The Heroin Epidemic Crushing America

Another symptom of a false cultural paradigm built on a narrative of individual success. People in America are struggling to find self worth and value in life as they are inundated with advertising and media telling them their worth is tied to their success. With families turning their backs on their own kids if they don't make enough money they will be forced to live on the streets regardless of the facts of whats happening with our economy. Student debt, baby boomers losing their retirements during the (first half of the)housing meltdown, illegal immigration by the millions, and H1-B visas our younger generation is out of luck.

Millennials May Be Next Generation Facing Devastating Homelessness, Research Suggests

“All of the risk factors do seem to be present for another wave of adult homelessness,” Dennis P. Culhane, who worked on the study as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, told Business Insider. “And, indeed, while we don’t see rates exceeding expectations yet, we do see that the proportion of homeless in their 20s is growing every year for the last five years, and that they now account for 25 percent of the adult homeless population.”

It's mind blowing to me that the family structure in the US has been destroyed so badly that people are unwilling to help their own. We have spent 13,000 years living tribaly and relying on one another for support and suddenly in the last 70 years that culture has been turned on its head.

Thanks TV and mind control.

These are just some of the issues I believe that are causing a rise in drug use...

HBO Vice



You ever wonder why overdoses have been increasing? Well according to HBO's Vice documentary series, there has been a rise in deaths because of fentanyl. Ever wonder why they would cut the drug with a more expensive, more powerful alternative?

Fentanyl Drug Information

Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate painkiller that is much stronger than morphine or heroin - in fact, it is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Anytime there's an overdose that dealers sales go through the roof because people want stronger drugs. This kind of makes my stomach turn.

Sick, I know.. it disgust me. I've known a few people who both lost their lives and their lives to this drug (figuratively and literally).

What's the solution? Well, there are a few options and some of them may seem radical in your mind. My personal solution is total legalization. This will end the stigma that drug users face when reentering society that may work against them causing them to turn back to the drug during a period of intense vulnerability. The way we view drug users in our society is totally and completely flawed in my opinion and trust me I know, both of my parents were drug users and one of them still is. But we can look to countries like Norway for guidance on these issues..

Free heroin brings everyone a bit of peace

Both addicts and their carers speak very positively of the once-controversial project. The ‘patients’ no longer need to steal to buy their daily shots and some have even got themselves jobs. The nuisance caused by addicts in Utrecht – and now in many other major cities as well – has all but disappeared and there are few new addicts appearing on the scene. Society is no longer paying for their petty theft and illness.

Besides this in my mind being a total violation of a citizens right to choose for themselves weather or not they want to harm themselves or not, criminalizing our drug users makes helping them and them helping themselves much harder. We can look to the Netherlands radical policy and cultural change towards the drug(s) as an example.

None of the addicts in the Utrecht programme have been in trouble with the law since starting the treatment.

Not only will this help to reduce crime and usage, but it will help put an end to the cartel activity from both the Mexican, and Russian cartels (major suppliers) in the US. To me this is a win win scenario.

Obama Pushes For More Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Reform advocates say America addresses drug abuse the wrong way, focusing too much on arresting addicts rather than making sure they can defeat their addictions, get healthy and stay out of trouble.

Its the same problem over hear in Britain, people look down their noses at heroin addicts and their is not a lot of help at all in helping people get the help and support they need.

Im a former heroin addict myself, have been off it since new years day. In fact i made a thread about it last year, well it was more focused on the treatment one can get for helping get off the stuff.

Ive lost a friend to a heroin overdose as it may have been laced with what you speak of, the overdose rate has increased this year according to my clinic where i go for my treatment.

Its a shame that people who cry out that their hospitable and want to help the homeless have turned their backs on them and have focused more on helping refugees now instead of the people already needing help in their own city's.

I dont think legalising heroin is the right step forward to be honest with you, the problem me and a lot of users ive met have had is getting the actual treatment needed to properly get off the stuff. For example the clinic i go to get my methadone, it had taken them 2 months!!! 2 whole months to get me the treatment i needed, its like they dont want to help but instead by taking their time and basicly forcing you to keep taking a lot can happen in 2 months, most go to jail for the crimes they commit trying to make money for more drugs.

The solution is to have a rapid response clinic that can help people immediately instead of putting addicts on a long waiting list because being forced to wait for a numerous amount of time makes one feel inadequate and that no one truly cares. If it wasn't for my sister giving and best friend giving me the much needed love and support i needed i probably wouldnt of made it this far.

a reply to: ParanoidCovKid

Well, legalization removes the social stigma and funds treatment centers and schools as well as providing a safe environment free of crime and disease and takes the financial incentive away from cartel activity essentially putting them out of business. It's a win win win.

