Bigblue, There's alot more people damaged by alcohol than most know, it's just not as fast or apparent as other drugs in most cases.
Heroin epidemic
- Thread starter krazykats
- Start date
One of the other problems that we face specifically with Heroin is directly a due to our war on terror. When we made the decision to invade Afghanistan and disrupted their Heroin trade, Mexico moved in and now controls most of the market. So they are basically flooding our country with product. We need to tell Mexico to get their house in order and crack down on this, or we are going to do it for them. Dealing with the grow areas wouldn't be that big of a problem since they are out in the open, and we have some nasty herbicides that should keep anything from growing there for a very long time.
That is true and basically what I posted. Alcohol is more widespread and a slower spiral. Heroin isnt as widespread; yet. But the individual spiral is fast and devastating. Plus you have the spread of major infectious disease.
Drugs period is a very depressing thing and does hit close to nearly everyone. I had a uncle die with $700,000 in his banking account and a needle in his arm, he od'd on Dilaudid. My older brother who was married for 20 years, went thru a crushing divorce, and had a motorcycle wreck and died while under the influence of the same drug. My aunt and uncle came upon the wreck 15 minutes after it happened and identified him at the scene. My youngest brother od'd on Morphine, he had it legally for serious pain suffered. He took too much, od'd and wife thought he was just asleep. he abused it, and by the time she realized he wasn't just asleep, he lost too much oxygen to the brain, died in his sleep. That is 3 people very close to me within a 5 year period. While I did recreational drugs in a social setting, I saw the shit first hand and it affected me directly with their deaths that I knew it was not a path I wanted to go down. By the way, this is 9 years ago with my uncle, 7 with my oldest brother, and 4 with my youngest. My kids are terrified about the abuse drugs can and do to you. If there was any silver lining from my personal and up close loss to the shit, my kids are also witness to the outcome and hopefully never, ever even let the thought enter their minds to do it. It is not 100% lock they won't, but I can only hope they do not, it is a very huge and very deadly epidemic. I can relate and deeply feel for those of you who have lost loved ones from any kind of drug abuse. Don't really feel comfortable putting all that out there about my personal life, but maybe it will help guide someone reading this away from the terrible grips that drugs can put on someone no matter the social or economic status.
February 5th will mark the one year anniversary of my oldest son dying from a heroin overdose.
At one time, he was on the President's List, and the Dean's List at EKU. Some of his professors, and friends alike, said they believed him to be a genius. He wasn't TOO smart, because his entire family tried everything we knew to do to get him into rehab. He went once, stayed four days, walked out pronouncing himself "cured." He was dead one month later.
I've always advocated, if someone is caught dealing heroin they should get a minimum of 25 years in prison. JMO.
At one time, he was on the President's List, and the Dean's List at EKU. Some of his professors, and friends alike, said they believed him to be a genius. He wasn't TOO smart, because his entire family tried everything we knew to do to get him into rehab. He went once, stayed four days, walked out pronouncing himself "cured." He was dead one month later.
I've always advocated, if someone is caught dealing heroin they should get a minimum of 25 years in prison. JMO.
If I knew the people that sold kids I know heroin I would be tempted to make them disappear.
^ You may have to break that post down for me in English, I do not understand a gd thing in that post.
Detroit literally came down and took over Richmond. I assume Lexington, too, but richmond is small enough that you know everything that goes on. There was a stretch where they were arresting multiple guys from Detroit every damn week. They ran a hotel on exit 87 right off the interstate, and another at the Athens exit next to the strip club. The police did a good job of running them out of here. They don't operate out of the hotels at least.
I understand the guys who got addicted to pain pills because of injury and then switched to heroin because they were cut off. But the people who started using heroin only, c'mon. That was the one drug they always told you never to do because of how bad it could end up being for you. So my question for you guys who either have kids, brothers, cousins, friends, etc who are hooked on it is this: how did they get started on these things?
Holy shit Welder. I can't begin to tell you how terribly sorry I am to hear that.
Personally, I would like to see drugs legalized. Sell them out of gov't ran and regulated stores just like the ABC stores in some states. Use the profits after operating costs to fund "real" rehab for people who want to get clean. Make the unauthorized manufacture and distribution of drugs punishable by death.
