Narco tourism across the 49th

The Underground Railroad is alive and well, as an Amtrak train arrived in Vancouver Wednesday bringing 20 American drug seekers across the border. No they weren’t there for the much discussed, celebrated and feared (by some) BC Bud, but rather for our Prozac, Zocor, Lipitor, Ritalin et al, all much cheaper than what they would find back home.

The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer rights paid 20,000 dollars in order to charter two train cars which were attached to Amtraks regularly scheduled Coast Starlight train. Setting out from California the train collected passengers along the way, arriving in Vancouver 3 hours late but to a heavy amount of media attention.

With prescriptions in hands from the docs back home, the 20 freedom (from high drug prices) riders will meet with BC doctors on Thursday and then head off to the Prescription counter to have their orders filled.

Dubbed the Rx Express the train passengers are hoping to point out that Canada’s drug policy of negotiating prices with the drug companies has provided quality product at reasonable prices. The public purchasing is designed to pressure the American system to take a page from Canada and try to bring prescription drug prices down to an affordable rate for the average American.

Smart Canadian entrepreneurs will be watching events closely; there could be an entire new form of tourism waiting to be tapped here. Canadian’s like their gambling junkets to Vegas, perhaps there’s a market for Dining, Dancing and Drugs in Canada.

The current rage in Canada is Eco Tourism, where tourists enjoy the natural beauty of the nation. The next wave may be Narco tourism, where our visitors take more than pictures and trinkets back home with them.