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Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

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Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#81

Post by jayajay »

paulmd wrote: post #29
jayajay wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't accept that heroin and alcohol are equal in that sense. I would be very skeptical about any sources claiming this equality. Ease of production, pharmacodynamics, etc. Edit: Ideally, humans wouldn't be consuming poison? But, what is poison? It's a lot more complicated than "alcohol is bad" or "heroin is bad". Maybe you are right, letting down the flood gates will surely kill people who don't have control, and…

Honest question, do you have an alcohol problem or addictive personality that is driving this fear? If not, what keeps you from drinking yourself to sleep on the sidewalk every night? When it comes down to it, not all drugs are equal. Heroin isn't "alcohol but worse". People who drink tend to get pretty nasty sometimes, and that's a social harm that someone who's nodding doesn't perpetrate. And in terms of physical h…

If this were several years ago and I was still a college freshman, I bet I would have tried heroin if it was available for 5 bucks a pop next to the Benadryl at CVS. Things much more innocent than heroin get in the way of a freshman, so yeah, I would be concerned if heroin was on the shelf for anyone who is 18 right now.

Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#82

Post by nooron »

brianwawok wrote: post #27
nooron wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe you'll find this persuasive? http://harpers.org/archive/2016/04/legalize-it-all/

No. Just because the war on drugs was started for a racist reason doesn't make banning drugs themselves a bad idea. I don't think people can make valid choices about the use or not use of highly addictive drugs. We as a society can do better than to help people be strung out.

Did you read the whole piece? There's strong evidence that drug abuse is bad, and that the best way to mitigate it is through harm reduction policies -- and that these policies ultimately reduce use of drugs. Which is what you want, right?

Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#83

Post by [deleted] »

brianwawok wrote: post #27
nooron wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe you'll find this persuasive? http://harpers.org/archive/2016/04/legalize-it-all/

No. Just because the war on drugs was started for a racist reason doesn't make banning drugs themselves a bad idea. I don't think people can make valid choices about the use or not use of highly addictive drugs. We as a society can do better than to help people be strung out.

[deleted]

Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#84

Post by CaptSpify »

aaron695 wrote: post #62
martinald wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I literally cannot understand why this is being downvoted. Prescribed heroin would save thousands of lives and billions of dollars in ER OD cases and the acquisitive crime that this disorder causes. Shame on you HN.

> I literally cannot understand why this is being downvoted. Because it's off topic? You can't seriously think HN is not anti-prohibition? To move forward we need to be practical. One city in the entire US is getting an injection room. Why start talking about the legalisation of heroin? If it works but it can't be implemented why discuss at this point when we are discussing something that does greatly help and is bei…

Why do you feel this is off-topic?

Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#85

Post by girvo »

kibwen wrote: post #67
WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #54

Yes, finally people are starting to see drugs addicts as the valuable people they are and not as disposable felons. Addiction is a sickness that affects people not a failure of morals that needs a jail sentence.

I know a high-functioning heroin addict who's a programmer by day. It's surprising to discover seemingly-normal people who have this monkey on their backs, given the popular perception of addicts.

That's me, or was anyway. Addict for 6 years, clean for 4 (well, on Suboxone)

Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#86

Post by api_or_ipa »

See Vancouver's Insite program for proof it works. It's been a huge economic and social success, allowing timely intervention to help drug users get clean, reducing the rate of HIV and HepC amongst intravenous drug users and helping numerous people get a fresh start at life.

Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#87

Post by girvo »

aianus wrote: post #75
drvdevd wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> (under heavy regulation) ... and this is where most Heroin addicts start, actually, through prescription opiate use. Once a physical addiction is formed, heroin can be a cheaper or more accessible alternative to a prescription for say, Oxycontin. I thought John Oliver had a good segment on it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5pdPrQFjo2o

> Once a physical addiction is formed, heroin can be a cheaper or more accessible alternative to a prescription for say, Oxycontin. Something is wrong with the system for prescribing Oxycontin if black market heroin is ever cheaper or more accessible.

The crackdown on "pill mills" meant that the cost of oxycodone shot up on the streets over the last 5 years. Demand remains the same, supply is lessened.

Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#88

Post by itsweller »

jmspring wrote: post #77
WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #54

Yes, finally people are starting to see drugs addicts as the valuable people they are and not as disposable felons. Addiction is a sickness that affects people not a failure of morals that needs a jail sentence.

Living in a community with heroin addicts that see every opportunity to rob someone for a fix, sorry addicts are criminals first. There is no excuse for their behavior.

Yes, every heroin addict robs people to feed their heinous, immoral addiction.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on crime in poverty stricken areas or those of one predominant race or another, I’m sure they’re just as well reasoned, tolerant, and coherent.

Behavior like yours is why many turn to other avenues of coping rather than feeling comfortable seeking help. Don’t think for a second I’m condoning what you perceive, but your definition of “addict” is likely one or two standard deviations away from reality, and to imply that all “addicts” are criminals or all criminals you see are addicted to heroin is more than a little amusing.

Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#89

Post by ajkjk »

jmspring wrote: post #77
WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #54

Yes, finally people are starting to see drugs addicts as the valuable people they are and not as disposable felons. Addiction is a sickness that affects people not a failure of morals that needs a jail sentence.

Living in a community with heroin addicts that see every opportunity to rob someone for a fix, sorry addicts are criminals first. There is no excuse for their behavior.

Well, since that attitude doesn't get useful results, maybe try the humanizing one that might?

Re: Seattle Is Opening First in U.S. “Safe Injection Facility” for Heroin Addicts

#90

Post by aaronbrethorst »

rdl wrote: post #76

I was at a law enforcement armorer class with some police officers from various agencies in the Northeast recently. The most impactful thing I heard "People who get narcanned multiple times should just be killed" -- maybe not his literal belief, but the problem seems to be out of control. He had stories of "frequent customers" who kept coming to hospitals/police stations/fire departments to shoot up in the bathrooms,…

As a resident of Capitol Hill, I want this right near me. And I want to see another one in Belltown. And another near the waterfront. And another on Aurora. And then another twenty throughout the city.

There are junkies shooting up around me every day. They deserve safety and dignity, just like everyone else.

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