4 ms·

Is this true? Congress made heroin illegal in 1924, 99 years ago, and the “heroin epidemic” didn’t really start until maybe 2010.

JumpCrisscross 4y ago
> Is this true? Congress made heroin illegal in 1924, 99 years ago, and the “heroin epidemic” didn’t really start until maybe 2010 Yes [1]. Law-abiding Americans became addicted to prescription opioids (wave 1). We clamped down on their distribution, particularly prescription, and left those addicted with no legal choices. They turned to heroin (wave 2). So we clamped down on its distribution, particularly import, and so got concentrated (easier to ship) and synthetic (no unique precursors) fentanyl (wave 3). [1] https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html
- voidfunc 4y ago
  You may not agree with the solution chosen but it seems as a society we've decided on death as the long term strategy. Eventually these addicts will simply die off.
  - marssaxman 4y ago
    New addicts will keep coming along, of course, until we stop making people so miserable that addiction feels preferable to ordinary existence.
  - imtringued 4y ago
    Drug clinics work just fine, why go with the expensive option?
  - jutrewag 4y ago
    Even if you subscribe to this notion, you’re ignoring the billions it costs for emergency services so this addict can “die off”.
  - Narretz 4y ago
    If you grow up in a community of drug users, chances are high you'll become one yourself
  - panarchy 4y ago
    I'm sure having some of your family die off because everyone else seemingly deemed them as a worthless junkie whose only use is dying before they take up too much resource won't drive others to be miserable and start consuming drugs...
- Sparkyte 4y ago
  Thing is drug abusers will turn to the next thing and the next thing. You can only get abusers clean if you take them through a system that enables it. Decriminalizing doesn't improve it either. Like any drug there will be new inventions and flavors circulating. Criminalization of drugs, but not of all substances is a must. Alcohol and marajuana are certainly okay. But again criminalization is the only way to ensure people get the attention they need. We just need to change the way we jail people. In Thailand you get two options go to jail or go to a temple and get clean.

JumpCrisscross 4y ago

> Is this true? Congress made heroin illegal in 1924, 99 years ago, and the “heroin epidemic” didn’t really start until maybe 2010 Yes [1]. Law-abiding Americans became addicted to prescription opioids (wave 1). We clamped down on their distribution, particularly prescription, and left those addicted with no legal choices. They turned to heroin (wave 2). So we clamped down on its distribution, particularly import, and so got concentrated (easier to ship) and synthetic (no unique precursors) fentanyl (wave 3). [1] https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html

voidfunc 4y ago
You may not agree with the solution chosen but it seems as a society we've decided on death as the long term strategy. Eventually these addicts will simply die off.
- marssaxman 4y ago
  New addicts will keep coming along, of course, until we stop making people so miserable that addiction feels preferable to ordinary existence.
- imtringued 4y ago
  Drug clinics work just fine, why go with the expensive option?
- jutrewag 4y ago
  Even if you subscribe to this notion, you’re ignoring the billions it costs for emergency services so this addict can “die off”.
- Narretz 4y ago
  If you grow up in a community of drug users, chances are high you'll become one yourself
- panarchy 4y ago
  I'm sure having some of your family die off because everyone else seemingly deemed them as a worthless junkie whose only use is dying before they take up too much resource won't drive others to be miserable and start consuming drugs...
Sparkyte 4y ago
Thing is drug abusers will turn to the next thing and the next thing. You can only get abusers clean if you take them through a system that enables it. Decriminalizing doesn't improve it either. Like any drug there will be new inventions and flavors circulating. Criminalization of drugs, but not of all substances is a must. Alcohol and marajuana are certainly okay. But again criminalization is the only way to ensure people get the attention they need. We just need to change the way we jail people. In Thailand you get two options go to jail or go to a temple and get clean.