Heroin epidemic

[krazykats]

How is this not getting more press? I know 2 people in the last week that are now dead, and 6 more in the past 3 months. On top of that at least 5 more cases where someone OD'ed but still alive.

I know multiple people who have children strung out and it seems the press would be all over it.

Of course idiots just blaming the most stupid thing "it's only because they are cutting it with ...........". Really sad stuff that's taking over a lot of communities in this state and no one is really discussing it.

 

[Mashburned]

This is talked about every damn week. Not on GMA or Aroind the Horn, but there are articles written about this seemingly all the time. Just read a good one from NYT with pretty little graphs and cool facts. It's awful. The sickest part is the opioid prescriptions. Everybody I knew who went down the heroin path (all 2 of em) were hooked on painkillers by HS because of sports injuries.

Recently all the articles about the abise in the NFL have been very interesting. Basically confirms what you suspect - the majority of players are doped up and fed pills like candy. Can you imagine to relationship the league has with pharmaceutical companies?

 

[Bill Derington]

Prescription pain pills are getting are harder to get, way past due. Addicts are now going back to heroin to feed the beast.
Unfortunately it's going to get worse before it gets better.

 

[krazykats]

Heard that. Man it's worse now than anytime I remember. I know these adults know better and should at this point be able to make smarter decisions, but it's bad really f'n bad.

I just found out that my buddy was actually in rehab for it, and his sponsor fell off the wagon and OD'ed and it wasn't but a few weeks later he is gone now too.

Unreal

 

[Wall2Boogie]

I've been to 3 funerals with people I grew up with or friends of friends. Needless to say if you never saw it up close give it time. It's scary seeing a friend you knew your whole life laying in a casket

 

[jamo0001]

the interplay between prescribed oral opiates and illicit injectables emphasizes why identification/treatment of the addiction is key to fighting this epidemic.

if you only tighten down on prescriptions, people who otherwise would use pills are driven to using illicits. if you loosen up on prescriptions, more people are going to end up getting hooked.

breaking the cycle while also minimizing the personal and societal side effects are so, so important.

side note: I think intranasal naloxone was finally green-lighted by the FDA. UK's college of pharmacy played a large role in the drug's development, if i'm not mistaken.

 

[KopiKat]

Prescription pain pills are getting are harder to get, way past due. Addicts are now going back to heroin to feed the beast.
Unfortunately it's going to get worse before it gets better.

And this is precisely why the heroin epidemic it is not getting more attention. The ramped up war against prescription narcotics, which were already regulated products, has indeed given rise to new age heroin. The KASPER program in Kentucky has been effective in a variety of ways that we don't have time to discuss. So the answer for users and abusers? Any real study on this result may allow for the conclusion that increased regulation has resulted in increased abuse, using more illicit drugs (i.e. heroin), in more illicit ways (shoot, don't swallow), any of which is certainly more illegal, which means more laws are being broken and, in case you missed the ugly part, a LOT more dead bodies are stacking up. A lot more dead bodies.

 

[B.B.d.K.]

It's getting traction, but not enough...

...nobody and no family is immune to its effects. No longer regulated to homeless/loser crackheads, Or the "stereotypical" person you'd think was (or could be) hooked on it.

I've tried about every drug out there in my life at one point back in the day..short of heroin or any needle type ish, and thank God. It's seriously incredible what one (1) time can do, even for the most successful of people.

Craziest shit I've ever seen.

..and yes, Mash is correct. It typically starts with a painkiller (opioids) many/most times for legitimate reasons, and spirals downhill from there, then they eventually can't get their prescription (or abuse it to the point it doesn't work), and learn heroin is cheaper and as easy to get as a beer around these parts. Try it once, boom = done.

I was as insensitive as the next guy, until...

Its just awful. If you haven't been affected in some form, personally, consider yourself lucky...or on the clock, TS.

 

[Perrin75]

The biggest problem is that we as a nation have dealt with addiction as a criminal problem as opposed to a health epidemic. Locking someone up in jail is not going to stop a heroin addiction. And creating a black market is only going to drive more criminals towards it, not away from it. Decriminalizing drug related crimes would solve a of our problems immediately. However, it appears no one has the political courage to tackle it.

