Bringing back an old(er) topic here. This is a story from Frontline
regarding this very issue. Entitled /Chasing Heroin/. It's kind of long
(almost 2 hours), and parts of it were difficult to watch, but it delves
into how we got here, and how difficult it is for addicts to get out. It
explores a few of the many ways that different communities have tried
(emphasis on the word "tried") to get out of the apparent death spiral.
It's clear that we have a long way to go.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/chasing-heroin/
bp
<part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com>
On 3/2/2016 10:08 PM, That One Guy /sarcasm wrote:
So another fella I used to know ODd today. He is the youngest of three
brothers, the oldest having croaked out from overdose a few years ago,
the middle is on the run after cutting an ankle bracelet for heroin
charges and now the mom whom I used to work with gets to put a second
son in the dirt. Somewhere between 10 and 20 of the folks I used to
run around with are feeding worms now, I quit taking actual count some
time ago. I personally don't care about dead junkies, while they're
smacked out, they aren't people, just shells of people, a danger to
everyone around them I help the few who can be salvaged, I'm selfish
in that I won't expose my family, but for example, last year I dropped
off a backpack with food toiletries, cigarettes and and blanket to an
old friend who was homeless and in some need, but that's as much as I
can enable these guys. Is this new? Or am I just hitting an age where
the sins of our past begin to catch up?
As an industry, in our scope, is there any reaching out we can do? We
are in people's homes regularly, is there a link to resources we can
provide? Is there any way we can be a part of the solution or are we
just to isolated of an industry to do anything?
I know it's a pick your battles world, nobody can help everybody, but
this is madness, the destruction of so many lives and the collateral
damage from one drug is astounding. Everybody, even homeless junkies
are online. Granted our base tends not to be the smack addled youth,
but would things like resource links on our websites, or outreach
program info in our welcome packs be overstepping our bounds. I'm
curious on a personal level because I have no other resource than my job.