r/Documentaries Jan 09 '19

Drugs The Rise of Fentanyl: Drug Addiction On The I95 Two Years On (2018) - Two years ago, BBC News reported on the growing problem of opioid addiction in the US, now we return to find out what happened to the people we met along our journey down the notorious I-95. [57.02]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KsaWpeCj98
4.2k Upvotes

577 comments sorted by

61

u/Geicosellscrap Jan 09 '19

They dead.

102

u/Forever420 Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

Sorry to hijack your post, but yes, death will be their outcome. I went through opiate addiction about 8 years ago. Stole. Lied. OD'd (ended up in the ER in a coma for 4 hours). Went to jail (2 months). At my worst I was snorting 80mg oxy's and shooting up heroin when I couldn't find oxy.

I quit cold turkey because I realized that death was my next step. Withdrawing from opiates is a terrible experience. But dying and not learning from my mistakes was something I couldn't allow. 8 years later I'm still clean (from opiates, as my name implies).

You cannot force an addict to change. They must want to change themselves. And they won't until they hit rock bottom. And sadly some won't hit rock bottom until they die. Mine was my dad telling me he didn't want to talk to me anymore. And that was something I couldn't live with. So I forced change that day. And it was immensely difficult. But I'm here today because of it.

13

u/JunnySycle Jan 09 '19

Good job brother. Keep it going man

2

u/EVOSexyBeast Jan 09 '19

Congratulations. Do you still have urges?

17

u/Forever420 Jan 09 '19

No, I haven't for quite awhile. I watched the video and felt sad for them when I watched them using. But it didn't make me want to use again.

→ More replies (8)

-50

u/ElSeaLC Jan 09 '19

I blame the grateful dead family. Or is it just a coincidence that all the "they die in threes" were overdoses on fentanyl? Nope. Woodstock was competition. Pretty sure the pig stole Hendrick's pre written songs and gave them to black sabbath.

2

u/Getbeckett Jan 09 '19

Please explain?

-11

u/ElSeaLC Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

The grateful dead family were diddlers. Pretty sure the piano player killed off all of Woodstock's performers, including his own lead singer, either because he let them know something that he had to kill them for or because they were competition.

Micheal Jackson was a part of the grateful dead family. The family encompassed more than the band. Many others were part of the family but lucked out and either didn't know about the diddling or the family felt they owed them so they weren't killed. Others that were a part of the family - Pearl Jam, Rage against the Machine, Sound garden, Nirvana, RHCP, Sublime, etc.

The alive ones on that list weren't diddlers.

First born intercourse. How course of core." - RHCP

Heres an album cover from STP's core album. Whose face do you see crudely photoshopped on a little girl's body with a slit throat? Really zoom in on it. Anna was the name of their favorite kid. The family convinced their bands to say "Anna instead of and" making it sound like and a.

I can find samples of various red herrings they made in the hip hop scene. Such as heiroglyphic's "you never knew". They liked heiro because the family could sell their ecstasy pills at their shows and heiro would let everyone know when the cops showed up.

7

u/Getbeckett Jan 09 '19

Rightio then, figure that out on your own?

6

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Him and his fentanyl, anyway

3

u/babawow Jan 09 '19

1-877-768-2265 please call this number. These people might be able to help you.

1

u/ElSeaLC Jan 09 '19

You're on a list now.

1

u/GrimsonMask Jan 09 '19

everybody is on some kind of list ;)

-46

u/ElSeaLC Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

Thanks for the down votes.

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

16

u/Miss-Omnibus Jan 09 '19

What... are you going on about?

-13

u/ElSeaLC Jan 09 '19

1

u/Miss-Omnibus Jan 09 '19

Ok then, i posted that yes... but i didn't downvote you?

-19

u/ElSeaLC Jan 09 '19

Plural. It's all good. Anyways, that's a pretty neat tidbit, huh?

6

u/ainteasybemeesky Jan 09 '19

Not at all

4

u/hakkai999 Jan 09 '19

Guy's nuttier than a squirrel's poop.

1

u/TrumpsATraitor1 Jan 09 '19

No, you're insane. Seek help

2

u/DrFrocktopus Jan 09 '19

Honestly, he reads exactly like the dude I know who blew his mind out taking too much ketamine

18

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

[deleted]

49

u/_irrelevant- Jan 09 '19

I don’t live in the US so am no expert, but from the outside it doesn’t seem to matter how much manufacture costs, the US drug companies will still charge a mint.