 

[krazykats]

I mean I guess I understand the concept your talking about and at one point I was all for it myself too. But the last 3 months, specifically the last person that died has caused a lot of stir amongst those I grew up with. I mean people no different than me that enjoyed their youth and "experimented" are spouting out about going after the dealers etc etc.

I'm not sure you can successfully blanket one way to solve this problem though. Once you become chemically addicted chances are your going to lapse even if you get over it.

Now if your saying decriminalizing possession or being high, then I'd agree. Slippery slope there though as far as loopholes that come from it.

I can say this, once it hits close enough to you personally it will make you want to do something. Then as you reach out you begin to realize there isn't a thing to do to help right now.

 

[shockdaddy19]

The quality of heroin is also way better than any painkiller. And it's cheaper.

My wife fights this battle literally every day. Not herself, but getting people into recovery. But everyday it's dealing with heroin. And sadly, it's a drug that's popping up in middle to upper class teenagers much too often. It's truly a killer. It's gotten to the point that the crimes you read about are largely drug related, mostly heroin.

Rarely do I make blanket offers. But if you know of someone who needs help and needs treatment, hit me up, I can steer them to the right person. Especially in Louisville.

 

[krazykats]

Email me robzcats@hotmail.com

I know a friend that needs help bad. OD'ed last week and spent 7 days in Jdac but it's only 7 day program. Spent all day going around town and simply can't get in even though he is insured

 

[domino79]

It's a terrible problem and one in which there might not be an answer. A friend of mine's sister, numerous classmates in my graduating class, a former work buddy, all have died in the past few years due to heroin.
Got a good friend in Savannah, GA, currently hooked on the stuff. I pray he's not another statistic.
I don't think we're even close to understanding addiction.

 

[bbonds]

side note: I think intranasal naloxone was finally green-lighted by the FDA. UK's college of pharmacy played a large role in the drug's development, if i'm not mistaken.

You are correct. UK introduced him before one of the recent basketball games (Ole Miss I think).

 

[ThroughBlue]

Getting really bad here in my hometown too. I see it a lot around the people who I used to see with pain/nerve pills. Can we legalize weed already?

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Prescription pain pills are getting are harder to get, way past due. Addicts are now going back to heroin to feed the beast.
Unfortunately it's going to get worse before it gets better.

if you only tighten down on prescriptions, people who otherwise would use pills are driven to using illicits. if you loosen up on prescriptions, more people are going to end up getting hooked.

Exactly. The war on drugs traded a devil we knew and could track (Dr's prescribing through DEA numbers) for one we dont know (drug dealers, peddling who knows what).

I know this sounds like a negligible difference, but now thanks to the switch to needle use; HIV is about to explode over much of KY. Thats the REAL issue and threat to public safety thats a ticking time bomb.

 

[Bill Derington]

Exactly. The war on drugs traded a devil we knew and could track (Dr's prescribing through DEA numbers) for one we dont know (drug dealers, peddling who knows what).

I know this sounds like a negligible difference, but now thanks to the switch to needle use; HIV is about to explode over much of KY. Thats the REAL issue and threat to public safety thats a ticking time bomb.

The war on drugs had no part in it, Dr's just realized they could deal drugs legally.

A person has to realize on their own they want rehab, and even then recovery is unlikely. Unfortunately alot of people are going to die. To truly stop the problem we have to keep people from ever trying it, but we as a society seem to be going the other direction on drugs.

 

[cawoodsct]

I used to have a buddy who got up around 7:00, then he'd get out of bed around 9:00. But he didn't worry bout nothing cause worrying was a waste of his time. He danced with Mr. Brownstone.

The only thing i do is take my credit card to the liquor store and get loaded like a freight train.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

The war on drugs had no part in it, Dr's just realized they could deal drugs legally.

A person has to realize on their own they want rehab, and even then recovery is unlikely. Unfortunately alot of people are going to die. To truly stop the problem we have to keep people from ever trying it, but we as a society seem to be going the other direction on drugs.

Lately the war on drugs made headlines, by targeting and convicting drs. Drs. were the way addicts were getting their opiates. With that avenue shut down, the addicts turned towards heroin and street dealers. Rather than snorting pills, now addicts are shooting heroin and sharing needles. This will lead to HIV explosion, just as it did in southern Indiana last year.