Good job getting sober I'm proud of you, keep moving forward.

a reply to: onequestion

Great thread, good info.

The issue is that Heroin is becoming less popular in favor of pharmaceuticals. Namely Fentanyl Patches that are easy to get, relatively cheap and provide a deeper, more dangerous high.

We need proper programs to help people who are addicted to these dirty drugs and those programs must include a post addiction service to make sure people aren't falling into their old habits, simply because they have no support system.

~Tenth

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Totally agree.

I used to work in a rehab and one of the things that sickened me was how the profit motive essentialled ruined the quality of care.

With Obamacare these rehabs are able to charge 30k a month per person without any real oversight(besides insurance accountability/ traceability measures). We need to remove the profit incentive and make funds available for non profits only.

Oh and thanks.

a reply to: onequestion

Agreed, that means reigning in big pharma however and making sure that they drugs they produce and then distribute are properly controlled.

And hold them accountable for costs.

~Tenth

a reply to: tothetenthpower

I read a response by MystikMushroom in another thread where he mentioned our ability to manipulate the way our body experiences pain without the opiate, dopamine, saratonin (high) effects of the drugs and how we should be taking advantage of that.

I totally agree with him.

The big pharma companies and the FDA need to be held accountable in order for this change to be made.

a reply to: onequestion

. . . oversight . . .

Oversight definitely needed for rehabs. A family member ended up in rehab having narrowly avoided prison. We were told, "He'll be watched 24 hours a day for the first week. If he leaves he'll be arrested." After less than two days he walked out in disgust and turned up in despair at our house. We gave him shelter for the night, expecting police to turn up at any moment. Next morning we phoned the rehab. They hadn't even noticed he was gone. No one was interested. He refused to go to the other rehab places available to him and somehow sorted himself out over time.

What really sickened us was the regular begging letters we got from the rehab for years afterwards saying, "As one of our supporters will you attend this fund raising event . . . " We'd give any support we could if they had visibly done an adequate job.

a reply to: Kester

Oh trust me they only care about the bottom line.

The ones I worked for where horribly mismanaged and revolving doors for clients as long as they payed the 30k a month (we paid through Obamacare).

Don't get me wrong some people do just need a break and aren't true addicts they just got out of hand. Went back to their families and good jobs in nice neighborhoods and got their lives back together.

Who needs heroin.

Just get a bottle jacks. repeat. repeat. and so on. No one cares then, just a drunk, dead in a pool of vomit and urine. No one give a toss.

amazed I am still alive.

originally posted by: Parafitt
Who needs heroin.

Just get a bottle jacks. repeat. repeat. and so on. No one cares then, just a drunk, dead in a pool of vomit and urine. No one give a toss.

amazed I am still alive.

Everyone has to be pointing a finger at someone.

Vancouver has had major heroin problems for decades but right now they say it's all fentanyl and no real heroin around..addicts od'ing left right and center.

a reply to: onequestion

I know I keep hearing about this heroin epidemic, but I have never met someone that uses nor have I ever even heard of someone that uses. I mean I know people use, but not in my circle and my circle contains a LOT of young people since I have a daughter who just graduated from High School and I coach.

I don't really see the problem. These young kids seem to have good heads on their shoulders and have plans for college, military service or training for other in-demand careers.

I know that Millennials get a bad rap because I see mostly intelligent, hard-working, driven young people. Sure some of them smoke pot and drink, but I don't know any of them that use harder drugs.

I feel a lot more positive about this generation as I watch them grow into adulthood. I am really enjoying watching them take this journey and I am optimistic for their future.

It is hard for me to see these young people turning to drugs.

a reply to: Metallicus

That's not true in my area it's real bad.

I've also seen it in California as well. You may be in a good area.

I live in a quiet corner of Chester County, PA. And I have to say, Heroin is HUGE here. I'm originally from the Great Plains. Out there, over twenty years ago through today meth was and is huge. But not like the heroin here.
I had no car a few years ago and needed to walk five miles to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy. Walked along roads by farms mostly. Saw three syringes on the roadside. I doubt diabetics casually toss something like that out of their vehicles.
Had to go to therapy after a dui. I was the only dui in a group of fourteen. One woman was a tooter, the rest were heroin and painkillers.
My gf's house was broken into three years ago by junkies who followed the FedEx truck around Christmas time. When they were arrested for trying to sell the jewelry they stole and went in front of a judge their excuse was, you guessed it, heroin.
It wasn't this bad until after we had US soldiers guarding the poppy fields of Afghanistan. Fact. Mexican tar isn't very accessible either from what I have grokked from those that use...