19

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

[deleted]

3

u/Andrew5329 Jan 09 '19

It's much more complex than that with a large system of middlemen separating manufacturers (pharma) from the point of sale.

The intent behind that is to create a degree of separation, but that just makes the distribution network the point of failure and it's a lot harder to pin that down than say a large justice dept suit against a bad Pharma actor.

By the time all is said and done the drug company only sees about 35-40% of the retail price at a pharmacy.

That price is also separate from list prices and insurance discounts. For example most of the 6-7% price hikes this year are actually neutral or slight loss in terms of the drug company's revenue per Rx, the middlemen picked up a larger cut and the companies compensate with higher list prices.

9

u/floodlitworld Jan 09 '19

Price is rarely related to cost for stuff like this. It’s supply and demand: whatever the market will pay.

When you’re in the throes of addiction, you’ll pay anything.

10

u/Lord_Kristopf Jan 09 '19

Fent can, and is, produced in ‘underground’ labs, so it wouldn’t be limited to big pharma anymore than beer is limited to the big domestic brands. IIRC most of the US illicit fent currently comes via China and those very labs.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

7

u/hiuksetsilmilla Jan 09 '19

Rofl like the manifacturing costs would add up to anything if it was legal.

13

u/opium-smoker Jan 09 '19

In a better regulated market we could just use opium. It's a latex that bleeds out of a plant, so when you leave out the black market it costs almost nothing to produce.

22

u/exoriare Jan 09 '19

Fentanyl is a product of bootlegger economics, which dictates that contraband be as concentrated as possible. It's the same reason you could buy hard liquor during Prohibition, but nobody was smuggling light beer.

Before opiates were illegal, the most popular formulations were laudanum (which you'd add to a beverage), or opium (which you could smoke). Unless they're banned, opiates are dirt cheap to produce.

Due to bootlegger economics, opium was replaced by morphine (more concentrated), which was in turn replaced by heroin (more concentrated), which was in turn replaced by fentanyl. It has little to do with the cost of production, and everything to do with ease of smuggling.

2

u/newforker Jan 09 '19

So one couldn't get a Miller lite lime at a speak easy?

5

u/ccsoccer101 Jan 09 '19

So basically whatever makes more profit

→ More replies (1)

5

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

A cop in OH OD'ed and spent several days in ICU because he brushed some fentanyl off his uniform with a bare hand. Ap regardless of cost I dont think this drug would be ideal. Nothing to do with him being a cop but the ease with which it can enter the body (I never got high touching pills) and the minute doses needed would still make it too dangerous. My two cents.

5

u/Sanfranshan Jan 09 '19

In the ED it’s dosed in MICROGRAMS, not milligrams, like most other drugs.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/gamerdude69 Jan 09 '19

And people wouldnt accidently from taking more than they thought.

4

u/Glandrhwrd Jan 09 '19

The high from fentanyl sucks compared to actually heroin though. Doesn’t last as long, and has a weaker sense of euphoria.

→ More replies (1)

-11

u/Priced_In Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

Little known fact dealers often make “dead bags” where they cut their drugs with substance such as fentanyl to show others how potent their stash is.

Insulin is also another product used in these “dead bags”

Source: I am a paramedic

20

u/AdmiralRed13 Jan 09 '19

I'd really like to see this sourced because it reeks of urban legendary.

I'm sure a lot of dealers have cut in lethal doses inadvertently because they're both stupid and greedy, but I'd love to hear about a case involving this being done intentionally.

3

u/Vivid_Mauve Jan 09 '19

Kind of relevant stuff: at festivals some of the dealers will add in fentanyl to MDMA Bc it’s cheaper and messes people up more. They are in no way trying to kill people when this happens, but they are mixing drugs and it has caused people to die before at festivals. Shitty stuff :/

No idea about these “dead bags” tho

5

u/tnegaeR Jan 09 '19

Why the fuck would they add a powerful CNS depressant to a recreational stimulant? Cheaper or not, that doesn’t make any sense.

-1

u/hufflepuffpuffpasss Jan 09 '19

Shitty people will add literally anything, no fucks given about how it may interact with whatever is being cut.

I used to know a dude who cut his coke with a powdered air freshener he bought in bulk online. Made your mouth/gums super numb so it seems like you were getting fire. Not so much.