My cousin's son got his start on Oxy. He tried it at a party when he was at ETSU and was hooked immediately. It was downhill from there, finally ending up on H. He's been clean for a couple of years now. He has a job in construction and actually makes decent money, but he's working his ass off physically, not that there's anything wrong at all with that. But, he was a straight A student in high school, on the student council, played football and baseball. wanted to get into marketing or real estate. Instead, he's working his ass off and he has Hep C. He's getting some treatment, but who knows how long he will last before he has other complications from years of drug use.
That's terrible! Truly sorry!
I honestly think the war on drugs fails because it doesn't address the issue. Much like the poster thinking alcohol is worse the war on drugs can not decipher the different degrees in which drugs impact society.
Heroine is the worst! Meth/Crack would be next then Coke etc. But I know a lot of functional drunks, and I do not know a single functional heroine addict or abuser. That's all you need to know.
Thanks JD, much appreciated. No parent should outlive their child, it's the most heartbreaking thing ever, IMO.Holy shit Welder. I can't begin to tell you how terribly sorry I am to hear that.
Personally, I would like to see drugs legalized. Sell them out of gov't ran and regulated stores just like the ABC stores in some states. Use the profits after operating costs to fund "real" rehab for people who want to get clean. Make the unauthorized manufacture and distribution of drugs punishable by death.
Yes, I agree on legalizing weed, but on the other drugs, I'm still up in the air about. Until/unless it's legal, I still advocate for any scumbag selling heroin to get no less that 25 years in prison. It's poison, pure poison.
Thank you.
Yes, there is no question the "hard" drugs, Heroin being the worst, are creating tragedies all around us and must be stopped.
Born and raised in Richmond, and it's still a nice place to live...if you live in a good part of town of course.
I still see where the RPD arrest thugs from Detroit almost weekly here. There were two just this past week.
I can't believe that as our society has gotten more tolerant to drugs like weed, the amount of heroin use has gone up. Oh wait, I can believe it. But weed is not a gateway drug.
Alcohol affects far more people than hard drugs, and is physically addictive too. While you may not see the results as fast it has far greater impact on the overall society.
Try living with or being raised by a functioning alcoholic. From afar it may seem ok, but it's awful to those involved.
I was Bill, and a pothead too! The night before my dad stroked at 7am he was in a lesbian bar taking jäger bombs.
My parents divorced because if it. But no matter what he never missed work, walked 10 miles home if he had to, and taught me to never be like him in this way. Of course from 17-24 I was every bit as lost as every other kid my age in more ways than one. But after bailing me out of jail multiple times all over the southeast he sat me down before I turned 25, lit a joint and said boy WTF do I have to do in order for you to grow up.........I was for the first time making good legit taxable income and said help me buy a house and I will never in my life go down the same road I e been headed. 2 weeks later I was a homeowner with a mortgage.
Never turned down that road ever again. Of course I drink here and there but I now have 2 kids and rarely ever have more than 2 beers.
My parents divorced because if it. But no matter what he never missed work, walked 10 miles home if he had to, and taught me to never be like him in this way. Of course from 17-24 I was every bit as lost as every other kid my age in more ways than one. But after bailing me out of jail multiple times all over the southeast he sat me down before I turned 25, lit a joint and said boy WTF do I have to do in order for you to grow up.........I was for the first time making good legit taxable income and said help me buy a house and I will never in my life go down the same road I e been headed. 2 weeks later I was a homeowner with a mortgage.
Never turned down that road ever again. Of course I drink here and there but I now have 2 kids and rarely ever have more than 2 beers.
I definitely am not saying heroine isn't a problem. It is a huge problem. Especially when it involves a family member. I just think alcohol causes problems that are far more reaching. Maybe not as fast as a drug like heroine. Unless you drink and drive and kill yourself and others.
My dad was physically and mentally abusive because of his drinking. He hit me (one of many times) upside my face so hard that I had bruising all over my face by my ear. I was to scared to tell the teachers what happened and lied and said I was hit by a baseball. My mom was afraid to do anything out of fear for the longest time. That kind of stuff will take a toll on you and change you.
Just this week a woman that works with my wife was fired because she was drinking on the job. The same woman has been talking about suicide. Her issues seem to stem from relationship problems that led her to drinking. It is a shame that drugs/alcohol is out there and we even have to deal with addictions/abuse.
