'The meat and potatoes' of fighting drugs

[neversickanymore]

'The meat and potatoes' of fighting drugs
By Chris Boyette and Deb Feyerick, CNN
August 27, 2014

(CNN) -- It's 8 p.m. in Chelsea, Massachusetts, just across the Mystic River from Boston. For Lt. Detective David Betz, his day is about to get busy.

After about 30 minutes, Betz, head of the Narcotics and Vice Division of the Chelsea Police Department, leaves to meet with a confidential informant who has been assisting with a case.

"When we make contact with this person, hopefully they will be able to make a call to any number of their sources, and we'll try to buy some heroin off the street tonight. ... This is basically the meat and potatoes of what we do," Betz says.

Chelsea is in the middle of a heroin epidemic. In March, Gov. Deval Patrick declared a public health emergency in Massachusetts in response to the growing opioid addiction sweeping the entire state. From 2000 to 2012, the number of unintentional opiate overdoses in Massachusetts increased by 90%, he said.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, it's happening all across America. The demand for heroin is reaching unprecedented proportions -- fueled in part by a growing number of people who get hooked on prescription painkillers and soon need a cheaper way to get high.

Like heroin, the painkillers morphine, methadone, hydrocodone and oxycodone are all opioids and have a similar effect on the nervous system.
Heroin, however, is cheaper to get and easier to find.

continued with video http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/26/us/chelsea-heroin-epidemic/

 

[Clocktower]

The very last sentence of this article is a doozy:

"You're trying to keep them from selling the drugs but it's really almost temporary," [Lt. Detective David Betz] says, "You're constantly pushing back the ocean, basically."

 

[Cliffy78]

They don't want to admit that their policies are creating heroin users outta legit pain patients. They scare the drs so much that won't write prescriptions to people with real pain problems. My dr has told me as much. He's scared as fuck to write my script but thank god he's a decent dude. Even still he won't raise my dose and he told me why. I've been on the same dose for 5-6 yrs now and guess what, I had to buy dope to supplement my meds because of tolerance. I bought oxy for years but it's outta control expensive.
They will never admit that their policies are a big reason for the heroin boom...

 

[weekend addiction]

They don't want to admit that their policies are creating heroin users outta legit pain patients. They scare the drs so much that won't write prescriptions to people with real pain problems. My dr has told me as much. He's scared as fuck to write my script but thank god he's a decent dude. Even still he won't raise my dose and he told me why. I've been on the same dose for 5-6 yrs now and guess what, I had to buy dope to supplement my meds because of tolerance. I bought oxy for years but it's outta control expensive.
They will never admit that their policies are a big reason for the heroin boom...

What this guy said. Doctors should proscribe tons of opiates they are actually pretty safe and atleast safer than an alcohol addiction for those addicted.

 

[The Doc.]

What this guy said. Doctors should proscribe tons of opiates they are actually pretty safe and atleast safer than an alcohol addiction for those addicted.

They should prescribe TONS of opiates? Hahaha that made me laugh wouldn't that be nice imagine you just walk in to the dentist for teeth cleaning and get a shot of morphine and a bottle of percs to take home in case your gums are a bit inflamed lol or you scrape your knees so you get some hydrocodone to pop like candy.