‘Most hippie’ town in Washington outlaws drugs after ODs in streets, fentanyl death of 5-year-old

[Landrew]

By
Marjorie Hernandez

May 7, 2023

Bellingham, a town that once prided itself as the “most hippie” in Washington, has taken drastic action to outlaw drugs, after statewide decriminalization led to spiking crime and child overdose deaths.

The proudly liberal city of 92,000 has been pushed to its limit, with the fire department responding to 223 overdoses — 2.5 calls a day — between January and April 12, according to Cascadia Daily.

Among the dead are two teenagers and a 5-year-old, who overdosed on fentanyl in March and was found dead by police with foam coming from her mouth.

‘Most hippie’ town in Washington outlaws drugs after ODs in streets, fentanyl death of 5-year-old

Bellingham, known as the “most hippie” town in Washington, outlawed open use of heroin and fentanyl after concerns over its drug-addled downtown finally pushed the liberal-leaning city …

nypost.com

 

[SpiralusSancti]

It’s one thing when drugs are decriminalized in a place where only relatively safe drugs are in the market and totally other thing when they are decriminalized where #1 drug is most dangerous drug that ever hit the market on a such wide scale.

Instead of rolling-back law they would accomplished a lot more with death penalty for selling fent and all sold as fentadope, tranq and that stuff while lowering penalty for heroin, morphine, opium and other significantly safer opiods to a wrist slap. jk

 

[assclass]

anarchy (or enabling drug addicts to do as they please) is a good way to convince people that authoritarianism is a good thing.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

What a weird, fucked up title this story has…

 

[Landrew]

yeah the nypost can bring it on. I think I must have posted this mostly because of the title without really realizing it, didnt look for any other sources cuz this title needz to be here.

I found it on r/seattle I think, a post with the nypost article.

 

[Landrew]

anarchy (or enabling drug addicts to do as they please)

you missed the part where you get to do what you please too..

but really I think its more about "no rulers" than "no rules" and credit the mighty David Malmo Levine for this insight.

 

[zaborav]

It’s one thing when drugs are decriminalized in a place where only relatively safe drugs are in the market and totally other thing when they are decriminalized where #1 drug is most dangerous drug that ever hit the market on a such wide scale.

Instead of rolling-back law they would accomplished a lot more with death penalty for selling fent and all sold as fentadope, tranq and that stuff while lowering penalty for heroin, morphine, opium and other significantly safer opiods to a wrist slap. jk

The so-called "Death Penalty" is no deterrant to anything and, given the number of miscarriages of justice - the USA is one of the most notable in that area - State sponsored murder can not be reversed. It is about time that country rejoined the civilised world. And ban firearms except where required for employment purposes. It's a damned disgrace how many deaths, especially multiple ones, are recorded annually due to the imbeciles who fail even to contemplate banning handguns, automatic assault rifles which cause all this. I think the USA would be close to the top of the list of countries I would NEVER consider even visiting, never mind living... it is such a f***Ed up country I would rather live in the PDRK.

 

[SpiralusSancti]

The so-called "Death Penalty" is no deterrant to anything and, given the number of miscarriages of justice - the USA is one of the most notable in that area - State sponsored murder can not be reversed. It is about time that country rejoined the civilised world. And ban firearms except where required for employment purposes. It's a damned disgrace how many deaths, especially multiple ones, are recorded annually due to the imbeciles who fail even to contemplate banning handguns, automatic assault rifles which cause all this. I think the USA would be close to the top of the list of countries I would NEVER consider even visiting, never mind living... it is such a f***Ed up country I would rather live in the PDRK.

I’m not being serious about it. But if penalty for selling fent was many times greater than for selling heroin I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t take too long before some old routes for heroin would be re-established.

 

[JackARoe]

What a weird, fucked up title this story has…

Journalism is terrible these days. We should not have to put up with such nonsense. WTF do hippies have to do with fentanyl? Or is it all drugs are the same to this moronic journalist. What an idiot. I may have to look for the persons email and vent.

I blame the authorities for fentanyl. I always will. Opiate addiction should be a medical issue. But now it has become more complex. I mean how do people actually keep with fent dope/xylazine? It is a bad gig all around. But I do believe this will be the precursor to quality drugs in the future. But this will happen all around the world first. Less in countries that let people have heroin. But money rules and it will spread before it gets better.

Did some reading today and xylazine astounds me. A better drug couldn't be thought of? And $10 bags are half xylazine? The skin issues are saddening. Maddening. Makes me pissed at our authorities who do nothing. Hard to blame people if they are addicted already, but the smart ones wait this out if they are not.

