distribution of drug paraphernalia, and to Alison Holcomb of the ACLU for helping us make that case to them.
1
wow, that's a great thing you guys are doing for the community. gee, if drugs were legal they could also be safe and the people who supply them could be held accountable. but once again politicians would rather see us die.
3
Thanks for doing this. Geez, it'd be nice if our federal government actually did help with this. So much for "public health." I guess we'd rather spend the money bombing people than paying good scientists to help keep people safer.
4
" great thing you guys are doing for the community"
Yes, the Crackhead community. Such a caring bunch.
Yes, the Crackhead community. Such a caring bunch.
5
You know... This could be seen as proof that the private sector will step up where the Federal Government steps aside. Arguably, the Stranger may be able to do this better than the Feds could...
7
@1: "politicians would rather see us die."
Well, miiltary contractors and prison-industrials are involved heavily in the War on Drugs, so they applaud the loss of life and liberty as a cost of doing good business.
Well, miiltary contractors and prison-industrials are involved heavily in the War on Drugs, so they applaud the loss of life and liberty as a cost of doing good business.
8
@4: Well, Nazi eugenicist as this particular anon is, it's just good money.
"Why fight natural selection?"
Because it's a waste of money to fight these, and to eventually pay more in the cost of health care and cleaning up the mess. It's fiscally conservative AND progressive.
"Why fight natural selection?"
Because it's a waste of money to fight these, and to eventually pay more in the cost of health care and cleaning up the mess. It's fiscally conservative AND progressive.
9
Thank you, undead ayn rand. For what it's worth, you're my favorite Slog commenter. Keep up the good work.
10
@5 - the feds have the ability to fund research, track use and success of treatment methods, and, you know, put more than a couple volunteers working part-time on the problem. Public health is one of the primary fields where governments can do much, much more than the private sector. But hey, put your money where your mouth is and throw DanceSafe and PHRA some money for our efforts.
11
@5, you're kidding right? Maybe after the Stranger and some volunteers completely solve the whole Levamisole problem, they cure AIDS and Swine flue, too. Yeah, we don't need no stinking CDC.
12
@5: "You know... This could be seen as proof that the private sector will step up where the Federal Government steps aside. Arguably, the Stranger may be able to do this better than the Feds could..."
What a strange argument for getting rid of regulations entirely. This IS the free market's doing, as I do not yet have proof that the Feds are doping the Northwest's cocaine supply. I'm pro-legalization, not pro-encouraging everyone to self-certify their own safety.
What a strange argument for getting rid of regulations entirely. This IS the free market's doing, as I do not yet have proof that the Feds are doping the Northwest's cocaine supply. I'm pro-legalization, not pro-encouraging everyone to self-certify their own safety.
15
Well, I can guarantee that you also have a 100% chance of taking cocaine, which last I checked is actually a pretty dangerous drug. What's next, test kits for heroin users? How about urging people to not take cocaine at all? Help them get cleaned up? Seems like a sensible and responsible thing to do, instead of insuring their drug habbit is free of undesired contaminants.
It wasn't killing you before? Funny how you're seeing levamisole as the problem and not the cocaine addiction.
And our survey results show a 91.50% contamination rate of cocaine in the Northwest (from Vancouver to Portland). Basically, it's safe to assume that if you're taking cocaine you're taking levamisole.
Well, I can guarantee that you also have a 100% chance of taking cocaine, which last I checked is actually a pretty dangerous drug. What's next, test kits for heroin users? How about urging people to not take cocaine at all? Help them get cleaned up? Seems like a sensible and responsible thing to do, instead of insuring their drug habbit is free of undesired contaminants.
"just quit smoking crack because of this test... I have spent thousands of dollars on a drug that is killing me."
It wasn't killing you before? Funny how you're seeing levamisole as the problem and not the cocaine addiction.
17
This is probably the most respectable thing The Stranger has done in a long time. Nice work.
91.5% is crazy high -- I didn't expect that.
91.5% is crazy high -- I didn't expect that.
