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A significant portion of the risk of using opiates recreationally comes directly with interacting with the black market. Opiates sold ‘on the streets’ are more

by Nbox9 6y ago

A significant portion of the risk of using opiates recreationally comes directly with interacting with the black market. Opiates sold ‘on the streets’ are more expensive, adulterated, and inconsistent. The risks of taking opiates with access to a safe, affordable, unadulterated, and consistent supply are significantly more manageable than the current state of affairs in the US.

umvi 6y ago
> The risks of taking opiates with access to a safe, affordable, unadulterated, and consistent supply are significantly more manageable Won't unadulterated opiates be more addictive and powerful than their adulterated street counterparts? Meaning people will get addicted more quickly and more strongly? How affordable is affordable, considering that they will almost certainly be taxed? Would it be affordable enough that a minimum wage worker be able to fund a heroin addiction without sacrificing food for their kids, for example? Even now, cigarettes take a huge chunk out of poor people's budget, to the point that they buy cigarettes first and fall back on food stamps to feed the kids second.
- Nbox9 6y ago
  The problem with adulterated products is that they are inconsistent. It’s adulterated with both active and inactive compounds, and the strength varies significantly. There are overdoses related to “hotspots” of fentanyl. Yeah, an opiate addiction now is ~10x the cost of prerolled cigarettes addiction. It it was closer to 1x then the property crimes and desperation associated with it would be significantly decreased. In the book Cherry by Nico Walker the author writes about his experience of robbing banks in order to fund he and his wife’s heroin addiction.
smcnally 6y ago
> A significant portion of the risk of using opiates recreationally comes directly with interacting with the black market Opiates are available through legal markets by Rx. Historically, it's been a low barrier to getting these Rx. Opiate / opioid usage tends not to stay recreational indefinitely, and I don't know any organization realistically advocating for this. > that doesn't mean that it's a great idea to nip out to the local smartshop and buy some horse. This would be a pivot for "seeing a man about a horse."

by Nbox9 6y ago

umvi 6y ago

> The risks of taking opiates with access to a safe, affordable, unadulterated, and consistent supply are significantly more manageable Won't unadulterated opiates be more addictive and powerful than their adulterated street counterparts? Meaning people will get addicted more quickly and more strongly? How affordable is affordable, considering that they will almost certainly be taxed? Would it be affordable enough that a minimum wage worker be able to fund a heroin addiction without sacrificing food for their kids, for example? Even now, cigarettes take a huge chunk out of poor people's budget, to the point that they buy cigarettes first and fall back on food stamps to feed the kids second.

Nbox9 6y ago
The problem with adulterated products is that they are inconsistent. It’s adulterated with both active and inactive compounds, and the strength varies significantly. There are overdoses related to “hotspots” of fentanyl. Yeah, an opiate addiction now is ~10x the cost of prerolled cigarettes addiction. It it was closer to 1x then the property crimes and desperation associated with it would be significantly decreased. In the book Cherry by Nico Walker the author writes about his experience of robbing banks in order to fund he and his wife’s heroin addiction.

smcnally 6y ago

> A significant portion of the risk of using opiates recreationally comes directly with interacting with the black market Opiates are available through legal markets by Rx. Historically, it's been a low barrier to getting these Rx. Opiate / opioid usage tends not to stay recreational indefinitely, and I don't know any organization realistically advocating for this. > that doesn't mean that it's a great idea to nip out to the local smartshop and buy some horse. This would be a pivot for "seeing a man about a horse."