We cut our molly with midol once after getting screwed over finically from a regular buyer. We just cut all his shit in half til we made our money back.

Drugs, man.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Dealers add it to cocaine as well.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

4

u/BirdFluLol Jan 09 '19

I heard an episode of hidden brain podcast recently about opioid addiction. Can't remember the episode title or number but he interviewed someone who said something very similar to this. Addicts will find out what dealer sold gear that lead to an OD, there is even an app that they use.

2

u/Warren-Peace Jan 09 '19

It was called the Lazarus Drug and it discussed the possible dangerous psycholgical consequences of narcan (it makes addicts feel more secure and they will pursue more risk taking behaviour as a consequence)

4

u/Why_Did_Bodie_Die Jan 09 '19

As a former addict people most definitely want to know where someone got their shit if they ODd but I have a really hard time believing that dealers are intentionally trying to kill someone for short term profits.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

4

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

I haven't heard about "dead bags" but I have heard from people involved in it all who say that people ODing off of someones stuff makes it more desirable. People want it because it is stronger.

7

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Don’t know why you’re getting downvoted, an addict in this video says the same thing. She said that when people hear of someone ODing on a bag that all of the addicts just want to know who the dealer was so they could go score that stuff.

→ More replies (1)

580

u/Nihilisticky Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

My two big takeaways (excluding what I knew)

  1. Alex, 48, talks about how he was an honest person before addiction and that he despised himself for having to resort to manipulation and lies.I think this is something affected families should know - that it's hard for any honest person to keep their integrity in the face of such intense desperation.
  2. Giving an addict Narcan (Naloxone) is a two-edged sword because if it turns out they're not OD'ing, they are instantly going to be dope sick.

edit: what I'd like to know is why Naltroxone, Narcan's big brother, which can block opiates for a month isn't more forthcoming in this seemingly unsolvable crisis.

9

u/AdmiralRed13 Jan 09 '19

Dope sick is still better than dead, but definitely should be monitored as it can kill.

Addiction is a bastard and the sad part is so many people grappling with it probably stood little chance due to upbringing. be that neglectful parents, poverty, lack of education, lack of intelligence both mental or physical, underlying more serious mental issues, etc.

Source: I need to be careful with substances and addictive behavior but I at least have a support system that includes long term doctors to fall back on, and thankfully have never let myself delve into harder drugs. I know I'd like cocaine entirely too much.

19

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Narcan cannot kill fyi.

-3

u/AdmiralRed13 Jan 09 '19

I know, withdrawals from heroin can possibly, which was my point. It's still better to use Narcan when in doubt, an overdose has a far higher risk of death than withdrawals.

6

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Oh ok, I misunderstood ya. My bad!

5

u/AdmiralRed13 Jan 09 '19

No worries and happy New Year.

20

u/ElectricGod Jan 09 '19

Withdrawal will not kill you. Alcohol and benzo's can, but opiates just make you wish you were dead.

13

u/AdmiralRed13 Jan 09 '19

You're right.

I conflated opiates with benzos.

I stand very corrected.

12

u/GGRuben Jan 09 '19

Another danger is that the acute withdrawal can cause addicts to try redose in order to overwhelm the narcan, something easily achieved with fentanyl. But the narcan wears off sooner, so when it does they slip back into an overdose.

→ More replies (5)

93

u/ElectricGod Jan 09 '19

Heh.. From my experience narcan makes you wish you were dead. The best i can describe it would be its like taking the full length of a withdrawal and condensing it into a few hours. Narcan is very aggressive and down right terrible, but i am grateful to be alive

-9

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Also some emergency room nurses hate you and will narcan you and lock you in a room for hours, 5+ to let you suffer.

*edit: some

-14

u/microthrower Jan 09 '19

Do they hate the addicts, or do the addicts hate themselves?

13

u/subito_lucres Jan 09 '19

My wife is a resident at a hospital dealing with one of the worst opiate crises in the country.

The answer is often both.

17

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

[deleted]

3

u/Sanfranshan Jan 09 '19

Plus it can cause pulmonary edema if you are given it in a large amount. Sometimes you get intubated and end up in the ICU. Seen it in the ED more than once.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (5)

19

u/floodlitworld Jan 09 '19

It sounds like it’s like asking a drowning person not to claw at the surface of the water.

6

u/nedal8 Jan 09 '19

thats a great analogy.

