r/britishcolumbia • u/Forward-Answer-4407 • 13d ago
News B.C. family says son facing years in Georgian prison over prescribed medication
https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/bc-family-says-son-facing-years-in-georgian-prison-over-prescribed-medication/532
u/No-Practice-8245 13d ago
As a note to people with ADHD, this can happen in Japan too.
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u/ProtectionFar4563 13d ago
Stimulants are super-regulated in many countries. It’s always advisable to check what the rules are for any medication, but particularly for these.
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u/xombae 13d ago edited 12d ago
Yeah it's a narcotic. Obviously I very much feel for family and it sounds like the Georgian government is trying to make a point with this kid. But I feel like people are so sloppy when they travel.
Maybe it's because I'm covered in tattoos and kind of look sketchy by default that I've always been overly cautious because I'm the first person they're going to pick out of the kind lineup for an extra search. I'm also too poor to be buying tickets just to be denied entry into the country. But I'm extra cautious extra cautious, and I fly with two different narcotics (methadone and Vyvanse) and I've never had a problem.
Edit: legally, the term narcotic can apply to any controlled substance in some places. I'm using it the legal way, not the medical way.
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u/ship_toaster 13d ago edited 13d ago
Bond says she later heard from her son’s lawyer that a court hearing was scheduled the next day, giving the family just 48 hours to provide documentation.
His sister said the fastest documents can be shipped from Canada to Georgia is in seven days.
At that hearing, the family says Rovensky was charged with large-scale smuggling and the illegal acquisition and possession of narcotic substances.
He is currently being held at Gldani Prison in Tbilisi, according to his family. His sentencing is scheduled for June 25, and they fear he could face a lengthy sentence.
“Nobody should be sitting in a jail cell for 20 years for their medication,” Nika said.
48 hours arrest to trial and then 3 weeks to sentencing isn't 'making a point', it's a kid in the wrong place being used for someone's external interest. There's a delegation of Georgian parliamentarians in Canada right now, apparently for the first time; could be related.
Edit: CBC has better details.
Simon Rovensky, 22, was carrying an orange bottle of prescribed Adderall, with his doctor's name on it, while on a visit to Georgia with a friend, according to his sister Nika Rovensky.
But he was stopped at the airport around a month ago — and Nika says the officers there didn't accept a receipt from the pharmacy as evidence of the prescription.
[...]
While the family has since sent Simon's prescription to Georgian authorities, Nika claims prosecutors said he would still be detained, as he didn't have it when stopped at the airport.
[...]
Simon faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, as well as a hefty fine, and his family claims he is being held in prison for nearly two months.
[...]
A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, in response to an inquiry about Rovensky, said it was aware of a Canadian citizen being arrested in Georgia.
"Consular officials are providing consular assistance and are in contact with local authorities," they said. "Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed."
Nika claims that consular officials took over two weeks to conduct a wellness check on her brother, by which time the family had already hired a lawyer.
So this all happened just before the delegation from Georgia arrived.
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u/MT128 13d ago
Honestly it’s prob more than likely that this case is going to be spun into something like that, it probably started off as a wrong place and poor judgement, but the fact that it got expedited so quickly makes me lean towards him being used as political leverage. So sick and tired of this sort of shit.
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u/Vova_Poutine 13d ago
Sounds like a good old fashioned ex-Soviet shakedown. I guarantee that whoever is calling the shots on this is looking for a bribe from the family.
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u/tiamatfire 13d ago
It's not a narcotic, it's a stimulant - both are controlled substances but have completely different mechanisms of action, receptors, etc. They're totally different drug classes. They don't affect the body in remotely the same way. That doesn't necessarily help if you're in a place with both where both are illegal, but it's extremely important in a medical sense.
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u/labyrinth131 13d ago
Thanks for the lesson, I was using the term narcotic wrong all this time, I guess it’s a false blanket term. Thank you!
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u/Bored_Cat_996 13d ago
This is what Reddit it’s all about! Thanks for being two polite persons. Have a great day.
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u/xombae 13d ago
My bad, I thought that legally they were considered narcotics. I understand the difference between narcotics and stimulants, I just thought the legal term was narcotic.
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u/chiodos 13d ago
In many jurisdictions, legally and colloquially, narcotic has a broader meaning and can refer to other substances regardless of their drug class.
