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In reply to the discussion: What does the DU think about giving money to homeless people whose hands give [View all]applegrove
(118,622 posts)59. There is soot all over the hands from smoking drugs.
http://memoiresofaheroinhead.blogspot.ca/2011/07/why-do-heroin-addicts-have-dirty.html
"My boyfriend smokes heroin and smokes crack.
Izabella,
-----------
Aunt Agony says:
Izabella, the dirt on your boyfriends fingers will come from two different things.
Firstly it will be the soot (carbon) which forms on the underside of the tin foil he smokes his heroin on. Unless your boyfriend washes his hands after each time he smokes (which would mean him living in the bathroom) his fingers will get this black residue on it. (Some users preheat the foil and then wipe away the carbon before using it to prevent this, but it doesn't stop it completely, and in a rush there's no time to be preheating your foil before taking a boot.) Secondly, as your boyfriend also smokes crack, his fingers will get dirty ashing up his pipe (carbon again) and picking up crumbs of rock that are on the table/tile around the ash etc. It looks much grimier than it really is.
Finally, no, the dirt is not drugs. If it was your boyfriend would have smoked his own fingers years ago. There will be some trace elements but nothing to worry about.
Hope that explained what the dirt is... All My Thoughts Agony"
"My boyfriend smokes heroin and smokes crack.
Izabella,
-----------
Aunt Agony says:
Izabella, the dirt on your boyfriends fingers will come from two different things.
Firstly it will be the soot (carbon) which forms on the underside of the tin foil he smokes his heroin on. Unless your boyfriend washes his hands after each time he smokes (which would mean him living in the bathroom) his fingers will get this black residue on it. (Some users preheat the foil and then wipe away the carbon before using it to prevent this, but it doesn't stop it completely, and in a rush there's no time to be preheating your foil before taking a boot.) Secondly, as your boyfriend also smokes crack, his fingers will get dirty ashing up his pipe (carbon again) and picking up crumbs of rock that are on the table/tile around the ash etc. It looks much grimier than it really is.
Finally, no, the dirt is not drugs. If it was your boyfriend would have smoked his own fingers years ago. There will be some trace elements but nothing to worry about.
Hope that explained what the dirt is... All My Thoughts Agony"
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What does the DU think about giving money to homeless people whose hands give [View all]
applegrove
Mar 2013
OP
But should I not give a few hundred, once a year, to an addiction treatment centre?
applegrove
Mar 2013
#3
What does it matter? One shouldn't attach any strings to charity. Otherwise it's hypocrisy.
idwiyo
Mar 2013
#5
I'm the same, and it's probably a good thing I'm not around those situations too much, I'd have
polly7
Mar 2013
#8
I buy food coupon books and give them that instead of money. Most chain restaurants have them.
appleannie1
Mar 2013
#11
Yup. That is usually what happens. If they are polite and I happen to have a two dollar coin,
applegrove
Mar 2013
#18
Everything I've read on the subject indicates the (vast?) majority of panhandlers are scam artists.
Peter cotton
Mar 2013
#54
When I lived in VA, there was a homeless guy that hung out in front of the local video store
justiceischeap
Mar 2013
#24
Better to give to them than have them, maybe, strong arm some inocent victim. I give, with common
demosincebirth
Mar 2013
#27
it's just become a bunch of parrots who have no idea what the words mean
Voice for Peace
Mar 2013
#45
if the money is handy I give it, and don't think about how they'll spend it.
Voice for Peace
Mar 2013
#40
List such places. It is certainly not the case here, but you say 'in many places' as if you know, so
Bluenorthwest
Mar 2013
#56
I don't pay attention to their hands or arms or consider potential drug abuse
sweetNsassy
Mar 2013
#63
Give money to a free treatment center, homeless shelter or abuse shelter instead.
bluestate10
Mar 2013
#70