WHY NOT? –

Nov. 14, 2024 – Officer Keith Graves said he’s watched addicts on the streets of San Francisco use a spoon to melt down Suboxone, “stick a syringe into that orange, goopy mess, and then inject it into their body.” In fact, that kind of abuse is something Graves encountered frequently, beginning in the late 2000s when an informant told him she snorted her Suboxone pills to get high. Technically, that’s not supposed to be possible with medications like Suboxone. The substance is chemically engineered with naloxone, a drug that blocks the euphoria-like effects of opioids on the brain’s opioid receptors. It’s designed to kick in if users inject or inhale their pills. But Graves said addicts still find ways to get around those safeguards and abuse their medications.

Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration substantiates Graves’ claim. The agency estimated about 8,500 people who were enrolled in publicly funded treatment centers in 2019 sought help for buprenorphine abuse. About 43 percent of these people listed buprenorphine as their primary drug of choice.

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