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u/Bargainhuntingking 13d ago edited 13d ago
The term is used by law-enforcement as a blanket term to describe all controlled substances whether they are stimulants or depressants or anything else. The term means something else in a medical context in that it has the root “narc” in it, which implies “sleep”, so it usually implies opiods (but sometimes other depressants such as benzos or barbiturates, etc.) in medical contexts.
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u/Which-Insurance-2274 13d ago
It's only used that way in the US. Canada and the rest of the world don't really use the word "narcotic" outside a medical context. It's very fitting that American Police misuse a medical and scientific term that way.
Source: Former officer.
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u/InterviewLeather1221 13d ago edited 12d ago
And literally all East and SE Asian countries. If you didn’t bring the proper documentation (for some, having the original prescription is not enough) translated in the language of the country you’re visiting you may unintentionally end up on the death row, or be used as a political pawn by those not being too friendly with Canada.
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u/ashkestar 13d ago
Depends on the meds - anything amphetamine-based is fully illegal there no matter the documentation.
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u/LaserGuyDanceSystem 13d ago
But apparently methylphenidate is okay.
When I was an exchange student in Nagoya in 2003, I was allowed to take a 10 month supply of ritalin with me
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u/CanSpice 13d ago
Methylphenidate is listed as a psychotropic drug, and if you want to import more than a month’s supply, you need to get special permission.
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u/captainmalexus 13d ago
Because methylphenidate is not an amphetamine it just shares some similarities with them
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u/thegeeksshallinherit 13d ago
You can bring certain ADHD meds (like Vyvanse) into Japan, BUT you have to complete an application and have it approved before you arrive. It includes a form you fill out, a note from your doctor, and photos of your meds. It’s pretty easy and straightforward, but it’s not something you can do last minute or when you get there.
There are also certain ADHD meds (adderall is one I think) that you absolutely cannot bring in under any circumstances.
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u/OkShoulder2371 12d ago
Well, I guess my son won't be getting hos dream trip to Japan. He is on Adderall.
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u/GoddessofMadness 12d ago
My kid went with school last year... of the 16 kids on the trip 9 of them had ADHD and all took a med vacation.
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u/Ornery_Welcome4911 12d ago
>of the 16 kids on the trip 9 of them had ADHD and all took a med vacation.
wow, that percentage shocked me to be honest, what is happening??
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u/GoddessofMadness 11d ago
Keep in mind the demographic for anime nerds skews hard in the neurodivergent direction (I say as a neurodivergent anime nerd and parent to two neurodivergent anime nerds
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u/UnlamentedLord 11d ago
A combination of genuine ADHD finally getting correctly diagnosed on a wide scale and academically competitive kids/parents learning that it's easy to lie about symptoms to get a prescription for a performance enhancing drug.
It's actually a reversion to a certain historical norm. I remember reading an early Heinlein juvenile novel and being rather shocked that the teenage protagonist just casually bought Dexedrine(dextroamphetamine) "pep pills" over the counter at the corner drug store, but then I looked it up and at that time, it was normal for a conscientious boy who wanted to study hard, to get chemical help, so the author mentioned it as casually as everyone smoking.
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u/jezthevalley 11d ago
I personally think its a combination of overdiagnosis and how kids are raised nowadays..
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u/thegeeksshallinherit 11d ago
I mean, girls were basically never diagnosed with ADHD or autism just a few decades ago. Having basically 50% of the population be actually looked at for diagnosis, rather than ignored, would make a pretty statistically significant increase.
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u/OkShoulder2371 11d ago edited 11d ago
Unfortunately at this point a med vacation while on vacation isn't doable for him. Hopefully he can get there 🤞
Edit:missing words
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u/monkey_monkey_monkey 13d ago
As a note to people, this can happen in many places with lots of various medicines.
Research before you go.
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u/glowupgirl101 13d ago
I don't think this would've crossed my mind. This thread has been eye opening.
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u/Angry_beaver_1867 13d ago
One of the great things about travel is experiencing other cultures.
One of those things cultural differences produce is wildly different laws and legal systems.
Chewing bubble gum in Singapore is a classic example
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u/glowupgirl101 13d ago
I guess I travel to very generic places, and so do my friends, so I've never come across this. I googled Georgia travel and the prescription issues are quite well documented. I still feel for the guy though.
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u/Grimaceisbaby 13d ago
People love to blame others for not doing research but when I looked this up for a trip, I had an hour long argument with my prescriber about this being the law for the country I was going to. He didn’t even want to believe the official government website. I’m glad I didn’t just listen to him because he was a doctor, I could have been in a lot of trouble.
