New Heroin Epidemic?

[Keif' Richards]

I'll keep this one pretty short. Depending upon who you ask, in the heyday of "Heroin" that actually contained some form of Morphine as a primary constituent, it was said that approximately 90% of Heroin on the streets of North American cities traced its origins to the poppy fields of Afghanistan. Fentanyl became ubiquitous, maybe five years ago and largely supplanted Heroin.

In the last year alone, as central power in Afghanistan has been waning, there has been an AT LEAST 35% increase in arable land devoted to poppy cultivation. The Afghans are also in the midst of a moderate drought at the moment. The Taliban has pretty much taken hold of the entire country now. They first came to power and banned production as un-Islamic, but ultimately relented when they really needed the money. They have been relatively nice during the takeover, but I'm sure they still hate America with a burning passion and are only trying to appear "changed men".

America is the largest consumer of psychoactive drugs on the planet. While Opioid use was rising during their first time in power, Heroin is arguably a much, much larger and more visible issue to Americans now in 2020. I'm pretty sure they're gonna start cranking that shit out like never before seen. They have brand new infrastructure with which to move it around courtesy of recent governments too. I don't know man. I think it might get pretty fucked up to be quite honest.

I for one am torn. I love Heroin, but hate the negative effects it has on my life. Fentanyl was a main reason for me being able to quit in the first place. I think it's gonna be a big cluster fuck.

 

[4meSM]

The US gets most of its heroin from Mexico so I doubt this will have a significant impact on the North American market.
The main markets for Afghan heroin are Russia, Europe and the middle east. All of those regions actually consume much more heroin than the US.

Only time will tell though.

 

[jjas1977]

Fentanyl helped you get off heroine? I was not aware that worked

 

[Xorkoth]

America has a bigger heroin problem than ever, and it's all fentanyl from Mexico pretty much, there is so much fentadope.. If real heroin came back it would be an improvement to our situation. Which is really saying something. I imagine there'd be a market for it.

The rest of the world, I'm not sure, I've never lived anywhere else.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Fentanyl helped you get off heroine? I was not aware that worked

I think he's referring to how it's a shitter drug, worse high, and way more dangerous. More motivation to get off the shit.

Knowing if I went out to score heroin I would get fentadope instead helps me not get triggered.

 

[G_Chem]

I don’t think so and here’s why…

It’s well known the US government isn’t opposed to pushing addictive drugs on its people for any number of reasons.

Our presence in Afghanistan in 2001 signaled the beginning of a large influx of highly pure heroin to the states, while the oxy started the problem for many it was the huge amount of cheap pure heroin that kept it going.

Then around 2009-10 fentanyl began seeping into the market. When we look at lab analysis we see it’s fentanyl and not some RC fent analog. This trend has obviously continued.

And as our fentanyl problem increased our desire to stay in Afghanistan was waning.

Let’s be real, we fight terrorism globally with drones, there’s no real need to have as many soldiers on the ground as we did unless it was to protect poppy fields.

Now that the US has their supply of opioid figured out, one which does a much better job ridding society of the “degenerates” and at a fraction of the cost. Why stay? Why transport and sell heroin?

I don’t see real heroin coming back easily as it competes with “their” product.

In a recent NPR interview I heard, the current Minister of Education in Afghanistan was quoted as saying (along the lines of) “the US initially allied with drug lords and warlords, which is why there was little trust.”

All so very convenient if you ask me.

-GC

 

[falsifiedhypothesi]

I think real heroin coming back is just a pipe dream. Fent is far too cheap and potent to stop being the popular choice among black market dealers and distributors.