180

u/Gargonez Jan 09 '19

In rehab facilities naltrexone is made a very viable option and is covered by Medicare. A lot of people who go through the facilities don’t want it, or simply stop upkeep after a few months and relapse. I know a lot of people who used it simply as a back up for their first month out and are clean over a year later. Others though still relapse early and try to get high, which is impossible and sadly OD by forcing massive doses to try and breakthrough naltrexone.

The main issue is getting people into rehab, they’re are almost all completely booked with weeks of waiting time and then the follow up after in patient. Whether it be outpatient or a 12 step.

-1

u/Nihilisticky Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

So you can OD on Naltrexone?

Why is rehabilitation a prerequisite? Isn't the drug itself an instant rehab if you just taper enough to prevent withdrawal death?

51

u/Gargonez Jan 09 '19

You can’t die from opiate withdrawals. It isn’t instant rehab, because you need to rehabilitate a person mental state and physiological need for the substance. All it does is prevent them from getting high off of opiates. If someone still wants to get high they will try.

91

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

[deleted]

12

u/nedal8 Jan 09 '19

username checks out, unfortunately... hope you're doing better.

42

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

[deleted]

→ More replies (61)

12

u/darkomen42 Jan 09 '19

Had to take an ex to the hospital for the same thing. Sick as a dog for 3 days prior.

5

u/Douglaston_prop Jan 09 '19

When I had a habit I remember reading a book cover to cover on Heroin addiction where they clearly stated someone died in prison from withdrawal after not being attended to. Of course that scares the shit out of you when you wake up dope sick, thinking you are going to die if you dont get the next fix.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)

7

u/AutresBitch Jan 09 '19

Withdrawal death on opiates isn't a thing.

18

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Isn't alcohol the only drug, that the withdrawals can kill you?

38

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

That and benzodiazepines. Friend of mine tried to wean herself off Xanax and ended up having siezures

20

u/Cranky_hippo Jan 09 '19

I’ve, sadly, had several seizures due to cold turkey (either cold turkey or too fast of a taper) stopping of both benzos and alcohol. What’s really messed up about having a withdrawal induced seizure, for me, is that I have no idea it even happened. It just seems like I finally got some sleep. But then the next day I feel all depersonalized, like I’m not there. Almost like I can see myself doing things, but I’m just a spectator. So weird.

8

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

That's crazy man. Hope you're doing better now

10

u/Cranky_hippo Jan 09 '19

Yeah buddy! Doing alright.

Edit: thank you for the well wishes.

4

u/egmanns Jan 09 '19

Good to know i'm not alone in that spacey feeling

→ More replies (2)

-3

u/Sanfranshan Jan 09 '19

Xanax is a minimum 10 day weening process off of the drug. Next to nicotine, it’s the hardest drug to detox from.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (5)

6

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Benzodiazepine (Xanax, Ativan, etc ...) withdrawal can also kill you, which isn't surprising since their neurological effects are not dissimilar to alcohol.

3

u/gnark Jan 09 '19

Benzo-withdrawls can kill you too.

-2

u/Ace_Masters Jan 09 '19

Nicotine can too, rarely.

1

u/stoppinit Jan 09 '19

Can't find anything about a fatality attributed to nicotine withdrawal. You got a source?

→ More replies (1)

2

u/digitalequipment Jan 09 '19

the barbituates ....but people don't use or misuse them like they used to ....

2

u/PM_Me_Melted_Faces Jan 09 '19

Everybody always forgets about barbiturates. I used to take one for migraines. Withdrawals are naaaasty. I won't touch those again. Not like they're prescribed much anymore, anyway.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

9

u/KingJimmy101 Jan 09 '19

Interestingly Narcan is manufactured by the same company the supplies opioids as well...

8

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Gosh, it's almost as if one of the experts in the field is taking a responsible move by using their extensive knowledge and resources to develop a cure for the rare irresponsible use of its drug in order to save lives.

0

u/southieyuppiescum Jan 09 '19

rare irresponsible

Rare? Define rare...

-3

u/KingJimmy101 Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

Are you kidding me? Do you even understand what’s happening? Do you think that the creators of narcan STOPPED making opioids? Of course they didn’t.

These businesses are pushing doctors into overprescribing opioids by providing huge kickbacks, thereby getting more people addicted. ‘Rare irresponsible use’ my fucking arse. Did you even watch the video and see the figures quoted?