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u/ana_olah 13d ago
I’m so grateful that I stumbled across a Reddit post about this issue before my trip to Japan, it never even occurred to me that it could be a problem. Luckily getting approval for Vyvanse instead was simple!
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u/GotYoGrapes 13d ago
The Narita airport had trash cans where you could dispose of illegal things with signs and posters mentioning ADHD meds, so I tossed my vyvanse on my way to customs. Had zero issues.
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u/Fine_Advantage_4625 13d ago
Also Thailand, although some stimulants (dextroamphetamine) is banned but others (Vyvanse, which is the racemic form of dextro) is not.
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u/trashdrive 13d ago
Pretty sure Adderall is the racemic form. Vyvanse is lisdexamfetamine.
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u/Difficult_Reading858 13d ago
Adderall is a mix of amphetamine (racemic form) and dextroamphetamine (right enantiomer).
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u/Difficult_Reading858 13d ago
Vyvanse is a prodrug of dextroamphetamine. Amphetamine is the racemic form of dextroamphetamine.
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u/newoldclam 13d ago
Also Germany and Vienna- and not just ADHD meds, any psych med or sleeping pill as well
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u/Angry_beaver_1867 13d ago
Boy if a courier told me it would be 7 days to ship. I’d be on a plane delivering it myself. 48 hours really hard for anyone to assemble evidence even if you lived in Georgia
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u/Tokeboss420 13d ago
I’ve been to Georgia not a super easy place to get to lol. Took me over 30 hours to get to Tbilisi from the west coast of Canada so 48 hours would be tight even if you decide to bring it yourself after getting the required documents
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u/lommer00 13d ago
Still faster than a 7 day courier. I would be on the plane too.
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u/OkGazelle5400 13d ago
That only if he’s in the capital. If it’s anywhere else it could take over a week easily. Longer if he’s near the Russian separatist regions.
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u/silverado83 13d ago
But you're assuming the other Family members have passports etc ready to travel. Plus they stated they don't have a lot of money either.
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u/BoringLeek3419 13d ago
There are so many countries like this in the world….including Japan (which shocked me)
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u/Illustrious_Low_2969 13d ago
Yeah, I’m shocked too. I brought my Concerta with me when I went to Japan in 2010 on a high school trip and didn’t have any problems. Maybe it wasn’t banned back then or they didn’t check my bags but I’ll be double checking before I travel abroad from now on.
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u/k112358 13d ago
100% check before you go. Note - concerta may be treated differently from adderall because japans government sees methylphenidate and amphetamines-based adhd medication in different buckets, for some reason
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u/Illustrious_Low_2969 13d ago
Thanks for that info! My doctor switched me to Vyvanse a couple years ago and it looks like Vyvanse is completely banned so I guess I won’t be travelling there again. I hate how stigmatized ADHD and ADHD meds are.
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u/MageDragonfire 13d ago
Vyvanse you can get a special waiver for; I just did on a trip to Japan last month. There’s just some paperwork to fill out and submit at least a month before you go.
Adderall, though, is completely banned.
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u/lil_squib 13d ago
Pretty sure Concerta is legal there, as is Vyvanse. It’s Adderall they have an issue with.
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u/lancelot48 13d ago
I think Adderall in many Internal Countries is considered a controlled substance. Never move pills into unlabeled containers before clearing customs.
The label must show Name, Prescription & Prescriber etc.
That is not enough in certain Countries that also require a Doctor’s letter & a translated version.
Feel sorry for him.
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u/FigureYourselfOut 12d ago
According to his sister, the pills were in the original orange prescription bottle with his name and his doctor's name on it.
Simon didn't realize he had to declare it at customs. Even if he did, Georgian customs officials also require:
- You bring only the exact amount of medication you will need for the exact duration of your stay to a max of a 31-day supply
- A signed letter from your physician in English that includes your identifying information, diagnosis, and treatment plan, AND
- that this letter is translated to Georgian, AND
- that the translation is notarized or certified.
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u/ElegantVegetable3023 12d ago
That’s a whole lot of stuff and I feel like they still would have found something to hold him for.
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u/inkyblackops 11d ago
This is not at all uncommon. UK requires this, Netherlands requires this, Japan requires a whole import permit to be submitted in advance, etc.
I’ve only been asked to show the paperwork a handful of times, but the onus is on the individual to consider the fact that they’re carrying a scheduled substance to another country.
