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Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

richmond.com

21–30 of 246 posts

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#21

> Local jails have been overrun with people locked up and in need of treatment Why. Do. People. End. Up. In. Jail. Seriously this one is beyond my comprehension - they need treatment, not jails filled with hardened criminals, rapists and probably more (and nastier) drugs than on the street.

Some of them are probably there for crimes like theft prostitution and selling to sustain their habits. Another significant part would be those who violate parole or drug treatment programs.

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#22
post #13

Most of this stems from the overprescription of opioids. I remember when I had surgery for a broken leg the amount of drugs I received after the surgery was astounding. It was almost as if the hospital wanted me to become hooked. I didn't need or ask for the opioids, they were just prescribed for pain killing. A regular Tylenol or Advil would have done the job. Not saying hospitals want people on drugs, but at some p…

What makes you say that? It's trivial to get opioids on the streets and it's common to be introduced to them as a recreational drug, as I know first hand. In fact, I don't know anyone who got addicted to opioids due to overprescription, but I know several people who didn't get prescribed opioids they needed because of the fears of overprescription, and thus were left in terrible pain. I don't know how you draw the li…

People generally say that over-prescription leads to harder opioid usage because it does. I have had co-workers familiar with the neurological effects of the drugs they've been given balk at it. I've also known community members who had injuries slide into the obscurity of addiction.

A very real factor of this crisis is the pain aversion, people working in dentistry have higher rates of depression and suicide due to the psychological effects of inflicting pain on people (unless the dentist is played by steve martin ofc) and it's a problem without clear solutions. Legalization of marijuana would probably help reduce the mild-moderate pain classes in a non-addictive manner, but for extreme pain there isn't a good solution.

Anyways... there are plenty of first-hand accounts and plenty of studies showing the connection here, please do a little research before posting unsupported claims.

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#23

> Local jails have been overrun with people locked up and in need of treatment Why. Do. People. End. Up. In. Jail. Seriously this one is beyond my comprehension - they need treatment, not jails filled with hardened criminals, rapists and probably more (and nastier) drugs than on the street.

And if a drug addict doesn't want treatment? The elephant in the room is forced intervention requires a form of imprisonment.

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#24

Maybe all these drugs being dumped in USA is really part of an evil plan from an enemy nation to destroy this country by destroying its people. Check out this book "Red Cocaine" to see how cocaine traffic started in America.

or, maybe some folks just want an escape from stress / real life.

or, maybe they got hooked after being perscribed painkillers for an injury

or, maybe they're suffering from some mental illness

or, literally any number of other reasons besides some evil nation flooding the US with drugs and somehow 'forcing' citizens to take them.

The point is, you can choose to go after the suppliers, but the underlying problem is still there. Until that's addressed (mental healthcare, serious punishment for over-perscription, etc), we'll just see a new drug take the place of the old.

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#25

> Local jails have been overrun with people locked up and in need of treatment Why. Do. People. End. Up. In. Jail. Seriously this one is beyond my comprehension - they need treatment, not jails filled with hardened criminals, rapists and probably more (and nastier) drugs than on the street.

And if a drug addict doesn't want treatment? The elephant in the room is forced intervention requires a form of imprisonment.

> And if a drug addict doesn't want treatment?

Switzerland gives their most hopeless heroin addicts free heroin, and a safe place to use it. [0]

A friend's son was expelled from his US high school for dealing heroin - this was probably 12 years ago. Addicts have to advertise to their friends to be able to afford their habit.

[0] http://www.citizensopposingprohibition.org/resources/swiss-h...

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#26
post #9

Just the other morning I got off of bart in downtown Oakland, 12th street and there was a guy just laid out, unresponsive right on the steps outside the station. He had smoked something out of a can. I stuck with the guy while the paramedics came, but the most tragic part was that he had a plastic "No Allergies" bracelet on. When the paramedics took off his shirt he still had adhesive on his skin from the EKG straps…

[removed]

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#27
post #13

Most of this stems from the overprescription of opioids. I remember when I had surgery for a broken leg the amount of drugs I received after the surgery was astounding. It was almost as if the hospital wanted me to become hooked. I didn't need or ask for the opioids, they were just prescribed for pain killing. A regular Tylenol or Advil would have done the job. Not saying hospitals want people on drugs, but at some p…

What makes you say that? It's trivial to get opioids on the streets and it's common to be introduced to them as a recreational drug, as I know first hand. In fact, I don't know anyone who got addicted to opioids due to overprescription, but I know several people who didn't get prescribed opioids they needed because of the fears of overprescription, and thus were left in terrible pain. I don't know how you draw the li…

I went through open heart surgery two years ago April and opioid over-prescription was already a concern. After discharge I received a six day script for the lowest dose of fentanyl and a month of Lyrica. I have a freakishly high pain tolerance so I managed to 'stretch' the fentanyl patches out to nearly one month (each patch lasted roughly three days). Hindsight being what it is - I obviously made it through. Being down in it though, it was far far less than pleasant. Especially that I was supposed to be active and all the usual recovery stuff. It was a bit of no joke as far as pain load goes. I didn't expect to be completely pain free as that isn't life as far as I am concerned, it would have been nice to have taken a little bit more of the edge off. Round the pain off some.

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#28

> Local jails have been overrun with people locked up and in need of treatment Why. Do. People. End. Up. In. Jail. Seriously this one is beyond my comprehension - they need treatment, not jails filled with hardened criminals, rapists and probably more (and nastier) drugs than on the street.

And if a drug addict doesn't want treatment? The elephant in the room is forced intervention requires a form of imprisonment.

There will always be the hardcore who will not, or cannot overcome their addictions. But this is few.

Why not give them free medical grade heroin, in a safe environment?

* Keeps them off the streets. * They no longer need to resort to crime to fund their addictions. * Besides their appointed time to get their dose, they can lead relatively normal productive lives.

It will save $$$$ and also keep money out of pockets of organised crime.

win:win in my book

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#29
post #9

Just the other morning I got off of bart in downtown Oakland, 12th street and there was a guy just laid out, unresponsive right on the steps outside the station. He had smoked something out of a can. I stuck with the guy while the paramedics came, but the most tragic part was that he had a plastic "No Allergies" bracelet on. When the paramedics took off his shirt he still had adhesive on his skin from the EKG straps…

[removed]

what the fuck are you on about? wrong thread?

Re: Nineteen people a week overdose in Richmond, dozens are dying, hundreds revived

#30
post #9

Just the other morning I got off of bart in downtown Oakland, 12th street and there was a guy just laid out, unresponsive right on the steps outside the station. He had smoked something out of a can. I stuck with the guy while the paramedics came, but the most tragic part was that he had a plastic "No Allergies" bracelet on. When the paramedics took off his shirt he still had adhesive on his skin from the EKG straps…

[removed]

Probably the wrong thread :)
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