O/T Four Heroin Deaths in Barnsley

Two people arrested.

Unusually pure supply I would guess.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-39604553

 

A good start...

 

maybe they'll rise from the dead over the bank holiday

 

Haha! People died in our area but because socio-economic conditions were so bad their only escape was through drugs it's hilarious!! Take it we're not having a minutes applause Monday?

 

Socio-economic conditions breed drug addicts? Hmm, ok......

 

Is that a joke if not it's a poor excuse I know people who have nothing all their life's but have never felt the need to inject heroin into them. Live by the sword die by it I'm afraid..

 

Somewhat judgemental, not all heroin users are addicts and not all addicts are thieving scumbags.

 

It's actually a fact that 100% of heroin users are not responsible for their actions. There is no evidence for this. It's just a fact.

 

Never quite got why when they live Im a deprived area the expensive drugs are the solution

 

Incidence of recreational drug use increases in areas of higher income - mainly due to higher disposable income.

 

Always an eye opener on here. Imagine living in a world where everyone showed the lack of empathy you all do, nevertheless:
A- look at this map and tell me what the areas in darker blue represent if not areas with the worst socioeconomic factors
B- just because someone you know having a bad time is coping differently to someone that had it bad enough to turn to heroin doesn't make them inherently bad people who's deaths should be lauded. You don't know what people have been through.
C- nobody is saying heroin users aren't culpable for their actions what I'm saying is this is a small town and relatives, friends etc are quite likely to read this board so who are we to be laughing at and celebrating the death of their loved ones because of the choices they made in life
D- expensive drugs are a solution because when you see no future and no way out the only way to cope can be a chemical solution
E- are you seriously comparing toffs with a few spliffs and a gram or 2 of cocaine to heroin users on a council estate? I refer back to the attached map

Anyway returning to point C apologies to any friends / family members of theirs that might read this board.

 

Errr, yes they do.

 

The ones with money are as likely to be on smack as charlie.

Difference is they wont be buying the **** filled street brown thats rife in barnsley.

 

I like to think that I reduce the risk of dying from heroine by not taking heroine. Genuine thoughts to the families and friends but my empathy ends with them.

 

Working in music I've known a lot of junkies. One or two have died. Most of them were nice people, not crooks. News headlines and statistics are impersonal. I'm making light of the headline, but not the circumstances. In reality drugs policy of criminalisation leads some to a spiral of crime and prostitution. Why people use drugs is very complex. I include alcohol in that too.

 

20 years ago or so a group of friends/acquaintances from Barnsley moved to Sheffield to share a house. At least a couple of them ended up on heroin and one died. This was less than five years after he first drunk alcohol.

Since that time I've been convinced that the entire way we deal with drugs doesn't work. IMHO not only should drugs be legal but the government should buy them direct from source to remove the entire criminal supply chain (dealers/smugglers) but also to reduce the chances of death due to overdose and contamination.

For alcohol to be legal when some others drugs are not is just hypocritical.

 

But does somebody turn to drugs because they are poor and can't get a job? Or is it the case that somebody is poor and can't get a job because they use drugs?

Is it that Socio-economic conditions breeds drug users r do drug users cause their own Socio-economic conditions?

A few of my friends at school turned to drugs. It wasn't because they couldn't get a job, they were taking them at 15 and 16 but it is certainly the reason that they can't get a job.

I am not offering an opinion on the matter, just raising a question. Which one causes the other?

 

The causes are very complex. A lot is misadventure. Some friends who I had , like myself used to go to raves & clubs in the early 90's & take ecstasy. Some started scoring a small amount of heroin to make the come down softer & a few got into the habit of using heroin. Pretty much ruining their lives. One or two died, some have held on to jobs, but to the detriment of their enjoyment of life. I've known other people who have mental health issues who have used for totally different reasons. Once someone is hooked they may become a dealer & a viscous cycle begins, as they may try & get others to use, especially after a few beers may have weakened their resolve. (Most addicts I've known are heavy drinkers too).

The way we deal with the solution has been over simplified, i.e. criminalisation of addicts
Scoff & others above are bang on that different methods need to be tried. (There have been a few trials, like in Brighton, with good results,
where addicts were more likely to stay in work than turn to dealing / theft / prostitution).

The large majority of the general public don't see too much of class "a's"...
However if you did DJ'ing like me you see the states people get into drinking & the harm & expense the state they cause.
(I did see people snorting coke in toilets last night though at a wedding)...
As a result they eat up the tabloid "hard on drugs" rants that are easy fodder, but utter bull.
Which brings me back to my flippant comment. Is it any more tragic that they died on good friday, than thursday, saturday, etc I'm not referring so much to the linked article, but local press reports btw.

 

Really well made point. Was talking about something similar to your last point with a friend recently, if alcohol was released as a new drug you had to get hold of surreptitiously that made people so suggestive and aggressive while on it then made them feel so awful the following day due to having literally been poisoned there's no way anyone would want it

 

I have to say I disagree with much of what you say there . Whilst not an expert , I have been involved in a rehabilitation centre ....but I accept others may disagree .
I fully support the criminalisation of ( particularly class A ) drugs .....authorities have a duty to protect its citizens , and if criminalisation deters some people from getting involved then it's worthwhile......but the results are unquantifiable .
If you were to make these substances legal , you really are risking letting the genie out of the bottle , no one can know where that would end ....but what would be the benefits gained ? As I see it you are risking producing generations of people unable to work or function normally .
There is much criticism regarding the current methods used in the war on drugs....people saying it's not working , but how does anyone actually know ? It can only be pure speculation , every shipment seized keeps the price up , I realise that brings another set of problems , but cheap and readily available is the worst scenario .
As for the Govt buying it , it's not a thought out suggestion...if anyone guaranteed to buy any product the whole world would begin growing it and shipping the newly legalised product here .
I understand why you say it's hypocritical to accept alcohol but not drugs , but alcohol has been socially accepted since time began , and the vast bulk of people can handle work , life and drink , that can't be said for heroin users for instance .