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> By "organized crime," I assume you mean something other what's traditionally thought of as organized crime, e.g. the Mafia, but I can't tell what. The Mafia

> By "organized crime," I assume you mean something other what's traditionally thought of as organized crime, e.g. the Mafia, but I can't tell what. The Mafia and other manifestations of "traditional" organized crime is exactly what I was referring to. Two years ago, when a new friend was teaching me about her addictions, I bought Johann Hari's book, Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs [2]. Hari says that after heroin was made very difficult to obtain (circa 1915), organized crime became the supplier for most addicts. The Los Angeles Times Op-Ed A 1930s California story shows why the war on drugs is a failure also covers how the Mafia swooped in to supply the needs of addicts [2]. This is the primary article I was thinking of when I wrote the quip you responded to. [1] http://chasingthescream.com/ http://chasingthescream.com/ [2] http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-hari-california-drug-war-history-20170616-story.html http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-hari-california-d... > > I presume she managed to avoid becoming a junky because she has a pretty stable day-to-day life. > While circumstance and upbringing are factors for addition, I think it's accepted that there is also a biological component; your mom may be inherently less prone to becoming addicted to opiates. My mother is inherently less prone to becoming an addict because she has meaningful things to do: job, family, friends, trips, etc. My friend who taught me about addictions (mentioned above) was vulnerable to the street pharmacy because she was exposed to meth amphetamine as a pre-teen, and her brain chemistry never fully recovered. She says she was very depressed as a child/teen, and was made suicidal by her doctor when he injected her with Depo-Provera around age 20 (this is a chemical castration drug used for 3 months of "birth control"). This friend is doing well now because I provided the "connection" that Johann Hari says is so important for helping addicts out of their pit.

extra88 9y ago
Describing criminal drug peddlers as "tending to the health" of people is a very odd way of putting it. It's also rather beside the point when talking about today's epidemic. Having meaningful things to do is not "inherent." I never heard of Depo-Provera before but calling it "chemical castration" and putting "birth control" in scare quotes seems like hyperbole and inflammatory. The drug is a progestin, a synthetic hormone that is administered in a number of forms. Depression is one of the possible side effects of the shot, but that doesn't necessarily mean it would exacerbate an existing condition and you've not mentioned whether the doctor was also treating her depression. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-shot/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-the-birth-control-shot https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-...
- tcj_phx 9y ago
  > Describing criminal drug peddlers as "tending to the health" of people is a very odd way of putting it. The intention is to point out the absurdity of our situation, where much-desired plant-based substances can only be obtained with the assistance of organized crime. > It's also rather beside the point when talking about today's epidemic. The point is that the epidemic is entirely artificial. It is created and maintained by stupid politicians. It could be ended in a few months by implementing the same solution as is used in Switzerland. > I never heard of Depo-Provera before but calling it "chemical castration" and putting "birth control" in scare quotes seems like hyperbole and inflammatory. The same drug is given to male sex offenders [1] explicitly for the purpose of chemical castration. Many women lose their libido when they're put on this drug. No hyperbole is enough to warn about the dangers of this FDA-approved substance. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medroxyprogesterone_acetate#Other_uses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medroxyprogesterone_acetate#Ot...
  - extra88 9y ago
    You're ignoring the fact that the current situation has been created by prescription pill misuse (in proscribing and taking) and the death toll has exceed that of automobiles largely because of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Of course, a lot of the attention being paid is not because of the relative scope but because the affected population is whiter and less poor. But synthetic vs. plant-based doesn't mean shit, plenty of plants can kill you. I'm all for treatment over criminalization but you sound more like you're advocating for legalization of heroin. > No hyperbole is enough to warn about the dangers of this FDA-approved substance. Sure, if you're willing to ignore all the other information on that Wikipedia page. Every patient should be well-informed about possible side effects before starting a medication. The injection form is longer lasting so it may take longer for bad effects to subside but loss of libido for a few months is not the end of the world. The worst thing about chemical castration of sex offenders is it's forced.
    - tcj_phx 9y ago
      > You're ignoring the fact that the current situation has been created by prescription pill misuse (in proscribing and taking) and the death toll has exceed that of automobiles largely because of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. My friend did not transfer her addiction from pills, she was a good old-fashioned heroin addict. The present body count stems from the synthetics. Many fewer people died when the street pharmacy's products were purer. > I'm all for treatment over criminalization but you sound more like you're advocating for legalization of heroin. I don't think legalization is necessary, just an acknowledgement that present policy is actually a make-work program for organized crime. As for your comments about Provera, I say that doctors should not play Russian Roulette with women's health.

extra88 9y ago

Describing criminal drug peddlers as "tending to the health" of people is a very odd way of putting it. It's also rather beside the point when talking about today's epidemic. Having meaningful things to do is not "inherent." I never heard of Depo-Provera before but calling it "chemical castration" and putting "birth control" in scare quotes seems like hyperbole and inflammatory. The drug is a progestin, a synthetic hormone that is administered in a number of forms. Depression is one of the possible side effects of the shot, but that doesn't necessarily mean it would exacerbate an existing condition and you've not mentioned whether the doctor was also treating her depression. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-shot/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-the-birth-control-shot https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-...

tcj_phx 9y ago
> Describing criminal drug peddlers as "tending to the health" of people is a very odd way of putting it. The intention is to point out the absurdity of our situation, where much-desired plant-based substances can only be obtained with the assistance of organized crime. > It's also rather beside the point when talking about today's epidemic. The point is that the epidemic is entirely artificial. It is created and maintained by stupid politicians. It could be ended in a few months by implementing the same solution as is used in Switzerland. > I never heard of Depo-Provera before but calling it "chemical castration" and putting "birth control" in scare quotes seems like hyperbole and inflammatory. The same drug is given to male sex offenders [1] explicitly for the purpose of chemical castration. Many women lose their libido when they're put on this drug. No hyperbole is enough to warn about the dangers of this FDA-approved substance. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medroxyprogesterone_acetate#Other_uses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medroxyprogesterone_acetate#Ot...
- extra88 9y ago
  You're ignoring the fact that the current situation has been created by prescription pill misuse (in proscribing and taking) and the death toll has exceed that of automobiles largely because of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Of course, a lot of the attention being paid is not because of the relative scope but because the affected population is whiter and less poor. But synthetic vs. plant-based doesn't mean shit, plenty of plants can kill you. I'm all for treatment over criminalization but you sound more like you're advocating for legalization of heroin. > No hyperbole is enough to warn about the dangers of this FDA-approved substance. Sure, if you're willing to ignore all the other information on that Wikipedia page. Every patient should be well-informed about possible side effects before starting a medication. The injection form is longer lasting so it may take longer for bad effects to subside but loss of libido for a few months is not the end of the world. The worst thing about chemical castration of sex offenders is it's forced.
  - tcj_phx 9y ago
    > You're ignoring the fact that the current situation has been created by prescription pill misuse (in proscribing and taking) and the death toll has exceed that of automobiles largely because of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. My friend did not transfer her addiction from pills, she was a good old-fashioned heroin addict. The present body count stems from the synthetics. Many fewer people died when the street pharmacy's products were purer. > I'm all for treatment over criminalization but you sound more like you're advocating for legalization of heroin. I don't think legalization is necessary, just an acknowledgement that present policy is actually a make-work program for organized crime. As for your comments about Provera, I say that doctors should not play Russian Roulette with women's health.