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El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

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Re: El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

#51

Post by gruturo »

graycat wrote: post #29
jjulius wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're using a browser version from January 2015 (it's currently at 48.0 as of 8/2/16), and your OS has not had support from Microsoft since 4/8/14. Your system is in desperate need of an upgrade, which could help prevent viruses. The longer you operate an outdated system, the likelier you are to encounter a virus.

Deleted.

While I agree with you on Windows versions later than XP being markedly worse from a technical guy's usability perspective (actually Windows Server 2003 + nlite/ xplite was the best client OS setup I ever used ), you are denying yourself a very significant amount of security patches and I would define this behaviour as a bit irresponsible of your PC only contains your own data, and possibly illegal if you have any customer personal data or payment information. I hate the newer Microsoft OSes as much as you but run Windows 10 (plus a healthy amount of Non-Microsoft OSes). At least upgrade your browser because that's the main entry vector for malware nowadays, you will find that recent versions of Firefox are quite enjoyable - latest one even started running some tasks in dedicated processes (just experimentally for now) resulting in a more responsive interface.

Re: El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

#52

Post by hackaflocka »

graycat wrote: post #18
Crito wrote: post #9

Of the people I've known who died due to heroin, all of them got started off on narcotic pain killers prescribed by unscrupulous doctors. One of my friends in university got hooked on pills his doctor prescribed for his back pain. The guy was 300+lbs, maybe that had something to do with the pain? Who cares, pump him full of pills! A year later he was on heroin. Three years later he was dead. Nobody but a complete deg…

Once I worked too hard trying to get some bad software installed. I clenched my teeth and cracked two molars. One molar soon got a root canal procedure and a crown. Some years later the other cracked molar got sore. Apparently the crack let bacteria into the core of the tooth. One day about each 30 minutes, the pain was awful. Eventually the explanation was that the bacteria generated CO2; that built up pressure insi…

Thanks. Have bookmarked this post in case I ever need to refer it again.

Is Benzocaine usually available (in the USA) without a prescription?

Re: El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

#53

Post by MichaelGG »

Crito wrote: post #9

Of the people I've known who died due to heroin, all of them got started off on narcotic pain killers prescribed by unscrupulous doctors. One of my friends in university got hooked on pills his doctor prescribed for his back pain. The guy was 300+lbs, maybe that had something to do with the pain? Who cares, pump him full of pills! A year later he was on heroin. Three years later he was dead. Nobody but a complete deg…

Why did he move to Heroin? Was it because it was cheaper/easier due to artificial restriction on regulated, proper, opiates?

Why didn't he move to OxyContin, morphine, methadone, oxymorphone, etc.?

"Krokodil" is also an alright medication on its own. Just another morphine-related molecule. The big complaint with it is, once again, unregulated producers making incredibly unsanity products. Which, if you shove it into your arm, will cause all sorts of infections.

If we had to buy vaccines from some guy making them in a barn, we'd probably see a huge incidence in infections from vaccinations.

I'd also disagree that no one wants to inject heroin. I've been on IV morphine once, due to an injury, and it was _fantastic_. Unbelievably great. I fail to see why someone wouldn't want that, if they could afford it, have proper healthcare and equipment, etc. It's just a weak form of wireheading.

Doctors aren't the problem. The legal penalties for seeking medication are. The social views that addicts are inherently a problem -- that's a problem. The high cost of medications due to gatekeeping is a problem.

Allow people to buy the medications they want (if only on personal liberty grounds!). Then engage in adverts, education, sell help, etc. if it's really a problem. Opiates are so cheap that even a part time job can easily afford to be high all the time -- if they were in a proper competitive market.

Re: El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

#54

Post by graycat »

rjsw wrote: post #47
graycat wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Deleted.

One reason to upgrade from XP to something newer is to be able to use WiFi, my one remaining XP laptop won't do WPA.

I have no access to, interest in, use for, or patience with WiFi. My computer is a desktop. My Internet connection is via a cable modem via my cable TV vendor. I have nothing that is wireless, not even a cell phone. For my desktop computer, I don't want to do the outrageous, absurd, vague, risky, mud wrestling of struggling to understand what the security risks are for wireless.