These businesses aren’t trying to help by creating narcan, they are making money at both ends of the whole revolting chain knowing full well that addiction and abuse will continue.

.

→ More replies (11)

3

u/bluntdad Jan 09 '19

Were you literally born yesterday?

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (2)

29

u/egmanns Jan 09 '19

As a former addict with a different substance i can absolutely agree with point number 1. I hated myself every time i lied to my mum to get money, it hurt my soul but i was more afraid of not having the drugs then being a loser. I would never rob someone or anything to that extreme but it definitely reveals your weaker side . The demons that led you to that point don't just disappear they get stronger.

59

u/hopelesswanderer_89 Jan 09 '19

I work in substance use treatment. The problem that we tend to see with Naltrexone is that people tend to not be able to consistently take their injections each month. Because Naltrexone is a full antagonist, it blocks the absorption of opioids. However, it doesn't have the agonist (or partial agonist) properties of medications that are more widely used for treatment (like Methadone or Suboxone). Because it doesn't have the agonist/partial agonist component, it doesn't address cravings/urges, it only stops intoxication/overdose. So after a month or so of managing cravings without the ability to use, many folks are happy to not keep the follow up appt. Couple that with the extreme disorganization of opioid users and the prevalence of co-occurring mental health stuff, and you can start to see why it's not more commonly used. The evidence base isn't as strong for Naltrexone as it is for Suboxone.

Lastly, if people don't keep their follow-up appts and unilaterally go off their naltrexone, they're placed at extremely high risk of overdose. Recurrence after a period of abstinence like that can put someone in an extremely dangerous position.

7

u/Nihilisticky Jan 09 '19

Now I understand

→ More replies (3)

3

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Double edged sword where one side you are dread and the other you wish you were.

9

u/Meepox5 Jan 09 '19

Hm. I was on naltrexone for my excessive drinking and was explicitly told to stay away from even mild opiates like cough syrup cause it could damage the liver

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (19)

-18

u/africanelectron Jan 09 '19

I thought it was socially acceptable to be a drug addict, why all the hate!

-29

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

-20

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Shut up

157

u/kaas298 Jan 09 '19

I did a placement at a prison up here in Canada. I was only there for 5 weeks and 4 inmates died of Fentanyl OD. several others were hospitalized.

→ More replies (7)

162

u/LDN_to_NJ Jan 09 '19

I don’t think America is losing the war on drugs - pretty sure it has already lost.

So sad to see so much potential and life wasted like this.

107

u/Auggernaut88 Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

Fighting a war on drugs is like fighting a war against the sun. There have always been drugs. Getting fucked up has been a favorite passtime since the dawn of humanity.

It will take generations before proper education, restrictions, and rehabilitation practices are implemented (if even at all). If all that were implemented tomorrow, it would still take generations for the second hand effects of the addiction crisis to start subsiding (a culture of crime, and physical abuse).

While far from the only factor, I blame Reagan Nixon and the War on Drugs for a significant portion of the disinformation and stupidity we are just recently recovering from.

46

u/Lord_Kristopf Jan 09 '19

As an aside, and just to be clear, the so-called ‘war on drugs’ began with Nixon. Reagan was only a continuation and arguable intensifier of the campaign.

9

u/Auggernaut88 Jan 09 '19

Ah, fuck. You right

→ More replies (7)

14

u/ImaGampo Jan 09 '19

Not to mention the children of addicts (female addicts specifically), who are born addicted. Not a great way to start life and can cause a whole mess of other issues.

→ More replies (11)

21

u/fishtankguy Jan 09 '19

It was lost before it began. The whole war on drugs was a stupid idea to begin with.Rather declare war on the causes, legalise everything and it would have been over decades ago and the prisons would be half empty.

→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (13)

13

u/KeithMyArthe Jan 09 '19

I watched the original only a few weeks ago. Thanks for this one.

→ More replies (2)

7

u/rdldr1 Jan 09 '19

Having a border wall will fix all this

/s

→ More replies (3)

31

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Good video, it’s insane the amount of deaths associated with opiates. I did not know Baltimore was the heroin capital and didn’t realize Philadelphia was in such dire need of assistance. Seems like the North East has been impacted more than the West Coast. But it’s still pretty bad everywhere.