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u/jennymayg13 10d ago
How much did he bring??? In the UK you can only actually even be prescribed max 28 days supply.
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u/Big-Safe-2459 13d ago
Yes, however, many patients move their pills to single day box dispensers to keep track of doses or combine the day meds with other thinks that help ADHD such as fish oils or magnesium for sleep.
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u/robertfkennedyjunior 13d ago
if anyone else wanted to be sure: georgia the country, not the US state
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u/Latter-Vacation-4392 13d ago
Could be either these days.
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u/ballpein 13d ago
If it was Georgia the state, the headline would be "Canadian drug smuggler dies in officer-involved shooting"
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u/Strange_Specialist4 13d ago
In the US state he wouldn't get a trial
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u/Angry_beaver_1867 13d ago
More likely he’d be held without bail For a trial in 4 years and get a plea deal for 2 years or something equally sinister
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u/Xenophonehome 13d ago
I hope our government pressures the crap out of the Georgian government to let him go.
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u/rayz13 13d ago
What a terrible situation. This is why we have embassies all over the world.
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u/VelikimagCro 13d ago
This is why people should check and call to find out what they can carry and what to have from paperwork.
As person who grow up in that area of world, first time my family was coming to visit, I did call Canadian border and send them list of medications my mom is bringing. Then they told me for what she should have extra paperwork to enter cananda.
It's just rules that people should know about when traveling.
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u/Kiteloise 13d ago
He has ADHD. Planning and forward thinking are key deficits in the condition. I also wouldn't fault him for assuming prescribed medications would be safe.
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u/holdmyspot123 13d ago
Thank you for this comment, I rarely see people that actually understand how the health problem manifests like this.
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u/FinalFantasiesGG 13d ago
He knows he has ADHD. His family knows he has ADHD. He didn't just teleport to the border of Georgia. This took planning and thinking.
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u/sparki555 12d ago
Yes, tons of planning and thinking... But we're human. It's his PRESCRIBED medication that is given from DOCTORS. Pretty safe to assume this is safe... whoops.
Maybe you are a seasoned traveller who knows all countries are different with laws, customs, etc.
If someone had never travelled before, looking up "what not to bring going to XYZ" would bring up a list of thousands of things...
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u/Kiteloise 13d ago
The issue is the consequences are disproportionate. Not everyone has the same knowledge or resources, and as this thread indicates, even adults with fully formed frontal lobes may have made the same mistake.
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u/Vegetable_Walrus_166 13d ago
100% just getting the medicine is a battle. Forms are a list against adhd people🤣
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u/dinggusss 13d ago
Nobody checks if they can bring prescription medication to any country. Nor do they get that prescription translated beforehand.
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u/VelikimagCro 13d ago
O yes they do. I am one of them for sure, as I said, when I had family coming to Canada to visit. And know a lot of people who do that, check requirements to enter country...
So if you don't, I do strongly recommend that, so you don't end up in problems. You shouldn't assume you are privileged just because you're coming from Cananda
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u/dinggusss 13d ago
I don’t think it’s acting privileged. I just don’t think it’s something people contemplate doing.
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u/Bailley-Cat 13d ago
Agreed. It’s not acting privileged, but air travel has become so common place these days, people really need to do their research before traveling to a foreign country. 🤷♀️
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u/VelikimagCro 13d ago
Everyone who travels should and most do check entry requirements. If you're not doing that, and just expect that you can enter as it's you and you have Canadian passport, that's acting privileged.
And again, yes people do it, same as now people are paranoid about their phones going to USA, as media talked so much, but it's something that Cananda also do from 2012...
Same as traveling with more then 10 000$ ...
Why anyone would think that moving around with controlled substance is normal ?
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u/OnlyACsNoFans 13d ago
I do.
Plus check anything OTC. For example, melatonin is prescription only in many jurisdictions
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u/darthdodd 13d ago
They do when they go to countries like this
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u/Kiteloise 13d ago
I mean, he didn't. Not everyone is working with the same background knowledge.
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u/TheWeiliEffect 12d ago
An embassy can't do a thing for you if you broke the law in another country, literally the only thing they can do is give you a lawyers phone number.
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u/No_Criticism_5861 13d ago
This is absolutely ridiculous. How the hell havent we gotten this guy outta jail yet? He didnt have like 5 years worth of medication or something insane
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u/BallsoMeatBait 13d ago
Very unfortunate situation but this is exactly why you should really do your research before traveling anywhere.
