Drug Kingpin’s Arrest Unlikely To Ease Abuse Cycle On Skidrow
A coordinated sweep leading to 16 arrests wasn't connected to the recent outbreak of illnesses related to the powerful opioid fentanyl, but both shine a light on the drug abuse problem embedded in LA's homeless population.
The Los Angeles Daily News:
Crackdown On Skid Row Drug Dealing Won’t Stop ‘Evil People’ Who Sell
The pre-dawn arrest Wednesday of a suspected drug kingpin and his associates accused of selling narcotics in Los Angeles’ Skid Row likely won’t alleviate a complicated substance abuse cycle deeply embedded in downtown’s homeless, advocates said. (Abram, 4/27)
And in other news, an effective, but costly, way to save lives —
Reuters:
Anti-HIV Pill Not Cost Effective Among U.S. Drug Abusers
Providing anti-HIV pills to people who abuse injection drugs in the U.S. would reduce infections and save lives but end up costing the healthcare system billions of dollars a year, researchers say. The message for policymakers is that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among injection drug abusers is effective, but very costly, said study author Dr. Douglas Owens. (Seaman, 4/27)