Heroin Cape Cod on HBO (insurance, buying, disposal)

[pennyone]

Sugar, especially the corn syrup variety that is found in practically everything we fat Americans stuff into our collective mouths, is the worse thing for you. And it's incredibly addicting, though it is not classified as a "drug."

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by pennyone

Sugar, especially the corn syrup variety that is found in practically everything we fat Americans stuff into our collective mouths, is the worse thing for you. And it's incredibly addicting, though it is not classified as a "drug."

You can thank all the farm subsidies for that, and for ethanol.

[OrdinaryGuy2005]

Originally Posted by mdovell

To be fair though much of this touches on mental health. The trouble is frankly no one can really say who should do it. If its the government then it becomes political. The state has largely closed mental health facilities over the past generation.

If it's the private sector then they have to profit and again who specifically pays.

If it's a non profit then it still has to have income to pay the bills and financially they might not have enough to pay employees.

Great breakdown.

Additional considerations: Is it worth it to increase the legal repercussions of selling heroin to further dissuade dealers? Or, should our efforts be focused on understanding why people turn to heroin in the first place, as complex as those reasons might be?

Providing greater educational and economic opportunity should, in theory, provide more meaningful options for individuals to pursue. I used to be vehemently against materialism, but if it's that or substance abuse, I'd prefer to see the former. Of course, that's more of a band-aid. The greater goal should be spiritual engagement, in whatever form. Perhaps the modern vacuum here is the root of the crisis?

[pennyone]

Originally Posted by OrdinaryGuy2005

Great breakdown.

Additional considerations: Is it worth it to increase the legal repercussions of selling heroin to further dissuade dealers? Or, should our efforts be focused on understanding why people turn to heroin in the first place, as complex as those reasons might be?

Providing greater educational and economic opportunity should, in theory, provide more meaningful options for individuals to pursue. I used to be vehemently against materialism, but if it's that or substance abuse, I'd prefer to see the former. Of course, that's more of a band-aid. The greater goal should be spiritual engagement, in whatever form. Perhaps the modern vacuum here is the root of the crisis?

Greater educational and economic opportunities wont solve the problem, folks. There are plenty of people who well understand the effects of drugs, and have plenty of educational and material opportunities going for them, and yet they become addicts. Spirituality is great, but how do we sell it to people who are ignorant and hook on pop culture?

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by OrdinaryGuy2005

Additional considerations: Is it worth it to increase the legal repercussions of selling heroin to further dissuade dealers? Or, should our efforts be focused on understanding why people turn to heroin in the first place, as complex as those reasons might be?

More punishment will only drive up prices (and related crime), it won't affect quantities available. The war on drugs is a total failure. It's time to get the drug dealers out of business. Prohibition has failed.

[iDothisoften]

Originally Posted by timberline742

More punishment will only drive up prices (and related crime), it won't affect quantities available. The war on drugs is a total failure. It's time to get the drug dealers out of business. Prohibition has failed.

I agree with some of this but disagree with others. The war on drugs was a success AT FIRST. Back during the crack epidemic of the 80's, it was the right thing to do. The level of crime, addiction and disease caused by the epidemic was a public crisis that no one saw coming. The war on drugs was necessary to combat the rising crime, and worked in the end. 1991 was the most violent year in our country's history. But now that we've made advancements, I do think the current policies don't work as well as they should.

I see both sides of the argument. I don't always agree with giving someone a record for use/possession (especially marijuana, that's just ridiculous. Thank god our state did away with it) and never agreed that stricter sentences would work. Until I went to Florida that is...

Florida is well known for its high crime rate, but also for its extremely harsh penalties for drug use, possession, and trafficking. When I was there, I was open to the idea of scoring some weed, though I wasn't seeking it out much. I was solicited on the beach by two guys who said they had it for cheap. I said i wanted to see it, they showed me. They kept asking if I was with the police, to which I replied no. But I said I'd have to get my money from the hotel and be back (5 bucks, why the hell not). We had a conversation about some other things, Florida, etc. throughout which they kept asking me if I was a cop. They were even more nervous when I said I had to leave and come back. I could tell their stuff was real, and I can handle myself well so I wasn't too worried about everything, but I had to go. When I returned, they were gone. You might think "so?" What does that tell you? I tried/wanted to get some, but I couldn't. These guys were so scared of the possible penalties, that they said f*ck it and jumped ship. I know people down there who have plenty of similar stories. But bottom line is that the laws (to my surprise) work to a degree. Both customers and dealers are scared.

That being said, they won't ever eliminate drug trafficking and drug use completely. Never. Did prohibition eliminate drinking? It's like telling your 13 year old they can't watch an R rated movie. They're just going to sneak around and find a way to try and see it. If they encounter difficulties, it makes them want to see it more. I think decriminalizing drugs (decriminalizing, not legalizing) and completely legalizing marijuana, taxing it, regulating it, and then using some of the (realistically) massive proceeds to fund drug education- is what's going to help. But no matter what route you take, it will never be eradicated. People have probably been finding ways to escape reality since ancient Egypt

[tovarisch]

Portugal has decriminalized EVERYTHING (all drugs) and seen addiction and crime go down. Look it up. The U.S. loves to ignore policies that are successful elsewhere.

[brienzi]

The heroin problem and other drugs has been going on for years. The cape is corrupt. You have the rich coming in at spring until fall who want there stuff and the cape Verde gangs who run the trade.There is always a spring sweep that rids some of the dealers from the street but always another to take on the business. I lived there for about 7 years and know how what goes on. Some of these kids sell all night and deliver to million dollar homes.

I didn't see the HBO special and don't need to after living there. People like there stuff and there r plenty of young ones willing to provide.

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by tovarisch

Portugal has decriminalized EVERYTHING (all drugs) and seen addiction and crime go down. Look it up. The U.S. loves to ignore policies that are successful elsewhere.

I've seen that also. Good luck getting that to happen as all the unions for cops and the prison system will be upset, as well as anyone who works in the government for the DEA, etc.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by LeavingMA

You can thank all the farm subsidies for that, and for ethanol.

Well even before then the creation of high fructose corn syrup in the mid 1970s...