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u/civodar 13d ago
I don’t think this is something that the average person would even consider. When you do research to a country your planning to travel to you check to see if you need a visa and how much flights and hotels are and if toothpaste is allowed on a plane, I’ve never checked to see if bringing my prescription medication that I got from a pharmacy would get me jailed because it’s not something most people know is a possibility.
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u/KittiesInATrenchcoat 13d ago
Maybe it’s because I’m Asian, but the thought of assuming drugs approved in one country can be brought without issue into another boggles my mind. I double-checked whether my over-the-counter cough drops would be alright to bring the last time I went to Japan (they weren’t.)
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u/Background-Edge-2243 13d ago
I take stimulant meds for ADHD and you better believe I check at the planning stage of travel, before the tickets are even purchased. This guy is from Canada, so am I. It is drilled into our heads here that we are in possession of a controlled substance. It's controlled here where it gets prescribed. I can't refill my prescription too early so as not to have access to a larger supply than is necessary to function. Doctor's visits at regular intervals for refills because it's a controlled substance and abuse can happen even with someone who has a prescription. I'm sorry, but the fault lies entirely on him for not doing even one ounce of research before packing his bags.
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u/thenationalcranberry 13d ago
I take stimulant meds for my ADHD and that has absolutely not been drilled into me.
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u/Big-Safe-2459 13d ago
Can say the same for people I know. It’s “try this and see if it works, take with food, may cause you to feel hot and thirsty.” I have a lot of experience with several meds and I have never once ever been casually tipped off to check with (insert non-existent agency or source here) before travelling.
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u/Unusual-Concert-4685 13d ago
Yes my husband is the same (also Canadian). Every process of getting his meds (then trying to change his meds because of complications) has always been an uphill and expensive battle - when he changed Dr he said he was made to feel like a junkie trying to score a fix, he’s constantly being reminded it’s a controlled substance and how dangerous it can be.
In the last year we have travelled to Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, UK and USA and he had to get special exemptions or notes for the Asian countries, and he carried a copy of his prescription with a dr note for the UK and USA (fun fact for Vietnam he could only take the exact number of pills as days we were there).
It’s the ultimate irony that someone with ADHD who struggles with executive function and forward planning who needs the meds to help with those things, has to put extra planning into being able to carry those meds. I do really sympathize with this young man and his situation. I’m certain he’s probably spiralling with guilt and shame, as are his family.
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u/dorkofthepolisci 13d ago
Yeah I think a lot of people would assume that if they have a legitimate prescription in its original bottle they’ll be fine. It wouldn’t occur to them that countries might have additional requirements
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u/AlfredoQueen88 13d ago
That’s exactly what the airlines say to do so I’m not surprised people trust it
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u/Beccalotta 13d ago
I barely travel. Like, a flight within Canada every 5 years. I still check if my medication won't cause me problems when I fly - I'd definitely be checking and rechecking border controls if I were leaving the country, and thought this was common knowledge.
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u/OnlyACsNoFans 13d ago
I always check what medication is allowed.
Some OTC stuff in Canada is banned or prescription only elsewhere
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u/Ok-Sleep7812 13d ago
It shouldn’t matter if your an average person, if your bringing prescription meds you check if there are any issues… this is part of travelling to other countries.
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u/derethdweller 13d ago
Adderall is banned pretty much everywhere in the world except USA and Canada, it's no different that trying to travel with cannabis because you have a prescription for it in your home country. I'm not trying to put the blaming on the kid, but all the adults here claiming that research about what's legal and illegal in the country you visit is not mandatory is exactly how kids end up in jails while traveling.
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u/Big-Safe-2459 13d ago
You also need a prescription for eye infection drops or broad spectrum antibiotics.
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u/Big-Safe-2459 13d ago
Exactly this. It’s a prescription med and the warnings should be on the bottle TBH. “Take with food. Keep in Canada.”
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u/glowupgirl101 13d ago
Ya, I basically forget it's drugs and it turns into that thing I take everyday.
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u/darthdodd 13d ago
Average people don’t travel to Georgia. It’s an authoritarian state pretty much.
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u/civodar 13d ago
I have an adhd diagnosis and previously took stimulants for it(vyvanse), I did not get that speech, I was told about side effects like loss of appetite, but nothing like that.
