When Can We Have An Honest Discussion About Opiates?

[Jim O'Bryan]

Not a PR bullshit affair, not a chance for politicians and residents to show publicly they care, about this cool hot topic, but a real discussion?

For years we have been talking of this. I lost friends back in High School that overdosed on heroin. It was a big problem in 71, and much bigger today.

Why? We can go into many theories ranging from government support of the entire industry legal and nonlegal. We can talk about influence, entry level drugs, peer pressure, but while speaking with a local judge a couple months ago, I got an interesting look into the faux war of opiate addiction.

This story is true through out the state.

IF you OD on Heroin, or an opiate. The police and fire are hopefully called, they come, they administer Narcan™ a dose or two, the user is revived and charge with...

... disorderly conduct and intoxication, fine with court costs $240 $16.00 less than being caught with 99 grams of marijuana or less. $9,750 less than an average DUI.

The ccost to the forces was about $1,000

No one in the room is charge with possession, intoxication, nothing.

The reason makes sense, and I agree with. You cannot save a dead person, and they will not call if they are going to be arrested.

However, what follows makes ZERO sense to me.

As the person is charge with intoxication, at best the judge can put the person through 30 days of outpatient rehab.

Class A narcotics, and especially opiates take 120+ days to clear the body, and allow the brain to go back to normalizing activity.

So we are not stopping them at the border, and we are not really helping anyone get off of them.

As the judge said to me, "I cannot prescribe anything, for anything they are not charged with." Meaning if a heroin overdose, he has to be law treat it like a drunk in a bar.

I am working on a long involved piece, but was amazed when I found out that at a time we are war on opiates, it is a cheaper ticket that 20mph over the speed limit!!!

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