I got word from a few people that heroin can be had on the East coast but not through random street dealers anymore. Where as just 10 years ago heroin was quality. Honestly it is funny to read the jazz musicians take on the heroin from the 40'-50's. Seem to get more potent every year as there was some weak stuff early on. Miles Davis said it was better to use your money for a hershey bar than to buy dope in Detroit in the 40's. All of them say the best heroin was always in NYC. Charlie Parker could not get dope in California at one time and resorted to drinking. I can attest NYC had fire dope through the 1980's and early 90's. West coast decent too, some good brown powder and in the 80's tar was the shit! NYC always had white heroin. Brown more in the southern states and west coast. The white was better.

But now we have this shit. Makes no sense but I do believe the dope these days will get back to quality. You watch. Not everyone will just take anything. And we need an out for people trapped in the fent/xylazine maze. A proper treatment is needed. The skin issue makes it so much harder as no one wants to treat some of these people.

 

[crazyhairman]

It’s one thing when drugs are decriminalized in a place where only relatively safe drugs are in the market and totally other thing when they are decriminalized where #1 drug is most dangerous drug that ever hit the market on a such wide scale.

Instead of rolling-back law they would accomplished a lot more with death penalty for selling fent and all sold as fentadope, tranq and that stuff while lowering penalty for heroin, morphine, opium and other significantly safer opiods to a wrist slap. jk

Honestly they would do a lot better if anyone went to jail for anything up there. I lived up there for 2 years I never saw anyone go to jail for violence, assault, theft, and of course selling , using, or possessing drugs. They literally just give you a court summons for everything. Oh except DUI you will go to jail for DUI in that state.

Growing up in Texas I always wanted to leave and go to a place like Seattle. And when I first got there I thought wow what an amazing liberal wonderland. Then I realized how f****** insane everything was. I lived in a nice neighborhood, but I worked in a fucking war zone. I never felt safe there. And it really sucks because there's normal fun people up there The place is breathtakingly gorgeous. But it was like Gotham City The criminals the meth addicts the drug addicts the drug dealers they run the city. And it's really sad.

 

[crazyhairman]

A lot of you make too much sense for your own good. You are exactly right this was a perfect storm effect of harsh drug policy. They were handing out life sentences for heroin distribution for years. Not only that but the economics of selling heroin versus cheap laboratory filler. Heroin you have to have access to poppy fields fentanyl you just need a goddamn lab.

There's always going to be something worse. Heroin was a schedule one life sentence. Fentanyl is a schedule 2 and at the time nobody knew what the f*** it was in the mainstream world. We used to get fentanyl patches or fentanyl lollipops as a novelty back in the day when we couldn't find oxycodone.

In fact the meth from the '90s and early 2000s for the most part the United States was reasonably successful at quelling production on its own soil finally. All that did was shift production right over the border in the great land of Mexico. Now you have super high quality dope for pennies on the dollar. It's all but eclipsed cocaine. As I was ranting about it the other day I don't even use anything anymore but I could find 10 people I could get Crystal from in 15 minutes. Cocaine would probably take me a couple of days and it wouldn't even probably be very good around here.

It's just like everything else in this country we got people who have know nothing about addiction or the drug world dictating drug policy. Just like people who don't know anything about firearms dictating gun policy. And they are all trying to do the right thing and it's just f****** everything to hell.

What's that phrase, The road to hell is littered with good intentions. Fucking hell is real

 

[SpiralusSancti]

There's always going to be something worse. Heroin was a schedule one life sentence. Fentanyl is a schedule 2 and at the time nobody knew what the f*** it was in the mainstream world. We used to get fentanyl patches or fentanyl lollipops as a novelty back in the day when we couldn't find oxycodone.

And while it was basically unknown it had such appeal to people as it’s so potent drug. And in minds of many, more potent = better. I remember reading how fent is “crack of opiods”. And it turned out to be like that, but not by high it produces but cuz of addiction and amounts people end up using. I did tried fent analogue that might have some of that crack thing (short but fucking intense) but regular fent was possibly the biggest disappointment ever when it comes to drugs I read/heard a lot and end up trying. I tried patches (and never would powder as I realized even with those why it kills) and it’s rather uplifting stuff in low doses (more than oxy), helps with pain with low doses but as soon as you try to get into recreational territory you figure out there almost isn’t any. You end up in a nod lacking almost all warmth of good opiod. I certainly can see how some find that acceptable high, but wanting that if you have alternative, I can’t really see that. And than when I see what average fentadope, tranq, benzodope have in it, with that you ain’t going to get good high, it’s just gona knock you out. And sure, in a fucked up life, when that’s cheaper than downing a bottle of rum I can see how it became epidemic. It’s easy for me to play smart on other side of ocean but going for booze or going for bupe instead is both better option. But I’m sure many USA addicts, most without death wish, would have gone other routes if they only knew how much fucked up their addiction will get with fent than with heroin.