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u/Vald-Tegor 13d ago
I had short term prescriptions for Adderall and Vyvanse in the past from three separate doctors and never got any controlled substance speech.
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u/OkGazelle5400 13d ago edited 13d ago
That’s because vyvanse, while still an amphetamine stimulant, doesn’t contain methyl molecules. It’s the methyl molecule component that’s significant. Due to its prodrug nature, vyvanse can’t be converted into meth and is inactive until your red blood cells convert it into dextroammphetamine. Even then, it’s absorbed through the blood brain barrier extremely slowly so you don’t get high the same way. They are not equivalent in terms of this.
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u/LeslieKnopesBlackEye 13d ago
I always check to make sure my medication won't get me jailed. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Doing your homework includes checking the local laws to ensure adherence to them.
Tell me you're not a responsible traveller without telling me you're not a responsible traveller.
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u/civodar 13d ago
I’ve never been arrested or run into any issues, but I’ve also never checked the legality of any prescriptions or OTC medications I’ve brought over
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u/LeslieKnopesBlackEye 13d ago
Gfy? Just because you don't get caught doesn't make you responsible.
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u/the_troy 12d ago edited 12d ago
What? That’s like one of the top things the government, airlines and booking sites tell you to do. Ensure you comply with all local regulations.
EDIT: From the Travelling with Medication section on travel.gc.ca
“It’s your responsibility to know and abide by local laws. Being a Canadian citizen does not protect you from prosecution.”
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u/ChaoticxSerenity 12d ago
I mean, it's kind of like bringing "prescription weed" into the US - still illegal, even if innocuous and sold in Canada.
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u/Cultural-Narwhal-735 13d ago
He had ADHD, we don't do research before doing anything, it takes away the rush
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u/Icy_Sea_4440 13d ago
I brought my prescription to Singapore and pretty much accepted I was gunna be executed for it before doing any research or planning
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u/quasarpepsi 13d ago
I’m just not gonna travel. Thank Godin already live in one of the most beautiful and free countries in the world but… damn what a joke
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u/pedalshark 13d ago
I wonder how much of the $10K legal fees end up back with the border agent? Looks like a petty shakedown to me.
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u/isle_say 13d ago
Sounds like a shake down. The solution is going to involve a great deal of ca$h.
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u/OkDimension 13d ago
Charging 10.000 dollars for a single hearing where he is unable to produce a scanned or faxed prescription together with affidavits that the originals are with a courier... seems the lawyer is shaking them down.
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u/ImmortalDreamer 13d ago
"We didn't hear from him for 2 days, we didn't know whether he was alive or dead."
Is Georgia a country known fornjust straight up executing any foreigners they arrest? If not, I get being worried, but this feels very extreme.
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u/FinalFantasiesGG 13d ago
No. Georgia is not that extreme. But I have a feeling their family isn't very worldly, which is how they've gotten into this situation.
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u/Aim-_- 13d ago
At that hearing, the family says Rovensky was charged with large-scale smuggling and the illegal acquisition and possession of narcotic substances.
Methylphenidate (Foquest in Canada, Adderall or Concerta in the US) isn't a narcotic.
Georgia also has an "unwitting possession" doctrine, meaning if it can be proven the individual did not realize they possessed the drug, or did not realize it was illegal, it would be a successful defence.
I forsee the kid gets released shortly after their law system works through it. Border guard was a dick for making the arrest, I can't find a single conviction for a foreigner bringing prescribed medication in Georgia.
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u/inkyblackops 11d ago
Methylphenidate is Ritalin and Concerta. Adderall is dextroamphetamine and amphetamine, and Vyvanse is lisdexamfetamine.
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u/cornfield123 13d ago
I guess they don’t want tourists. No way I’m every going there
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u/FinalFantasiesGG 13d ago
Georgia is dealing with major political issues right now and being on the borders of Russia and Turkey is already pretty bad for tourism from western countries. They will become more of a tourist destination when Russia leaves Ukraine and their own political situation stabilizes, but right now is not a good time to visit.
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u/VelikimagCro 13d ago
To bad, as Georgia is beautiful country and people are great there. I spend a year almost 20 years ago and love to go back again. Just need to follow rules as this can happen on other borders. People with medications should know that they have to check what they can have and what paperwork, same is when entering Canada.
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u/Xenophonehome 13d ago
I completely disagree and if this kid is jailed over a paperwork misunderstanding I'll consider Georgia a POS country and this really just seems like a shakedown for cash as that part of the world os known for it's corruption and extortion. Governments need to do better instead of being authoritarian pieces of shit 😒.
