On Sun, 5 Jul 2015 15:01:41 -0400, Justan Olphat
wrote:

On 7/5/2015 1:50 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 5 Jul 2015 13:35:16 -0400, Justan Olphat
wrote:

On 7/5/2015 12:30 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 05 Jul 2015 10:24:07 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 7/5/2015 7:03 AM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 05 Jul 2015 04:58:53 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

Certain areas of the south shore in MA are seriously affected by
kids and young adults becoming addicted to heroin. It's a major crisis.

===

That surprises me. I've always thought of that area as being solidly
middle class with stable families. Am I wrong?



You are not wrong. These are not "inner city", gang ridden locations.
They are solidly middle class bedroom type communities in and around
Plymouth county. In many cases the origins of the addiction starts with
doctors and dentists being too liberal with Oxycontin prescriptions.
Peer pressure in young people contributes in
a major way with young people seeking instant pleasure and "fun".
When Oxycontin becomes unavailable or too expensive heroin becomes the
drug of choice because it's cheaper and readily available.

The family member affected by heroin addiction is my niece. She has been
hooked since high school. She is now in her 30's and is losing all her
hair due to side affects of drug use. Once a very attractive girl and
woman, she is almost unrecognizable today. She survives on methadone
between relapse periods when she goes back to the heroin. There are no
drug addicts in her blood relatives. If you talk to her when she has
been clean for a while she will admit that it's a "choice" she makes,
although a bad one.


===

Sad situation for sure and it must be very tough on you and her
parents. Perhaps this is naive on my part, but if she is already
getting an opiate (methadone) at little or no cost, why would it be a
problen to give her the heroin that she really craves? (assuming it
was legal to do so) I'm sure everyone would like to see her totally
clean and a fully functioning adult, but is that realistic after all
these years as an addict?


Thank God it isn't legal.

===

You object on moral/religious/ethical grounds? She and her family are
already suffering.

I object because keeping a doper doped up just to satisfy a craving is
not my idea of solving the problem. She needs to be institutionalized
and weaned off drugs completely. Then pray that she doesn't relapse when
she's let out. Continuing on the path she's on now will mean certain
death. Think of how the parents will suffer when they have to bury a
daughter.

===

I understand your point but it's important to realize that the success
rate for curing long term opiate addicts is extremely poor. Not
having been there I can only speculate, but I'm guessing that it must
be a really good high and the mind keeps going back to it.