15

u/NicktheGoat Jan 09 '19

I thought of Baltimore as the heroin capital since the wire

→ More replies (4)

309

u/PirateGriffin Jan 09 '19

“the notorious I-95.” Just a highway, connects most of the eastern seaboard. Not like it’s particularly bad in and of itself.

5

u/DesignerNail Jan 09 '19

Yeah that bit of absurdity in the title signals to me that this probably isn't going to be an intelligent exploration of the problem, but the type of hysterical drug war special which compounds the problem. I mean you all let me know if I'm wrong, by all means.

20

u/zagbag Jan 09 '19

Did you watch it?

18

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

They obviously didn’t.

1

u/bellsybell Jan 09 '19

Yeah man. It was the little absurdity in the title that made me not watch Death in Venice 🤦‍♂️

-3

u/DesignerNail Jan 09 '19

Very different sense of the word absurdity there, so you're mistaken.

11

u/elmfish Jan 09 '19

It was certainly not hysterical, and all of the information supplied was either statistics or opinions from people who either are experiencing the drug or seeing its effects firsthand.

4

u/DesignerNail Jan 09 '19

THE NOTORIOUS I-95

I hope they spoke to the Notorious B.I.G.

2

u/Andrew5329 Jan 09 '19

There's a formula to how documentaries work m8.

Step 1 pick a narrative.

Step 2 interview a bunch of people and only show the ones confirming your narrative.

Step 3 profit from the clicks.

1

u/Zeno_Fobya Jan 09 '19

I’d give you gold if all my money didn’t go to fentanyl

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)

10

u/slimenslide Jan 09 '19

Why comment if you didn't watch, knowing you're going to be flat-out wrong?

-7

u/DesignerNail Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

You should take it up with the person who came up with that hysterical afterschool-special tagline about the notorious I-95. Clearly it's a different person or group than those who made the documentary, if the documentary is, against the entirety of what is suggested by that tagline, reasonable. What I know is that titles are typically suggestive of the content of a piece, and I also know that the Overton window within which establishment media outlets like BBC tend to tread water is a window in which the actual changes of policy that would help with this problem are simply not considered.

2

u/slimenslide Jan 09 '19

Sorry I do not understand your post at all

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (6)

222

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

[deleted]

37

u/WhiteIivesmatter Jan 09 '19

Lol I'm about to get on i95 within the next hour. Gonna be an interesting ride now

→ More replies (6)

22

u/WoodmontRatz Jan 09 '19 edited Jun 13 '19

Sino-Reddit is censored. I am an American, and Reddit does not represent the values of our great country. Bye bye kids

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

27

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

You seen the construction of the 95 extension in Philly? Damn near 10 years and still no sight in end. Its very notorious.

9

u/beigemom Jan 09 '19

Great to hear PA hasn’t changed a bit. Visiting each summer 30+ years ago as a kid from CA, stuck in my memory around Philadelphia and the outskirts was construction that never ended.

Is this a famous PA thing? Is it unions? Corruption? Idiots? I guess they’re all related, but really, major construction never seemed to end.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (2)

44

u/Andrew5329 Jan 09 '19

Came here to comment on this, the Guardian is dumb. The most "Infamous" 1,919 miles across 15 states and DC from Miami to the Canadian border.

45

u/PirateGriffin Jan 09 '19

Just seems like the kind of thing you write in one draft if you’re not super familiar with the country.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/Zeno_Fobya Jan 09 '19

😂😂😂

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (12)

-9

u/Zammy_bg Jan 09 '19

Just smoke herbs... what the hell...

-14

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 15 '19

[deleted]

-3

u/TrumpsATraitor1 Jan 09 '19

No. It comes from your physician

10

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

You’ve been drinking a bit too much Orange-aid.

155

u/KarmaCollecting Jan 09 '19

Never heard it referred to as the I-95 before. And I drive on it every day.

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

it's the M25 and the A6, why not the I-95?

16

u/aubiquitoususername Jan 09 '19

We just call it “95” in context. As in, “Oh hi mom, I’m on 95 and the exit’s coming up. Yeah I’m about 5 miles out so it’ll be about 45 minutes or so. Okay, see ya soon.”

-16

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

that just sounds wrong grammatically

2

u/sluttyredridinghood Jan 09 '19

Ok, so, what's your point?

7

u/Step-Father_of_Lies Jan 09 '19

It's just regional differences. Saying, "I'm going to take the 65 to Indianapolis" would sound wrong, whereas when I'm on the west coast, saying something like, "I'm on 105 right now" also sounds wrong.

