2 ms·

Heroin is growing in use in the USA and Europe, but not where people think it is. I live in Allentown, PA a 120,000 city that outsiders consider to be a den of

by baldfat 11y ago

Heroin is growing in use in the USA and Europe, but not where people think it is. I live in Allentown, PA a 120,000 city that outsiders consider to be a den of drugs. I grew up in Suburbia in Connecticut with the incredibly wealthy NYTimes headline in this article “Heroin in New England, More Abundant and Deadly.”. I saw so much more drugs with the rich kids then I do in my neighborhood. The local high school that released a letter stating that heroin is being abused and a string of over doses are claiming the lives was not my inner city school district but the richest school district in our area, Parkland. My wife is from West Virginia and that place is unbelievable in the amount of heroin use. http://wvpublic.org/topic/needle-and-damage-done-west-virginias-heroin-epidemic http://wvpublic.org/topic/needle-and-damage-done-west-virgin.... I am scared for my life all the time since I believe 20% of the people are high on something while driving. I don't understand the draw but I can tell you that I can't trust my friends that got caught up in this stuff. They will steal and lie just to keep on this stuff. It is so sad to see after 20 years they still haven't beaten this beast even though they have spent tens of thousands of dollar on treatment and told that once beaten it stays dead unlike cocaine's psychological addiction. After reading this article I have no idea where I sit concerning safe site or needle distribution centers or all the other treatments. I just feel bad for all the family and friends that are going to be hurt and abused due to this addiction cycle.

oxide 11y ago
I think that as time goes on, a lot more of these medium sized communities where heroin and other opiate abuse is taking hold are going to have to make some decisions regarding safe injection sites and needle distribution. To the community it should hardly be more than another office building or truck on the street, IMO. It's certainly preferable to an ocean of used syringes in the gutters and unchecked spread of disease. Then again, the NIMBY mindset hasn't changed at all over the years.
- baldfat 11y ago
  I usually pick up and throw away a random used needle once a year in the city. I think no one sees this in the suburbs because of the ability to have more privacy there. BUT I was hiking in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains 10 miles form any dirt road and I ran into several used needles and a burnt spoon.

by baldfat 11y ago

oxide 11y ago

I think that as time goes on, a lot more of these medium sized communities where heroin and other opiate abuse is taking hold are going to have to make some decisions regarding safe injection sites and needle distribution. To the community it should hardly be more than another office building or truck on the street, IMO. It's certainly preferable to an ocean of used syringes in the gutters and unchecked spread of disease. Then again, the NIMBY mindset hasn't changed at all over the years.

baldfat 11y ago
I usually pick up and throw away a random used needle once a year in the city. I think no one sees this in the suburbs because of the ability to have more privacy there. BUT I was hiking in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains 10 miles form any dirt road and I ran into several used needles and a burnt spoon.