18
So choosing to snort or smoke cocaine is a public health issue, just like say, Avian Flu? Good luck selling that stupidity to voters and taxpayers.
19
@18: Yes, consensual crimes need to be understood as a part of life.
Stop sucking-off the prison industrials. You've been transferring our wealth to them for multibillion dollar jails for decades, let alone how prohibition wastes the efforts of LEOs and customs agents.
How about you find the other members of your Temperance League and fuck off to candyland where you can experiment with a drug-free "moralistic" society?
Stop sucking-off the prison industrials. You've been transferring our wealth to them for multibillion dollar jails for decades, let alone how prohibition wastes the efforts of LEOs and customs agents.
How about you find the other members of your Temperance League and fuck off to candyland where you can experiment with a drug-free "moralistic" society?
20
But yeah, because the industry disproportionately targets americans of color, you're all for it, no matter how much money it saps from America. White supremacists are the dumbest fuckers, you'd rather encourage more crime and murders as long as it pushes your "race war" ideology forward.
21
@16
How exactly? Taking only untained cocaine is somehow better than taking no cocaine at all? Seems the easy solution to the tainted cocaine problem, and better overall, is to simply stop using cocaine. Why waste time improving the safety of a hard drug? Get the people off of it.
How exactly? Taking only untained cocaine is somehow better than taking no cocaine at all? Seems the easy solution to the tainted cocaine problem, and better overall, is to simply stop using cocaine. Why waste time improving the safety of a hard drug? Get the people off of it.
22
@20 anyone still using coke in 2011 is among the douchiest of all useless douchey faggots. BTW, every time you score you directly support the violence in Mexico. How do you feel about that?
23
@22: I don't do coke. Alcohol prohibition directly supported the Mafia, that sure worked out well. I'm glad to hear you enjoy propping up violent Mexican drug cartels.
24
@21: Pragmatism doesn't involve living in a fantasy world, it involves the world we have to work with, the people on it, and their default state, which is the regular use/abuse of mind-altering substances.
25
@23 and so do you by telling coke using fags that's it's ok to line cartel pockets to get high. Deal with it. I've never paid for their bullets. If you've done drugs from Mexico you have.
26
@25: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition…
Support the wars that last forever.
Classy of you to point out that only "fags" use cocaine, though. That really added to the weight of your brainless thought-vomit.
Support the wars that last forever.
Classy of you to point out that only "fags" use cocaine, though. That really added to the weight of your brainless thought-vomit.
27
My use of the word "fag" a la South Park simply refers to anyone who is such a fucking tool that they still use coke and/or justify it's use as just another lifestyle choice.
28
@27: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park_…
Juvenile insults don't make up for willful ignorance.
Try finding more nuance to work with than "Just Say No" and work on understanding the scope of this issue. You're getting hung up on "consensual crimes" and rule of law without trying to understand what's the best solution for this country. Stop getting off on the suffering of your "lessers", their failures don't make you any more likely to succeed.
Juvenile insults don't make up for willful ignorance.
Try finding more nuance to work with than "Just Say No" and work on understanding the scope of this issue. You're getting hung up on "consensual crimes" and rule of law without trying to understand what's the best solution for this country. Stop getting off on the suffering of your "lessers", their failures don't make you any more likely to succeed.
29
Are people more likely to send in the postcard if they have a positive result? I could see users with positive results freaking out, feeling like they have to do something, and sending in the card. Meanwhile, perhaps the users with negative results shrug and go about their business and forget about the postcard.
31
Undead Ayn Rand is most likely a childish Marxist who also thinks that would work in the real world. Look beyond his tired legalization talking points. Ok twit, you just legalized cocaine in the USA. Your "Portugal" model doesn't end the violence in Mexico. Oh, but then when it's legal the cartels will out of business right? They"ll all just switch jobs? Do you think it will be sold at Bartell's? Do think any legit American company would sell you a lethal drug without a doctor's prescription and be sued for billions when you all OD? In Portugal possession is decriminalized not legalized and trafficking/production is as illegal as ever. The cartels aren't going anywhere no matter what we legalize here.