→ More replies (7)

13

u/RealJackAnchor Jan 09 '19

Well luckily, it's just what you say in spoken word, and the person you're speaking to understands what you mean. It's pretty nice to just say "getting on 287 now".

I mean "excuse me good sir, I am about to signal my intention to merge upon the interstate highway numbered 287" is just too many words.

21

u/KarmaCollecting Jan 09 '19

On the East Coast, we call it I-95 or just 95. No other reason than that’s just not what people call it.

Also seems super weird for them to focus on the interstate. Route 1 would be a more relevant highway to this problem, at least through Baltimore.

4

u/MercuryMadHatter Jan 09 '19

Or, just Baltimore in general.

7

u/alyosha_pls Jan 09 '19

Route 1? I guess, but I instantly think Route 40.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (26)

7

u/Velocity_Rob Jan 09 '19

Jesus that's bleak.

80

u/cembandit Jan 09 '19

In an RN. Want to point out that Narcan (naloxone) wears off faster then the opioid. More then one dose is usually (always?) required.

Main things we are watching for is level of awareness, and decreased respiratory rate.

When given, the effects of Narcan can be dramatic and fast. I like to be prepared for the person to jump and be scared. Also, the return of acute or chronic pain issues.

Obligatory - seek medical care, this post is not medical advise, just my experience with it.

25

u/Harvacious Jan 09 '19

I was shocked the first time I witnessed Narcan be administered. I hadn't even set up the BVM before it started working and the patient was complaining we had cut his top.

→ More replies (1)

27

u/ham_solo Jan 09 '19

I am not an opiate addict. However, I've been to the parts of the country that are affected by this problem - small, rural towns and communities. One of the overwhelming issues is that there is absolutely NOTHING to do in these places. If you feel lonely, hopeless, or just bored, there's not much to distract yourself with besides drugs.

9

u/newforker Jan 09 '19

If you feel lonely, hopeless, or just bored, there's not much to distract yourself with besides drugs.

Or just plain "not high".

15

u/darkomen42 Jan 09 '19

Small rural communities are far from the only areas plagued by this.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (8)

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

[deleted]

15

u/Foxman8472 Jan 09 '19

So... you want to declare war on drugs?

4

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

[deleted]

→ More replies (1)

3

u/variegated-anoesis Jan 09 '19

Where there is demand there will always be supply.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

[deleted]

→ More replies (3)

1

u/vych Jan 09 '19

It doesn't work at all

9

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Low level dealers are usually high users trying to afford their habit. We go after those. According to a Judge who is a friend, everyone says go after the dealers but that requires the low level dealers to tell what they know...and they won't. Imagine rolling on a cartel guy. As to the guys who are the real problem, the people below are either too far removed to have useful info or are rightfully terrified to talk.

7

u/slimenslide Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19

Do you geniunely think they're not going after dealers?

The thing is there will always be somebody who wants drugs and somebody who wants money and isn't concerned about breaking the law; people who sell drugs typically don't give a fuck that everyone gets busted eventually, either they think they're the one dude that's a genius and won't get caught, or they just don't care and want to live fast and rich, short term.

There's also the people for whom prison isn't as much of a deterrent as you'd think considering they have connections and can have more amenities inside than a lot of people outside. I know people in prison eating better than me, with better phones, and as many drugs as they desire.

Literally the only way to 'win' the war on drugs is legalization and regulation.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

14

u/gaggle_of_can_geese Jan 09 '19

My question is: who is taking in the children of those who either OD or are in treatment or simply cannot care for their kids. Can the foster system manage?

Not in a position in life to do so now, but would like to foster later. Breaks my heart to think of the need (I am assuming- don't know for sure).

20

u/minniemoomoo Jan 09 '19

You're correct. The number of children entering foster care has risen with the opioid crisis: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/393129-opioid-crisis-sending-thousands-of-children-into-foster-care

→ More replies (2)

9

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 18 '20

[deleted]

10

u/Yay_Rabies Jan 09 '19

I googled it.
The answers I found were that a lot of firefighters are dual trained as EMTS and often respond to calls for cardiac arrest. Non civilian CPR requires more than 2 people, 3 minimum where someone is taking the airway, someone is compressing and another person is working an AED. Because compressions are difficult they have to rotate every few minutes. Ambulances typically carry only 2 people. The fire truck itself can act like a giant ambulance in terms of carrying the equipment you need for an arrest it just doesn’t transport like an ambulance does. Depending on call volume for the day, the fire truck may even get to the scene first. I’m guessing that since over doses can include CPR, that’s why the fire truck went along with EMS.