My dad was physically and mentally abusive because of his drinking. He hit me (one of many times) upside my face so hard that I had bruising all over my face by my ear. I was to scared to tell the teachers what happened and lied and said I was hit by a baseball. My mom was afraid to do anything out of fear for the longest time. That kind of stuff will take a toll on you and change you.
Just this week a woman that works with my wife was fired because she was drinking on the job. The same woman has been talking about suicide. Her issues seem to stem from relationship problems that led her to drinking. It is a shame that drugs/alcohol is out there and we even have to deal with addictions/abuse.
I think it's more than a numbers game. More than 2/3s of adults in the US drink, but "only" 7% are considered alcoholics. With heroin, "only" 4 million Americans have ever tried the drug, however the estimate is that 1 in 4 of these people will be come addicts. Plus it typically screws you up / kills you much more quickly than alcoholism.
Simply put - heroin is a much worse drug. But alcohol is still a bigger problem for Americans.
I see it in court every day. What was once Oxy, Zanax and Lortab is now turning to a big 3 of Meth, Heroin and Suboxone abuse. A good helping of Neurotin thrown in. I wish it was just alcohol or weed.
I'd say 70-75% of DUI's I see are drug related, not alcohol
I'd say 70-75% of DUI's I see are drug related, not alcohol
Sounds like it's worse in rural areas than in midst of big city Houston, USA. Damn sad note either way. Some of us (me) evidently do not realize how serious and widespread it is.
False. Don't underestimate the awfulness that is alcohol addiction.
Heroine is a huge epedmic , very scary... But alcohol is very real as well and kills much more and is responsible for many more deaths (duis, fights etc)
But companies make billions off of it.
Holy shit Welder. I can't begin to tell you how terribly sorry I am to hear that.
Personally, I would like to see drugs legalized. Sell them out of gov't ran and regulated stores just like the ABC stores in some states. Use the profits after operating costs to fund "real" rehab for people who want to get clean. Make the unauthorized manufacture and distribution of drugs punishable by death.
How in the world can you think making heroin legal and accessable to that degree is insanity
Agreed - Heroin gets you hooked very, very quickly. Making it legal would cause a lot of problems.
There's an epidemic in this thread, an epidemic of people using the word heroine when they should be using the word heroin.
On a side financially related note. Hepatitis C costs $120,000 to cure if you haven't destroyed your liver. It costs $500,000+ to cure and get a liver transplant. AIDS blocker drugs cost between $1000 and $3000 per month for life. If heroin leads to an increase in these diseases then we as taxpayers are going to be on the foot for this treatment.
OK, maybe a dumb question but how is Neurotin in that category? I know it's not narcotic, so I guess I'm missing something. Genuinely want to know, thanks in advance. WW.
Did you read the rest of my post? Heroin is currently illegal. Someone posted that it was hard to get. That you had to "know a guy who knows a guy". My cousin's son once told me in effect that he "knew several guys who knew several guys" and that with a phone call he could get a fix within 20 minutes. In a nutshell, it's not hard to find. People are going to use it.
My suggestion is to make it, and all drugs legal. Have them manufactured to meet certain standards. Sell them out of gov't run/regulated stores, just like alcohol is in some states. To get them you have to show a vaild ID. Use the profits after operating costs to fund REAL rehab for people who WANT to get clean. Make the ILLEGAL manufacture or distribution/sale of drugs punishable by DEATH, with the only exception maybe being a very low level dealer who has to turn in his source to settle for life in prison instead of the death penalty.
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
I'm right there with you on making all drugs legal, and taking total control over the manufacture and distribution. I'm also right there with you on offering free rehab for addicts. We part ways on the death penalty for black market dealers. Let's save that penalty for those that intentionally take lives, not hand it out to those that sell a product.
Man seeing a family bury their son/brother and just see his 200+ friends and look as hollow as the family I saw is enough to move in a bubble, home school my kids, and live off the land as much as possible.
My friends dad couldn't even converse. Can't even imagine!
My friends dad couldn't even converse. Can't even imagine!
It could be argued that those dealers are in fact knowingly, while not intentionally of course, selling a product that has a higher than average chance of killing the buyer. More often than not, the seller isn't the filth that cooked the stuff up, so he doesn't know if it's "average", or very potent.
I realize quite clearly I have a very biased view, given my son's death, but I have no problem handing down the death penalty for dealers of hard drugs. That might be the only way to slow, or maybe even stop this crap from getting on the street.