Im not saying the Drs shouldve been held harmless for their actions. But, as between the two, the Drs handing out pills like candy is much preferable to addicts shooting up street heroin and spreading HIV.

 

[Bill Derington]

Dr's were out of hand with the pain pills, they are responsible for creating a large number of the addicts. At some point if they aren't going to police themselves, we've got to say enough is enough.

 

[catsfanbgky]

I used to have a buddy who got up around 7:00, then he'd get out of bed around 9:00. But he didn't worry bout nothing cause worrying was a waste of his time. He danced with Mr. Brownstone.

Eventually he will start to get up whenever, because he used to do a little, but then a little wont do it, so he will do more and more, just keep trying to get a little better than before. You had better get him help because he keeps knocking (Mr. brownstone), and he wont leave him alone.
He is a real MFer, time to kick him on down the line, for your friends sake.

 

[CUJO_1970]

Heroin is the biggest drug problem in West Georgia.

 

[krazykats]

Got a funeral to go to tomorrow morning and another this weekend. Should be lots of fun explaining its actually dr's fault! Sure everyone will be perfectly fine accepting that.

On the other hand, what you all speak of is the older generation. Kids are on this stuff pretty bad! When I was a kid the stuff was around but everyone knew better because it took a needle and we all knew and heard people say it was so addictive that if you did it once you'd never not want to do it. Plus it helped to actually not want to be a dope head.

If you think people are just not able to get pills and just accept heroin as the next available then your wrong. Sure it opened the door after the oxy/opana mess the past few years but the streets are flooded with it and it's being cut with all kinds of different stuff that simply makes it cheaper and dirtier.

The last news article in Louisville was back in November and there have been several OD's and deaths since then. It should be getting a lot more press!

 

[Mashburned]

Give them drugs, give them food, give them shelter, give them cell phone minutes.

It's a terrible problem and one in which there might not be an answer. A friend of mine's sister, numerous classmates in my graduating class, a former work buddy, all have died in the past few years due to heroin.
Got a good friend in Savannah, GA, currently hooked on the stuff. I pray he's not another statistic.
I don't think we're even close to understanding addiction.

Drugs are gooooood. Not sure there's much more to understand. I don't think its as complicated as we make it seem. Just once your body knows what gooood feels like, it's gonna want it. I don't believe in "here take this drug to quit that drug". That's a gd sham of a business $$$$. Tell me how mf'ers get their hands on fentanyl? It's all over the papers. Used to be methadone. My guess is the shit flows like candy/pills. My guess is that was the intention of whoever created fentanyl.

It's just frustrating. It's a business. Period. Look out for yourself, or don't. Your life. Nobody else can truly give a shit about it if you don't. Not enough to save you from yourself, at least.

And nobody had stopped pills. Where did this come from? People aren't doing H because they can't get Oxy. They're taking the cheaper product which is often times more product. I think they just like to say heroin has become more popular because pills are harder to get in order to make it look like they care. They don't. They'll take your heroin addicted ass and put you on the fentanyl $$$$. The cycle continues...

 

[-LEK-]

Got a funeral to go to tomorrow morning and another this weekend. Should be lots of fun explaining its actually dr's fault! Sure everyone will be perfectly fine accepting that.

On the other hand, what you all speak of is the older generation. Kids are on this stuff pretty bad! When I was a kid the stuff was around but everyone knew better because it took a needle and we all knew and heard people say it was so addictive that if you did it once you'd never not want to do it. Plus it helped to actually not want to be a dope head.

If you think people are just not able to get pills and just accept heroin as the next available then your wrong. Sure it opened the door after the oxy/opana mess the past few years but the streets are flooded with it and it's being cut with all kinds of different stuff that simply makes it cheaper and dirtier.

The last news article in Louisville was back in November and there have been several OD's and deaths since then. It should be getting a lot more press!

I had a friend, who was a local legendary musician OD in 2009. Its been bad for years. A lot of people in the music scene got hooked on heroine. Another musician, OD. His parents, a doctor, rather than champion the cause, ignored any efforts to shed light. Instead, they donated to the Library. Totally ignoring the issue that killed their son. People ignore it.

http://www.lfpl.org/emusic/

 

[MegaBlue05]

On the bright side, we should get a few really great guitarists out of all this.