For a while, I tried a wireless mouse, but it seemed to eat through a lot of batteries and otherwise didn't work very well. I returned to a wired mouse connected via USB.

My laser printer? Connects via USB. My old daisy wheel printer (great for envelopes) connects via async serial.

I just don't have any wireless. So, that's a lot of system management, monitoring, maintenance, security, etc. surface I don't have to worry about.

Apparently a lot of the interest in wireless is having computing devices growing around the home or office like weeds for a lot of toys. I have no interest in such things and am concentrating on my startup.

Gee, a lot of HNers got really, really, really totally off the top of the charts PISSED OFF at me. Strange.

WPA stands for what, the old Great Depression Works Progress Administration? I know; I know; in computer land supposed to use TLAs (three letter acronyms) as much as possible.

Re: El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

#56

Post by _asummers »

hackaflocka wrote: post #52
graycat wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once I worked too hard trying to get some bad software installed. I clenched my teeth and cracked two molars. One molar soon got a root canal procedure and a crown. Some years later the other cracked molar got sore. Apparently the crack let bacteria into the core of the tooth. One day about each 30 minutes, the pain was awful. Eventually the explanation was that the bacteria generated CO2; that built up pressure insi…

Thanks. Have bookmarked this post in case I ever need to refer it again. Is Benzocaine usually available (in the USA) without a prescription?

Yep, unless this isn't what he's referring to. https://smile.amazon.com/Analgesic-Maximum-Strength-Benzocai...

Re: El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

#57

Post by placeybordeaux »

nobleach wrote: post #41

The opener really frustrates me. It's basically saying that if these folks have no choice but to engage in illegal activity. If their product somehow becomes legal, well.... we shouldn't have done that... because now they have to sell something worse. OR, OR, they could stop manufacturing poison and perhaps get a legitimate job and stop making money off of people with serious problems. Weed doesn't kill.... heroin do…

It doesn't seem like the author was trying to make a moral or ethical argument that what the cartels are doing is either right or proper. It is rather that it flows naturally.

As far as I could tell it was common knowledge that the cartels would turn to some other source of income if cannabis was legalized in the US. It was unclear exactly what, but corruption and violence would still play a part as they were large parts of how the cartels functioned.

Re: El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

#58

Post by rwallace »

Okay, here's a warning if you haven't read this article yet. Up near the beginning, there's a really, really unfortunate line about pot legalization being the cause of this and that. I'm sure it's tongue in cheek, but that doesn't come across in text, and people are tripping over it. Just skip over that line and keep reading. The rest of the article is excellent.

Re: El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

#59

Post by bsder »

mattnewton wrote: post #37

> If you wonder why America is in the grips of a heroin epidemic that kills two hundred people a week, take a hard look at the legalization of pot, which destroyed the profits of the Mexican cartels. How did they respond to a major loss in revenue? Like any company, they created an irresistible new product and flooded the market. That seems like an unfair potshot. Why not emphasize: "An increasing number of Americans…

> That seems like an unfair potshot. Why not emphasize: "An increasing number of Americans were addicted to prescription opioids such as Oxycontin."

And even THAT is an unfair potshot. Oxycontin specifically has problems that practically induce addiction.

http://www.latimes.com/projects/oxycontin-part1/

Re: El Chapo and the History of the Heroin Crisis

#60

Post by rjsw »

graycat wrote: post #54
rjsw wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One reason to upgrade from XP to something newer is to be able to use WiFi, my one remaining XP laptop won't do WPA.

I have no access to, interest in, use for, or patience with WiFi. My computer is a desktop. My Internet connection is via a cable modem via my cable TV vendor. I have nothing that is wireless, not even a cell phone. For my desktop computer, I don't want to do the outrageous, absurd, vague, risky, mud wrestling of struggling to understand what the security risks are for wireless. For a while, I tried a wireless mouse,…

Stick with XP, none of my Windows 10 machines will talk to my USB laser printer.
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