Great thread 1?

It's a damn shame that you had to write it. And I feel for all of those who are either struggling with that demon or who are watching someone close to them waste away. We can do better as a society to help those who cannot help themselves.

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
a reply to: onequestion

Great thread, good info.

The issue is that Heroin is becoming less popular in favor of pharmaceuticals. Namely Fentanyl Patches that are easy to get, relatively cheap and provide a deeper, more dangerous high.

We need proper programs to help people who are addicted to these dirty drugs and those programs must include a post addiction service to make sure people aren't falling into their old habits, simply because they have no support system.

~Tenth

I just felt this needs repeating, Tenth.
Support systems are highly important. People that abuse substances controlled or otherwise do so due to something that is lacking within their own life. And that reason is unique to every individual. I've seen it first hand. Some people just need a little help in getting reestablished in society. It's hard once you've been down a dark path, and the criminal justice system of the US doesn't make things any easier by imposing harsh fines and damning charges so no one will hire someone that really wants to turn their life around. No one ever says I want to be a junkie. But it happens. Treat the illness and give some hope to someone that is hopeless and full of despair. Don't just throw them in a cell to sweat and shake for a while with a much more dangerous criminal element.

a reply to: the owlbear

It's hard once you've been down a dark path, and the criminal justice system of the US doesn't make things any easier by imposing harsh fines and damning charges so no one will hire someone that really wants to turn their life around.

They are looking at 7 years of hell regardless of weather or not they change their life around. Family help? Non existent for most as their friends and family have turned their back on them.

Harsh cold country we live in.

But hey if their rich or successful first theres all kinds of help for them and everyone is quick to get back on that gravy train.

a reply to: Metallicus

Maybe you're right about not knowing anyone, but I'd wager a bet more is going on than you realize. Any person that uses, and has a modicum of intelligence can hide it from anyone and everyone. I did for over 5 years. Only ones who knew were the ones I wanted to or used with.

Heck, one year my high school's salutatorian was shooting up every day in the parking lot before school! Still pulled off a 4.5 GPA, played an instrument and ran on the cross country team.

That's one of the scariest/hardest parts of this epidemic. You can spot a drunk. You can tell of someone is tweaking. You can even usually tell if someone is stoned.
But opiates are another story. Once you get a feel for it, you can hold yourself together like a champ in front of others. many people are so good, you had no idea until it was too late...

originally posted by: the owlbear
I live in a quiet corner of Chester County, PA. And I have to say, Heroin is HUGE here. I'm originally from the Great Plains. Out there, over twenty years ago through today meth was and is huge. But not like the heroin here.
I had no car a few years ago and needed to walk five miles to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy. Walked along roads by farms mostly. Saw three syringes on the roadside. I doubt diabetics casually toss something like that out of their vehicles.
Had to go to therapy after a dui. I was the only dui in a group of fourteen. One woman was a tooter, the rest were heroin and painkillers.
My gf's house was broken into three years ago by junkies who followed the FedEx truck around Christmas time. When they were arrested for trying to sell the jewelry they stole and went in front of a judge their excuse was, you guessed it, heroin.
It wasn't this bad until after we had US soldiers guarding the poppy fields of Afghanistan. Fact. Mexican tar isn't very accessible either from what I have grokked from those that use...

Great thread 1?

It's a damn shame that you had to write it. And I feel for all of those who are either struggling with that demon or who are watching someone close to them waste away. We can do better as a society to help those who cannot help themselves.

There was a Yuge increase in heroin addiction and death in Russia shortly after we invaded Afghanistan as well. I remember this drug a couple years ago. A new pain pill that was to strong, un-needed because they already have so many powerful pain killers, and easily crushable for drug users. Zohydro it's called and the FDA argued against it but it somehow got approved. I thought they were supposed to get to decide that?
New pain pill's approval: 'Genuinely frightening'
www.cnn.com...

They really do want us all strung out or ODed.
Edit: What is up with that Fentanyl as well? If it's so much more dangerous then heroin how/why do they treat people with it? Wouldn't actual heroin be safer then it??

a reply to: onequestion

Just about every drug has had its time of 'glory and fad' epidemics.

Opium in the late 1800's
Marijuana and acid in the 60's
Cocaine in the 70's and 80's
Meth and ecstasy in the 90's
Alcohol throughout all the ages

Etc etc.


So what does that say about society ?

It says that people will do anything to escape the harsh realities of life, even if just for a little while... and this escapism thing seems to be a common denominator for most humans throughout time, and throughout the world.

Alcohol, drugs, movies, video games, etc... all various means of escapism to some degree or other.


We humans are very much the fallible creatures by nature.