Preventing people from doing stupid things

[bit_pattern]

OK, so I'm a BL veteran, I know what attitudes on this forum are like but bear with me here...

I have a friend and they have a friend who has been buying smack from THAT website. Thing is, he doesn't have any friends that like the sort of drugs he likes (opiates and other downers) so tends to use them alone. He originally said he was just going to smoke it once to see what it is like, predictably that snowballed and he is now saying that he really wants to try injecting it - just once, of course, to see what it is really like.

Now, me, I tend to think people are going to do what people are going to do but clearly my friend cares very much for this person and is very worried for his welfare (my friend is very innocent when it comes to drugs, pot is the hardest thing my friend has used), my main concern is the fact that he doesn't have anyone to do it with and that just leaves the door WIDE open for accidental overdoses and the like, or at the very least butchering his arm trying to IV.

My friend is at a loss as to what can be done and I suggested that maybe getting advice from people here might be a good idea. HM is clearly what people are going to suggest, safe injecting practices and the like, but what I am interested in is if anyone had any kind of advice as to how one might go about preventing him from making the stupid choice in the first place. I understand that is all very subjective and there might not be anything that can be done. But if anyone had any ideas or input they would like to offer it would be very much appreciated.

 

[rickolasnice]

All you can really do is express your concern and educate him on HR.. this doesn't just mean: Don't do it.. but how to do it safely.

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

All you can really do is express your concern and educate him on HR.. this doesn't just mean: Don't do it.. but how to do it safely.

^this

If you tell someone not to do it, they're going to eventually do it. Best bet is informing them as much as possible about harm minimization. Although some people just don't want to hear it no matter what. I've had friends of friends who don't listen because 'you can't know how they feel'

 

[bit_pattern]

Thanks for the replies - I said much the same thing, even offered to show him how to do it safely if need be - but that's not an option for my friend sadly. If anyone has any other ideas/suggestions I'd appreciate it

 

[Vaya]

Making him aware that there are resources to consult before making this potentially life-altering decision is, as others have suggested, all you can do. The saying always goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." That doesn't mean you shouldn't allow yourself to feel worried about this person, though! Do not deny yourself the right to feel the way you do about the situation. But recognizing the limitation that you aren't ultimately capable of controlling what other people choose to do is important to keeping your wits about yourself. I've watched close friends slide downhill - and, yes, my worries too began with these people making the decision in the first place.

As an after thought... I might try expressing your concerns to him, as one friend to the other, before referring him to harm reduction resources. It has been known to happen where a heartfelt appeal from a good friend has diverted people from choosing one lifestyle over another. If he appears to be hell-bent on trying it, however, then that's where I believe Harm Reduction comes into play and saves lives.

 

[kaywholed]

one of my friends died with a needle in his arm.

if any other friends expressed a desire for the needle, I would without hesitation slap them in the face, hoping that they don't join my death friend

 

[bit_pattern]

Thanks Vaya, that was a good reply.

 

[bit_pattern]

My biggest concern (and I don't actually know the guy, posting on behalf of my friend) is doing it alone - I've never used opiates beyond a very occassional experimental dabble but it sounds like a really unsafe practice for a first time IV user, or any IV user for that matter. It would have to really increase the risk of OD quite considerably I'd have thought.

 

[BrokedownPalace]

My biggest concern (and I don't actually know the guy, posting on behalf of my friend) is doing it alone - I've never used opiates beyond a very occassional experimental dabble but it sounds like a really unsafe practice for a first time IV user, or any IV user for that matter. It would have to really increase the risk of OD quite considerably I'd have thought.

Yes, experimenting with IV opiates alone is certainly a risk. I am experienced with opiates, and there have been a few times where I have done a little too much IV herion, and fell out. If there wasn't somebody else in the house to notice I was unresponsive and take action, I would have most likely died.

 

[Vaya]

My biggest concern (and I don't actually know the guy, posting on behalf of my friend) is doing it alone - I've never used opiates beyond a very occassional experimental dabble but it sounds like a really unsafe practice for a first time IV user, or any IV user for that matter. It would have to really increase the risk of OD quite considerably I'd have thought.

There are most certainly humongous risks associated with this! Don't doubt yourself, bit_pattern - your concerns are legitimate! Especially so given the route-of-administration he wants to undertake. If (and only if) he decides to take that route despite having heard a friend's appeal, suggest that he have someone with him as an additional harm reduction barrier to disaster. I don't know how you'd feel about it, but perhaps you, even, might be willing to serve that position. That may be very difficult for you, though. That's a judgment call you may soon have to make.

In the meantime, however, prepare yourself to tell him exactly what he means to you and why you are worried - even frightened - by his behavior and the decisions he intends to pursue. Have faith all will end up well.

The very best of luck to you

 

[Kerrigan]

Perhaps you could get him to try something that's less dangerous, like a psychedelic, to show him how dangerous things can be when you disrespect the power they have to end, or ruin, your life. Your friend's friend will probably die without help—not necessarily immediately, but more likely than not, it'll be after he gets addicted. He'll regret not taking your advice if he can even remember it, but many addicts are stubbornly adamant that they are able to quit using at any time. I know that after I discovered opiates, I wanted to be on nothing else for the rest of my life; they feel great, but they're also incredibly dangerous.

What about taking him to a needle exchange or a methadone clinic, to talk to the people who work there or go there for their methadone? "That'll never be me! I'm way too clever to let this stuff catch up to me and put a leash around my neck." Some people cannot be saved, and if you have to slap him and take away his needles, then that's what you have to do. Ask him why he thinks you're trying to talk him out of it. Cannabis, hashish, or weed is one of the greatest drugs that exists, but the rest are often insidiously dangerous and addictive.

There's a first time for everything and eventually, if he's buying online, the vendor will run out of stock or something similar, and he'll be unable to get any more. Then you could intervene with a 'Trainspotting' styled locked room, and I can't believe I'm advocating kidnapping over helping someone use opiates, but in the long run it's the lesser of the two evils.

Good luck with everything. If you can affect him by telling him horror stories, then make them a bit worse; show him the victims of 'Krokodil'—citizens of Eastern European countries who gave everything for a high that was almost-all poison with very few opioids in it, and they end up with dry, scaly skin, exposed muscles and bone; losing their arms and legs and hands and so-on is entirely possible if you're playing around with needles and don't know what you're doing: what if he hits an artery or ends up getting an infection in his arm? I'm going to guess that one has to pay for medicine and medical treatment in your country, and if that's the case, many people don't have the cash to pay a doctor because they spend everything on drugs. Look at Requiem for a Dream for crying out loud... 8(

 

[mrflowers00]

if someone wants to try injecting IME they are gonna do it regardless what anyone does or says