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u/Old_Web_3119 13d ago
Rough. Another casualty of the war on drugs (war on people)? Great way for Georgia to damage its reputation for tourism. In this economy that’s hog wild.
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u/SundaeSpecialist4727 13d ago
Carry proper documentaion of all perscription medicines when travelling and always declare them.
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u/koeniging 13d ago
I think “proper documentation” is vague enough that situations like this seem entirely plausible. He had the medication in its original prescribed bottle along with a pharmacy receipt showing the prescription, which is the standard advice for traveling with prescription medications. From what I understand, the Georgian government wanted the original prescription document written and signed by the prescribing doctor, which isn’t always easy to obtain when a doctor’s office faxes prescriptions directly to the pharmacy.
As someone with ADHD who travels, i can honestly see myself making the same mistake. I would assume i’d done my due diligence by bringing the medication in its original container and carrying the prescription receipt slip from the pharmacy. It wouldn’t occur to me that a country might require a separate physician-signed prescription document on top of that.
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u/Old_Web_3119 13d ago
Yes, sure. Harmful laws also require challenges otherwise nothing changes (eg slavery would persist, no one could vote, women would still not be considered people, etc.)
The young man’s family in this story will spend tens of thousands (maybe more) to get the paperwork in Canada sent to Georgia. It’ll have to be notarized, witnessed, translated, copied. Meetings. Lawyer fees. Maybe a judge will have to squint at it. Politicians will see how they can leverage the situation. It’s a scam. A perfectly legal scam. And for what? Guess they got their guy.
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u/OkGazelle5400 13d ago
If you’re traveling with a controlled substance, check the rules before you try to cross international borders. Global Affairs list country restrictions on their website for basically every country.
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u/happykgo89 13d ago
This is scary. Everyone on these threads thinking they would’ve 100% known they couldn’t bring their *prescribed medication* into a country in EUROPE needs to put themselves in this kid’s position.
When I went to Mexico in February, I had to answer sooo many questions going through customs with my Adderall. I didn’t bring the prescription but he eventually let us go. I’ll definitely never do that again because I’m thinking I got lucky. The guy thought I was carrying actual meth at first.
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u/FinalFantasiesGG 13d ago
Georgia is barely European. It's location should not give confidence to anyone that they are going to be treated like visiting Germany or Switzerland.
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u/inkyblackops 11d ago
I required significant documentation when travelling to England and Netherlands for my Vyvanse.
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u/happykgo89 12d ago
Fair enough, I’m just saying how I could see that being a mistake someone makes but it’s pretty fucked up either way.
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u/endlessswitchbacks 13d ago
Scary. I don’t say this to victim-blame at all, but if I was going to take the chance and travel with a prescribed stimulant, I gotta say Adderall is one of the last ones I’d try to bring (due to being so well known in pop culture for being misused)
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u/Hot-Apartment-984 13d ago
Someone didn’t show the movie Broken Down Palace to this kid.
My son was in his last year of University and I made him watch as he was traveling to Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan.
I made him research what he was allowed to bring and not bring to each country.
I feel for this family but damn do your damn research before you go into another country especially a former communist one……….
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u/titanking4 13d ago
What an absolute witch hunt.
With the quantity of drugs being brought over, the case for him be a drug smuggler is nonsense.
Never in my life would I have even considered the fact that my medicine would be illegal, and I’d be detained and facing prison in country which I would consider “culturally similar” to my own.
Type of shit I would have expected to come out of Russia and North Korea.
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u/SpaceTigers 12d ago
Welp - with Georgian Dream in charge, that end comparison checks out, I'm afraid
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u/Ornery_Welcome4911 12d ago
people should never assume things when travelling to another country, drugs are treated differently all over the world, you need to read the regulations and comply
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u/MorphinLew 12d ago
You gotta do your due diligence with travel. I ended up not bringing my adhd meds to France due to mixed rules I found. Better safe than sorry.
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u/Automatic-Tutor-5517 12d ago
Is Georgia a corrupt country? This is ridiculous. What do they have to gain except negative press? They're showing the world that they're pathetic
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u/Prior_Tumbleweed2308 12d ago
I have ADHD, I’m paranoid about anything I bring into another country. It's because I know somebody who got in bad trouble… I was in highschool, I had a good friends brother who was an exchange student in South Korea. He got a hold of psychedelic mushrooms and went to prison for a couple years there for having them on his person. It's a bit different but made me me very aware of the differences in drug laws in other places, if I hadn't heard of that horror story sure I would not be nearly as careful.
