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Your post is spot on and said politely and eloquently. Hysterically unfunny that the usual "LI is awesome" rah rah crowd are the 1st to jump in and attack you. How soon they forget the slaughter at Haven Drugs, the 2 (and more in the pipeline) doctors in jail for mass illegal distribution of opioids. I know 3, count 'em THREE kids in their twenties from good homes in good areas who died of OD's in the last 2 years (1 just back from Afghanistan).
That guy propped up on the pole wasn't drunk. He was on the nod. Drunks fall down. Junkies lean.
The key problems are that opioid prescription abuse is an epidemic nation wide. Every tom, dick and sally in physical therapy with back pain is likely also getting prescribed pain meds. These wind up with the kids. No syringe needed and easy to pass and smuggle. Ultimately you need too many and they are EXPENSIVE
($30+ up for ONE 40mg pill) when bought illegally on the street. However, HEROIN is now strong enough to snort without having to shoot and it's CHEAP ($10 bucks) and plentiful (thank you, oh retarded and bogus War on Drugs!). Ultimately tolerance is built up and the next step in the progression is shooting it.
Ask anyone in the mental health/addiction field how the demogrpahic of rehabs and treatment centers has changed. What used to be mostly adult drug abusers and repeat DWI offenders mandated by the court is now 90% patients from 18-25 with opiate addictions. That is FACT. How did a lot of them end up in rehab?! Busted for non violent criminal offenses JUST LIKE THE OP SAID and sent to diversion programs which is rehab, counseling, etc instead of jail.
As usual, the biggest problem on LI (and confirmed by the 1st knee jerk responses) is when there is a problem, pull the shades, hide, deny it, pretend it doesn't exist and of course, accuse the attacker of being negative. Typical, predicatable and sad.
My friends and co workers in Nassau and Suffolk County communities have been aware of the issue and are trying to be proactive with their families. I don't think the problem in Smithtown is any worse than in other large communities and the schools and residents have been active in trying to curtail the use of opiates.
People and Doctors rely way too much on prescribing pills whether it be painkillers or antibiotics.
In short, I think this is actually an issue that Long Islander's aren't hiding from because it is hitting close to home and it hurts.
Last edited by nassau2suffolk; 01-29-2013 at 10:03 AM..
I think the blame for this issue, which is nation wide not just LI, is a combination of Doctors and Pharma companies....both making a lot of money off getting people addicted. These types of drugs have been around for a long time, it's just that starting about 15 year or so ago, someone saw a huge profit potential in synthetic opiates.
I don't understand how I have to give my license to get a package of Mucinex or Claritin D, but Oxy addicts can get precriptions from multiple doctors and go all over to different pharmacies. The market is flooded with this stuff. I've gotten prescriptions for it for minor back pain, and refused. I don't really want it in my house where anyone can get to it.
The most perverted version of what's going on can be seen in Florida with all of these pill mills. It's absurd how these crooks, who are basically legalized heroin dealers, were allowed to get away with this stuff for so long.
Now, when the habit gets expensive, you have the gangs, which are much more prevelant on LI then they used to be, providing a supply of heroin, which is the cheaper alternative to pills.
For the most part it starts with the pills. In the past, it would take a certain type of kid to take heroin, even snorted. But, pills do not carry the fear or stigma, so everyone tries them, and then pandoras box is open.
I saw a kid half slumped over in his car in a Smithtown parking lot last year, nodding off. I called the police. He looked to be in WAY deep with this stuff from his appearance.
So true. People think it's OK because hey, it's a pill, it's by prescription, and you don't have to smoke it, snort it or shoot it with a needle. So it's safe!!! Right?
I was given an RX for oxycodone a couple years ago after surgery. The RX was for up to 3 pills every 4 hours. I have a very high tolerance for drugs, but that dose would've had me more than comfortably numb for days and days. I took one pill, 3 times a day, and that was enough. It was also enough to create a dependency. When I started feeling better and stopped taking them, I got sick - nauseous for days on end and so, so tired - it was like I had narcolepsy. I couldn't believe after taking so little for so short a time, my body needed it to feel just normal. I can't imagine how sick these addicts feel when they don't get their fix, and it's all avoidable.
There is a segment of the population that needs these drugs, usually end stage cancer patients in no danger of becoming addicted, who need to be kept comfortable till the end. For the rest of us, it's just one more thing to warn the kids about.
And yes, it is everywhere. Not just LI, or one town on LI.
It is a little worse on LI as prescription abuse is more of a "white" (for lack of better description) or "suburban" (ok, better word) drug problem. In fairness we don't have a meth epidemic (yet) that has swept most of the West and South. We do have a major opioid problem. Who ever thought we'd be finding used syringes ANYWHERE on LI? Like I said in the other thread, decline comes slowly, but it eventually arrives if nothing is done. The drug issue is a REALLY complicated one.
Drug use (weed, huffing) among young people has generally declined in the last 20 years but opiate use has risen a great deal and heroin has effectively left the ghetto and taken up roots on Main St where it was never seen before (to be fair, it's being transported FROM the ghetto to Main St). I never DREAMED of worrying about my kid buying heroin in school but it's here. That should scare the heck out of us.
If you question what is happening, go visit South Oaks and see what the patient demographic looks like. That and the fact that there is a hefty and growing demand for adolescent rehab beds.
Drug use (weed, huffing) among young people has generally declined in the last 20 years but opiate use has risen a great deal and heroin has effectively left the ghetto and taken up roots on Main St where it was never seen before (to be fair, it's being transported FROM the ghetto to Main St). I never DREAMED of worrying about my kid buying heroin in school but it's here. That should scare the heck out of us.
If you question what is happening, go visit South Oaks and see what the patient demographic looks like. That and the fact that there is a hefty and growing demand for adolescent rehab beds.
Though it still remains that the majority of kids are not abusing substances and are leading relatively normal lives. Maybe the question is what is it these normal kids are doing such that they don't get into abuse and there one might find the solution on how to stop it.
Not denying that this is a big issue right now, but I'm curious if the local precincts are seeing an increase or decrease in opiate related crimes, OD's, etc. This has been in the news for some time on LI....I wonder if it's getting worse or if things have gotten any better due to increased awareness. For example, the Natalie Ciappa story (which got major coverage) was nearly five years ago. If things are still getting worse, well that's pretty scary.
Cheap only for the beginners. It gets to $100 a day habit really quickly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dman72
That's where the heroin comes in. It's the same high and it's cheap.
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