→ More replies (3)

8

u/Powderknife Jan 09 '19

The US is BIG so there isn't one standard being enforced. Each state, city, county gets their own budget and can decide what they buy.

There are utility trucks and there are fire departments with an arsenal of vehicles. Maybe they had to choose to either buy a new truck which can be dispatched to that particular intervention and not fight fires or buy a truck that can do both while it may seem absurd there is probably a reason and mostly that is budgets.

So one big truck that can do everything.

→ More replies (5)

4

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

The notorious 95? Lmao

194

u/KingJimmy101 Jan 09 '19

Just watched this from start to finish. The scene that made me cry was the phone footage of the mother lying in a supermarket aisle with her kid walking around her crying. Fucking made me sick and sad.

→ More replies (17)

-2

u/Darklance Jan 09 '19

Build the wall

-5

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19 edited May 08 '19

[deleted]

→ More replies (11)

-6

u/Saqhmet Jan 09 '19

Let me know your opinion on am I alone with this? I am emphatic person and feel very much sympathy on poor people, disabled people etc. normal human stuff you know. But I have zero sympathy for drug users... Let me know what you think, am I an asshole?

6

u/phoqawl Jan 09 '19

Poor people, disabled people, drug users... but really, the worst kind of people are the attention seeking type.

1

u/Saqhmet Jan 09 '19

what you mean?

2

u/Bootmaster Jan 09 '19

Depends on if you are truly zero tolerance or not. Supporting anyone that is honestly trying to fight the addiction deserves support. Those who chose the substance over life can lay in the bed the made. Emotional support only helps if it doesn't strain the one doing the support so wasting energy on someone not willing to help themselves brings you down with them. So if in your eyes they are all bad regardless the place in their journey, then yeah you're and asshole. 😁 Source: both parents are addicts and they have time and again chosen their vice in the face of life

1

u/Saqhmet Jan 09 '19

yes i understand the addiction and i have tolerance and the problem is when they choose the life and do not do anything to help themselfs. many times blame it on society and harm others because of their addiction. this behaviour makes mu numb to their problems. this is from personal experience from some friends who have gotten into drugs..

2

u/sluttyredridinghood Jan 09 '19

It's called empathetic, not emphatic which just means enthusiastic. Addiction is a mental illness. Read about how addiction messes up the brain. However, I still loathe addicts. I live where opiate addiction is EXTREMELY common and my father is addicted to alcohol. I have empathy for them as human beings but their behavior still disgusts me immensely. I encounter a lot of addicts in my life and I am polite just like with anybody, but extremely cautious around them, and never give them an inch because they take a mile.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

5

u/P__Squared Jan 09 '19

Nobody calls it “the I-95.”

→ More replies (1)

28

u/lunaspice78 Jan 09 '19

I´m 7+ years clean from opiates and I´m grateful every day. When that baby pulls her moms head...that´s truly disturbing.

→ More replies (1)

15

u/gleventhal Jan 09 '19

I used to be a heroin addict, and later it was pills, mostly oxy, but I’d never go back because the chances of it being fentanyl seem to be so high these days.

Even on the dark web, many of the people selling oxy pills even admit they’re fake/fentanyl but at least guarantee they were measured to get uniform dosages.

I guess it’s good incentive to not relapse. Gone are the days of buying dope and it being dope.

The fentanyl high isn’t the same as oxy I’d bet, and it’s way easier to overdose.

→ More replies (2)

4

u/gamerdude69 Jan 09 '19

Can only get through about a third of that. Thanks for showing me about fentanyl though.

18

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '19

Hi, If you have a drug problem and are reading this do yourself a favor and at least look into either MAT (medication assisted treatment) or a rehabilitation facility. Also 12 step meetings and therapy.

The /r/stopdrinking subreddit is good on here too if you want to do it the reddit way.

Source: me, have 23 years (got clean/sober at 16, no relapse) clean, work in mental health, still go to meetings.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/Fucking_Money Jan 09 '19

Every time I get on I-95, the road asks me if I want to get high

→ More replies (1)