In all seriousness, this is a terrible problem. Young me did almost every drug imaginable, but not that one. I had a friend who struggled mightily with addiction once tell me, "Heroin is the best drug out there. It makes you feel so good. NEVER touch it."

 

[KyCatFan]

I guess I've been lucky. I don't know anyone shooting up. As far as I know no one in my family is even smoking weed. That was the drug of choice for my dad and an uncle when I was a kid. My dad was an alcoholic also and nearly killed himself driving drunk. He is pretty much crippled now and thankfully no one else was affected in the wreck.

I think alcohol abuse is probably worse than heroin in the fact it is legal and cheap to get and widespread. It affects all races, ages, and people with or without wealth. Heroin affects the individual in a worse way though, but you can't just walk into any corner store and buy it. You have to know a guy who knows a guy. It is definitely a horrible drug and I've been lucky to not know anyone affected by it, but I have had 3 alcoholics that I've known growing up. That is why alcohol is worse in my opinion.

 

[krazykats]

Well, I agree you clearly do not know 1 person strung out then. Obviously.

 

[cbpointblank1979]

On the bright side, we should get a few really great guitarists out of all this.

In all seriousness, this is a terrible problem. Young me did almost every drug imaginable, but not that one. I had a friend who struggled mightily with addiction once tell me, "Heroin is the best drug out there. It makes you feel so good. NEVER touch it."

I've had several friends who struggle with heroin, and they pretty much all said the same thing that your friend told you. "Heroin is so f***ing good you wouldn't believe it. Stay as far away from it as you possibly can."

 

[mailman85]

Law makers and soccer moms put a band aide over it by making pain killers harder to get. Now people who can't get the pain killers are taking heroin and sharing needles. Way to go government. Needs to be decriminalized.

 

[JDHoss]

Well, I agree you clearly do not know 1 person strung out then. Obviously.

^^^^This......it's an epidemic here as well. I don't have the statistics, but I'd guess 80% of the crime here is drug (Horse or Meth) related. Manufacture or distribution....stealing everything that isn't nailed down to make a buy.

The son of one of my relatives is a recovering H addict who has been clean for nearly 2 years now. He was a straight A student in high school who started running with a party crowd when he went off to college. He got hooked on Oxy, and switched to H when Oxy became so expensive. Have to know a guy who knows a guy? He knew several guys who knew several guys. He once told me that he could get a fix within 20 minutes of making a phone call. He stole from his parents, grandparents, us, and pretty much all of his other relatives. Hocked his car at a title loan place, but we never gave up on him, and his parents spent a ton of money on three different rehab facilities, the last of which for whatever reason got him clean and he has managed to stay clean. He goes to AA at least twice a week. He said the NA meeting had too many people who still wanted to get high. For now, he's got his life turned around, but seeing him back in those days was awful.

 

[dgtatu01]

I guess I've been lucky. I don't know anyone shooting up. As far as I know no one in my family is even smoking weed. That was the drug of choice for my dad and an uncle when I was a kid. My dad was an alcoholic also and nearly killed himself driving drunk. He is pretty much crippled now and thankfully no one else was affected in the wreck.

I think alcohol abuse is probably worse than heroin in the fact it is legal and cheap to get and widespread. It affects all races, ages, and people with or without wealth. Heroin affects the individual in a worse way though, but you can't just walk into any corner store and buy it. You have to know a guy who knows a guy. It is definitely a horrible drug and I've been lucky to not know anyone affected by it, but I have had 3 alcoholics that I've known growing up. That is why alcohol is worse in my opinion.

I'm sorry alcohol abuse has affected you in this way, but this a very naive and ignorant post. You must be loving under a stone if you don't know anyone with a family member on heroine. We have 5 families at our church. A lady has her great grandchildren living with her because her grandson and his wife have been living in a tent for 4 years now. They can't get off heroine.

 

[WayneDougan]

Q: What do women addicted to heroin have in common with ice-hockey players?

A: They both change clothes after three periods.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

Q: What do women addicted to heroin have in common with ice-hockey players?

A: They both change clothes after three periods.

