The horrific toll of America's heroin 'epidemic'

[malaise]

So is this connected to the Afghanistan war and who are the profiteers?

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26672422
<snip>
Heroin abuse in the US has been spreading beyond inner cities, resulting in a sharp rise in addiction and death. Chicago is a hub for cheap, pure and plentiful heroin, much of it supplied by Mexican drug cartels.

Chicago's "L" train green line leads directly to the open-air drug markets on the city's west side.

As we travel the route with one of the addicts, Jason, he phones his contact. He wants two bags of heroin, each costing just $10 (£6). The dealer meets us, and within seconds two tiny bags are handed over.

This part of Chicago has been ground down by neglect, drugs and crime, and residents talk openly about the narcotics on sale.

Of the four people who stopped to ask what we were filming, all said they had taken heroin.

The police are here, but they seem to face daunting odds as the heroin abuse spreads.

[JNelson6563]

1. This is so awful.

Many souls doomed to a life of hell and a miserable end.

Julie

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. kick

[LuckyLib]

3. Younger people have no idea of the strength

and scourge of "H" -- all they want is cheap. When we were young heroin was to be avoided -- only super addicts and criminals were into it. Now it's small town and suburban kids who can't afford Oxy and Percocet. So sad.

[hack89]

4. Oxycontin and other prescription drugs are a common gateway to heroin

users love the high but can't afford the price of pills so they move over to heroin, which is cheap and now comes in a smokable form.

It is a unexpected side effect of the very effective campaign to crack down on the illegal trade in prescription drugs.

[Arugula Latte]

5. I recently learned that four out of five heroin users start out

getting hooked on common prescription drugs (painkillers like Codeine or whatever) and then eventually make the jump to heroin.

Terrifying stuff.

on edit: I guess I was sort of redundant with hack89's post above.

[OwnedByCats]

9. Exactly

People get prescribed these pain killers, addiction or dependency results, doctors then cut off patients and some will go to street opiates - that's usually the course, though some will go to the streets even if their doctors help them, those who's addiction has gone well out of control. With the DEA making doctors nervous to prescribe, this can result. I had a script opiate dependency, I say dependency because when push came to shove, I was not going to illicit drugs. I knew that would never lead anywhere good so I bit the bullet and gave them up. However had I been addicted, it could have happened. I was lucky. Unfortunately I know people who got cut off so they started getting OxyContin or heroin off the street.

We're losing the drug war folks, we need to do something different.

[TheFrenchRazor]

6. so what's the number of people who should be forced to live in pain or become totally non-functional

due to chronic pain in order to prevent one person from becoming an addict?

[malaise]

8. Are you serious? n/t

[OwnedByCats]

10. I think some must have relief

My father has bone on bone arthritis in his hip. Without his pain meds, he'd be totally non functional. He needs a hip replacement, but he has a pretty nasty infection on his leg and they won't do the surgery until that is gone. Problem is, while doctors seem to be able to keep the infection from getting worse, it's not gone away .... He's had this problem for over a year.

My dad is being sensible though, he only takes his prescribed amount and he's on a very low dose. Some people need pain meds. That's just a fact. They should be monitored carefully, but I don't agree with people living in pain if that is their only way to get relief - and I say this as a person who had a script opiate dependency several years ago that lasted 10 years for my chronic pain. It's been 6 years since I gave them up. It was horribly unpleasant to go through giving them up, but I' rather go through that again than be in excruciating pain.

[seveneyes]

7. I wonder if heroin abuse has surpassed alcohol abuse yet?

Or if more people die from drunk driving than overdose on heroin?

[newblewtoo]

11. check this link

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/37792-died-from-drug-overdoses-in-2010-us-says.html
Interesting stuff.