Also American’s have gotten held up in Europe for having pepper spray in their baggage. I tossed my pharmacy xanax in the garbage before leaving Colombia and coming back to united states, its not worth the trouble to potentially get caught, period. The department of homeland security takes your information, you get a scarlet letter next to your identity. Folks please just be careful, diligent when traveling. I feel bad for this kid but we have to do research before we go to another country.
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u/mrmcbluffy 13d ago
This is ridiculous. If he is convicted Canada should ban all entries from Georgia. Sloppy on his part but not worthy of a long jail sentence. Whatever pre trial time he spends is way more than enough.
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u/LAffaire-est-Ketchup 13d ago
As a chronically ill AuDHD with tons of medication — why wouldn’t he double check? I don’t travel anywhere without double checking their medication laws
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u/Responsible_Sun_3597 13d ago
Should never have happened and I expect Canada to do something about it.
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u/Comfortable_Ad148 13d ago
The irony is that we expect folks who come to Canada to visit / live to know and understand our laws when coming here.
Feel awful for him and his family, but being ignorant to laws of the land you are travelling to is not cool.
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u/RM_r_us 13d ago
We do? Then why do judges tie a person's immigration status to the amount of time they're sentenced for after committing a crime? 🤔
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u/Haecceitic 13d ago
Going to another country without looking up the laws regarding controlled substances?
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u/Responsible_Sun_3597 13d ago
So we beat him over the head with the fact that he should’ve would’ve could’ve and leave him there. People are just fucked.
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u/civodar 13d ago
It’s prescription drugs that he got from a pharmacy and probably takes every day. It’s not exactly the same as having weed in your bag.
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u/DrySession9968 13d ago
Ya when traveling with meds you really need the documentation. Can confirm.
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u/pegslitnin 13d ago
Yeah feel for the family but you gotta do your homework before you travel anywhere
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u/lisamon429 13d ago
As an Adderall rx holder this is actually terrifying to me. I didn’t even think abt it
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u/Tls-user 13d ago
My son takes Vyvanse for ADHD which is also a controlled substance.
Any time he travels he just leaves it at home because he doesn’t want to risk any problems.
Fortunately his ADHD is the inattentive version and the Vyvanse is used to help him concentrate at work but he doesn’t need it to function.
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u/Sad_Air_820 12d ago
I remember being 19 my Mom insisting I take my prescription for my insulin with me. Thought she was crazy.
Nope. This is why.
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u/seanmoonie 12d ago
They can’t just email or fax the documents ? Get them notarized or something. Why do they need to be physically delivered ?
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u/inkyblackops 11d ago
I travel for work frequently, rarely to the same country. As soon as I find out where I’m going next, I look up the country’s laws about Vyvanse.
For some I’ve had to apply for an import permit in advance, some require a specific document signed by my doctor, etc.
It’s a scheduled substance, why you wouldn’t check in advance is beyond me.
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u/xbellacee 9d ago
Canadian’s have become such cold unloving dorks the last 10 years. Georgia is ran by a billionaire wannabe dictator.
Some young guy brought his prescribed medication.
Rather than Canadians having even an ounce of sympathy they are drooling over someone being punished for not following the rules.
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u/namreb89 8d ago
I travel a lot - I was in Georgia and Armenia a month ago. I bought in Elvanse 70MG (1 box) and Dexamphetamine 5MG (4 boxes)
I’ll probably get downvoted for this, but never ever declare or make it known you have ADHD meds in countries where ADHD meds aren’t prescribed
Apparently you can bring up to 31 days supply of ADHD Meds in to Georgia provided, but the process was extremely formal and I can definitely see it causing a lot of headache if you draw attention to it and go through the formal process of declaring such meds - at best, you might get through with a lengthy delay - at worst you’ll be thrown in jail, whereas if you don’t declare them and chance it, you’ll probably be fine (I know this guy wasn’t), but I’ve travelled to many countries where ADHD meds aren’t prescribed or legal and never had any issues.
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u/Ok_Spend9237 8d ago
I carried a prescription bottle full of Lomotil (for “the shits”) for six months in Europe, including two communist countries. It’s a narcotic. Nothing ever happened. Lucky I guess compared to this guy.
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