Good one chris rock! Truth is I think some chicks don't have to be on heroin to do that. Jk my man. Back to the topic, on HBO today was a documentary called heroin:cape cod. it's crazy how bad it is there. They have 8 people who are struggling with it big time. Two of the eight die from it. In 2014 they had over 1500 opiate related deaths with a majority of them being from heroin. It goes on to say 85% of drug related deaths there are from heroin alone. I think im done going to funerals. It's a terrible feeling seeing someone you know well and is your age lying dead from drugs

 

[KyCatFan]

I am not saying heroine is not a major problem. It most definitely is. I just don't think it is as widespread as some think when compared with alcohol. I just believe more people are impacted by alcohol than heroine. Sure some areas might be affected more than others, but alcohol is pretty much everywhere.

The most recent numbers from the CDC that I could find said that there were more alcohol related deaths than heroine and prescription painkillers combined. Here are some other stats that I found below.

"Because of the astounding 88,000 deaths that are related to alcohol abuse every year, alcohol abuse is the third highest cause of death in the U.S "(CDC)

"Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 51 minutes." (CDC)

"Long-term alcohol use can cause serious health complications affecting every organ in your body, including your brain. Additionally, it can damage your emotional stability, finances, career, impact your family, friends and the people you work with." (NCADD)

These are just a few of the problems with alcohol I have found from searching sites like the Center for Disease Control and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Everyone probably has someone they know affected by some kind of addiction and from these stats alcohol is the one that accounts for the most. Maybe not where you live, but throughout the entire country alcohol is. We can all agree that addiction is a horrible thing that kills people and ruins lives.

 

[Ineverplayedthegame]

Addiction is the disease.
Cigarettes are bad. Alcohol may be worse. Sex addiction will be bad for your relationships. Gambling out of control will destroy your family. Too much food will make you fat and diabetic.
Heroin is at the top of the food chain. It will make you feel so good you don't give a ****. Except about getting some more.
Treating addiction of any kind will always be hard with high % failure because you have to convince your brain that you can't do something you really like and not for just now but forever.
Heroin brings just a lot more baggage.
Cracking down on pill mills pushed some towards heroin but the ease and economy was going to win anyway.

 

[WayneDougan]

 

[BreckCo.Wildcat]

Watch Trainspotting. Wild movie.

 

[Ron Mehico]

View embedded media

That's actually what I figured, and also a good way to describe cocaine in the beginning.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

I guess I've been lucky. I don't know anyone shooting up. As far as I know no one in my family is even smoking weed. That was the drug of choice for my dad and an uncle when I was a kid. My dad was an alcoholic also and nearly killed himself driving drunk. He is pretty much crippled now and thankfully no one else was affected in the wreck.

I think alcohol abuse is probably worse than heroin in the fact it is legal and cheap to get and widespread. It affects all races, ages, and people with or without wealth. Heroin affects the individual in a worse way though, but you can't just walk into any corner store and buy it. You have to know a guy who knows a guy. It is definitely a horrible drug and I've been lucky to not know anyone affected by it, but I have had 3 alcoholics that I've known growing up. That is why alcohol is worse in my opinion.

I am not saying heroine is not a major problem. It most definitely is. I just don't think it is as widespread as some think when compared with alcohol. I just believe more people are impacted by alcohol than heroine. Sure some areas might be affected more than others, but alcohol is pretty much everywhere.

The most recent numbers from the CDC that I could find said that there were more alcohol related deaths than heroine and prescription painkillers combined. Here are some other stats that I found below.

"Because of the astounding 88,000 deaths that are related to alcohol abuse every year, alcohol abuse is the third highest cause of death in the U.S "(CDC)

"Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 51 minutes." (CDC)

"Long-term alcohol use can cause serious health complications affecting every organ in your body, including your brain. Additionally, it can damage your emotional stability, finances, career, impact your family, friends and the people you work with." (NCADD)

These are just a few of the problems with alcohol I have found from searching sites like the Center for Disease Control and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Everyone probably has someone they know affected by some kind of addiction and from these stats alcohol is the one that accounts for the most. Maybe not where you live, but throughout the entire country alcohol is. We can all agree that addiction is a horrible thing that kills people and ruins lives.

Dont disagree that alcohol abuse is more widespread. But abuse and addiction are two different things. Also the track both drugs take are very different.

Alcohol abuse is getting wasted on a weekend. Alcohol addiction is being drunk at work or letting alcohol cause you to lose your friends/family. Two totally different things.

Heroin addiction is selling your body and sharing dirty needles with any stranger, just to get a fix.