The Methadone Mile (Boston, Newton, Wellesley: condos, hotel, luxury)

[BruinsGirl]

You do realize that majority of dealers are users themselves and deal to help their addiction.

But as much as I feel for addicts, other people have a right to live safely, not having these tent cities next to them. Boston is ok in comparison to SF, LA, Denver and other places, but it can get worse. It’s about time facilities are used for people who don’t want use rehabs or programs existing already.

[bostongymjunkie]

But the majority of addicts are not dealers. Treating as both a public safety and public health problem is best for both addicts and "other people" because it targets the underlying problems rather than put a band-aid on them. If you want more Methadone Miles continue to do what we have been doing. This is a societal problem and society needs to address it. You don't get to hide out in the burbs or upscale neighborhoods and wait for others to do something about it. Many of these people are spawned from those neighborhoods.

[MrDee12345]

I would recommend finding the entire version of this interview:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn6NlXh5dH8

I listened for 45 minutes until Rogan started talking about how psychedelics can help homeless people and then I had to shut it off.

But the guest, Michael Shellenberger, makes some good points comparing what we do in the US vs what has been done in Portugal or the Netherlands. In the US, we tend to take one extreme or the other: long prison terms or allowing people do as many drugs as they want in public.

He argues that despite the decriminalization of drugs in places like Portugal and The Netherlands, there are still consequences for drug abuse. For example, in Portugal, you can still get picked up for public drug use, but then you'll have to go before a family drug court. In the Netherlands, the encourages you to quit drugs by offering housing to people who quit.

In the US, we need to stop taking extreme sides on complex issues such as this. We can both decriminalize drugs AND have consequences for poor behavior.

[msRB311]

and with drugs you dont just get a mess of people on mass ave, you get situations like this:

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/10/...-joseph-stapf/

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Being an addict is a huge drain on society but an even bigger drain on the individual. Your relative you mention who has been an addict for 15 years with no job history...even if he were to get clean what would he do? Unless he has family or friends who run a company and could give him a job he'll be starting from the bottom somewhere which so many Americans seem to not want to do once they reach a certain age - regardless of what they've been through. Sadly people have little incentive to get clean it seems because what is waiting for them? A crappy life...that they were trying to escape in the first place

Well here's the thing he used to be violent. Now here's where it gets odd. The state he's in (actual state like the midwest) constantly lets him out because he isn't violent. Now you can't trust him with money at all. He will do anything to steal (but not assault) to get money for his drug habit. But the violent record does come up. A major retailer almost hired him but once they saw that forget it. I know some talk about "ban the box" but even if it was the case there what would you explain is your education and skills by the time you are 35 ? It's one thing to have addictions in your early 20's or screw ups with criminal records. A news reporter or cop near me said it best "what do you do say with a heroin dealer that's 49 years old?"

Supposedly my cousin has about 49 felonies, it's like an oil change to him. But like I said the violence was in the past. What ultimately happened is he was offered a landscaping job and was literally told to show up at a given time. No other expectations but he didn't do it. The military can't take people on addictions as far as I know and obviously his condition he wouldn't be fit and being mid 30's the cut off for most has passed. He's been to rehab a few times but fell back. Remember the Chapelle Show back in the day? The addictions part was true because people really do sell stuff for drug money. Pawn shops there are very lax in regulations vs what we have in Mass.

Most dealers are not users. Yeah with marijuana sure but not heroin and certainly not fentanyl. I'd argue most dealers do not understand the impact that they have. Easy money doesn't help. Think about the time on pause addicts face. If you can't work you can't pay into social security, a pension, pay taxes, invest etc. My cousins addiction led to his mothers drinking which ultimately killed her a few years ago. It was a long downward spiral of about ten years. I thought the death would have led to some sobriety but it hasn't. I'm not saying prison was technically better but you'd be pretty dumb to do a crime within prison. He's not on park with Henry Earl but.... If you don't know he's been arrested well over 1,000 times for being drunk in public. He goes in prison a few days and then out...repeat. This is where it isn't even a crime anymore but more like a game for free rent or food.

[redplum33]

Be careful what you ask for, msRB. You want them off Mass Ave. In LA, you see homeless tents in nice neighborhoods.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by redplum33

Be careful what you ask for, msRB. You want them off Mass Ave. In LA, you see homeless tents in nice neighborhoods.

Oh gosh well we can't have that. Lol. Kidding. I hope they head straight to Wellesley and cohasset

[mdovell]

I should also note what was the recourse. My aunt enabled him constantly under the mindset that "He had nowhere else to go". Employers don't hire addicts for the most part. A long time ago when I was in retail we had a woman that hurt herself bad with her back (prior to us) she was on pain meds and it was to the point where she couldn't stand up for more than ten minutes. I think she was let go. At the very least even if there was no criminal record and no physical harm (some can get addicted to say gambling and porn) how do you explain let alone make up the time loss ? Days, weeks, months years etc. Things move fast now. Imagine coming out of prison after 20 years and you never used broadband let alone smart phones. Think of the jobs that were lost and new ones gained you have to have at least something.

[WestieWhitie]

That’s exactly what’s needed here - Back Bay and Seaport limousine liberal crowd will become a whole lot less liberal once they start finding piles of sh*t and used needless in their lobbies and their limousines and they start mandatorily donating their black amexes, vacherons and pateks on a daily basis. Bleeding heart bleeds best from a safe distance, get close enough and it turns into an ice-cold stone in no time.

Originally Posted by redplum33

Be careful what you ask for, msRB. You want them off Mass Ave. In LA, you see homeless tents in nice neighborhoods.

[id77]

Originally Posted by WestieWhitie

That’s exactly what’s needed here - Back Bay and Seaport limousine liberal crowd will become a whole lot less liberal once they start finding piles of sh*t and used needless in their lobbies and their limousines and they start mandatorily donating their black amexes, vacherons and pateks on a daily basis. Bleeding heart bleeds best from a safe distance, get close enough and it turns into an ice-cold stone in no time.

Already do find excrement and needles in places like Back Bay and Seaport. Homeless sleep on benches in some of the nicest parks in the city. Drugs have traded hands in Copley Square. Not sure what you think will magically change by dispersing these people.