There's actually quite a lot of functioning users out there. Problem is, most of them keep it a secret. Tho, very few of them are functioning because theyre chipping. They just make enough money to cover their habit.
I never asked myself this during my first couple years only cause I made enough money to cover my habit. Wasn't til I got fired, that I noticed I had a problem.
There are functioning h users. I've used H off and on for at least 5 yrs (with a cpl yr stint like 10 yrs ago) and am 'functional' in the sense that I have maintained full time employment, have a family that functions well and my role as husband and father or good (father- fantastic, husband- OK to marginal, but this has been the case pre heroin and is complicated and off topic).
IMO what interferes with people being 'functional' heroin users are a couple, or few things:
1. Severe emotional/psychological/psychiatric problems- which leads them to, or 'compels' them to use in ammts that prevent them from being functional. They are so damaged that they are extremely driven to get in a state where they are numb. If heroin were non existant they would be using other methods to drown out the trauma symptoms they feel when not f'ed up. Another drug or whatever
2. and the main one IMO: Prohibition- If legal people even with very large habits would find it about as expensive to maintain their habit as a cigarette addict experiences. But since illegal, prices are ridiculously high which makes it difficult for most ppl to afford maintaining their habit so they do things that make their life go from functional to disfunctional like maxing credit cards, borrowing from friends and family and burning those bridges, turn to crime, etc
The functioning of heroin addicts in countries that give out free heroin inproves dramatically. There are legit studies, some ongoing, that demonstrate this. PPl get their fix and then have their entire day and night to go about their business. Those who came from getting it illegally see dramatic positive changes in functioning in their lives. They improve their health and employment status, and parenting, and friends, and significant other relationships, etc, etc... because obtaining and administering heroin is a non issue financially. Like taking a shower, shaving, and getting dressed. Takes 1/2hr then ready to go about their biz for the day. Underlying issues now can be addressed b/c they have time to address them. They also have a system that is geared toward helping them address them vs. countries where it's prohibited and it's all geared toward funnelling them into the crim justice system that doesn't cure them and only compounds their problems by making them felons.... get out of prison..apply for 20 jobs and get rejected b/c of felony... plus underlying issues jails don't help fix (b/c for profit prisons...make their money by having lobbiests advocate for mandatory minimums and more laws with more stiffer punnishments... to make more money b/c rehab doesn't make them money..recitivism does. So then person gets job in black market where felony on record is either a non issue or a BENEFIT, a strong point on their resume. They did their tim and kept their mouth shut so proven they can be trusted as a worker in an 'illegal busines'.
I could go on forever about this.... I think Switzerland is at the forefront of handling heroin use as a medical issue and have done studies comparing methodone tx to heroin tx to methodone and heroin tx, etc, etc.....
Who does better in the usa, a penniless person addicted to smack or a penniless person on methodone or suboxone? Who does less armed robbieres, less home burgleries, gets aids less, spreads hiv less, is more likely to see a dr, a therapist, a social worker, have a friend or potentially friends who are doing better in life? Methodone, suboxone, heroin, they all have their negatives.
But the drug war, what benefits does that have (for addicts, street dealers, small time and mid level dealers?) It benefits the heads of cartels and benefits high level politicians and high level employee's in gov't or who get gov't contracts. It also keeps millions of cops up our asses vs having a small number of them focused on finding rapists and child molesters and murderes and car jackers. Like REAL criminals.
Ending alcohol prohibition put the al capones of hte world out of biz overnight. Now booze sellers and makers and transporters LIKE having cops as friends and protecters of their businesses. And if someone steals from them not only do they use insurance to be made whole.... they don't have to foot the bill to catch the theif. Taxpayers do. And they don't have to foot the bill for investigating and finding the theif, we, the taxpayers do.
Sell diamonds. Have a KG of them on your lap. The buyer pulls a gun on you, you get the drop on him and shoot and kill him in self defense. You call the cops and it's an open and shut case. Self defense.
Sell dope. Have a KG on your lap. The buyer pulls a gun on you, you get the drop on him and shoot and kill him in self defense. You..call the cops? Doubt it. You leave the scene b/c you don't want to go to prison for the KG. Now if they catch up to you much harder time proving self defense.
Like I said I could go on forever but the problem is not heroin. It is here to stay. The problem is Heroin Prohibition.
Ask these cops:
www.leap.cc Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. If more and more COPS are recognizing that the drug war not only doesn't help, but harms in many different ways.....