32
@31 - ending alcohol prohibition didn't destroy the Mafia, but hey, no one is getting killed in drive-bys over liquor distribution turf.
And how much more money should we spend on propping up one side of the Mexican and Colombian drug wars, how many more pesticides must we spray on poor farmers, how many more DARE programs must we set up, how many more Americans must we lock up in order to finally get people to stop using illicit drugs? So far we've spent about a trillion dollars and lock up 2 million people a year, with a couple billion dollars going to Mexico and Colombia e. Maybe if we just really, REALLY tell people not to use drugs this time, maybe arrest the 10 million Americans who used drugs last year, and spend another couple trillion we'll have this beat. Whaddya say?
And how much more money should we spend on propping up one side of the Mexican and Colombian drug wars, how many more pesticides must we spray on poor farmers, how many more DARE programs must we set up, how many more Americans must we lock up in order to finally get people to stop using illicit drugs? So far we've spent about a trillion dollars and lock up 2 million people a year, with a couple billion dollars going to Mexico and Colombia e. Maybe if we just really, REALLY tell people not to use drugs this time, maybe arrest the 10 million Americans who used drugs last year, and spend another couple trillion we'll have this beat. Whaddya say?
33
@31: "Your "Portugal" model doesn't end the violence in Mexico"
And ending prohibition didn't end crime. You're still chasing your tail.
"Do think any legit American company would sell you a lethal drug without a doctor's prescription and be sued for billions when you all OD?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco
You may not have heard of them, HTH HAND.
And ending prohibition didn't end crime. You're still chasing your tail.
"Do think any legit American company would sell you a lethal drug without a doctor's prescription and be sued for billions when you all OD?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco
You may not have heard of them, HTH HAND.
34
Ah, but clearly we are forgetting the sage wisdom of Pretty Little Hippie aka DARE:
"I know, and admit, that I do not know. Conflict, contradiction. They are not something I run from. Something I take refuge from in a house that I 'OWN', away from the daily struggle for survival that remains the status quo for the bulk of life as we know it. "
"I know, and admit, that I do not know. Conflict, contradiction. They are not something I run from. Something I take refuge from in a house that I 'OWN', away from the daily struggle for survival that remains the status quo for the bulk of life as we know it. "
35
Also, overdoses are FAR LESS COMMON in any area where drug purity and availability is able to be monitored.
For example-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harm_reduct…
The Swiss have been not giving Methadone out (much harder to quit) but Heroin, directly. Saving taxpayers money in the long run.
Harm is reduced, lives are saved (and productive again) and taxpayer funds are still used, but enforcement cost is DRASTICALLY REDUCED. Treatment is always cheaper than paramilitary (and active military) enforcement.
But that doesn't fit in with your sanctimonious moralizing. Fuck off, addicts don't deserve to die because you don't like them. Your life is not more valuable than theirs, and you would rather see someone in jail because you disapprove of their lifestyle choices.
You're a selfish prick, don't pretend to be anyone's savior.
For example-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harm_reduct…
The Swiss have been not giving Methadone out (much harder to quit) but Heroin, directly. Saving taxpayers money in the long run.
Harm is reduced, lives are saved (and productive again) and taxpayer funds are still used, but enforcement cost is DRASTICALLY REDUCED. Treatment is always cheaper than paramilitary (and active military) enforcement.
But that doesn't fit in with your sanctimonious moralizing. Fuck off, addicts don't deserve to die because you don't like them. Your life is not more valuable than theirs, and you would rather see someone in jail because you disapprove of their lifestyle choices.
You're a selfish prick, don't pretend to be anyone's savior.
36
@34: "Ah, but clearly we are forgetting the sage wisdom of Pretty Little Hippie aka DARE"
My eyes vomited before those words could reach my brain. Stoner philosophy is the worst.
My eyes vomited before those words could reach my brain. Stoner philosophy is the worst.
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