Will we see an increase in heroin use in the U.S.?

[zappaman]

When the military was in Vietnam, heroin all of a sudden became easy to find in the U.S. We now know about Air America and how heroin was shipped over here.

When the military was screwing around in Central America, this nation saw a huge influx of cocaine, which of course is a product of many of the countries we were in.

Now, according to the LA Times, heroin production is back big time in Afghanistan and is moving into Iraq.

How long before we see the results here?

[K-W]

1. The issue is, are the soldiers using it?

You need to find some evidence of that.

And it is fairly saturated in the US, I think. Before vietnam use was very low, the soldiers were exposed to it when they hadt been before and then exposed it to new people in the US. I think today people are cognicent of heroin and there wouldnt be a big spike.

That is, past the spike you would expect after a production increase.

[PsN2Wind]

2. Probably no large increase in use

but the price will come down to where the less affluent kiddies can afford it. Thank you Democratic Afghanistan. (sarcasm)

[kymar57]

4. Ya beat me to that line N/T

[MontecitoDem]

3. A new issue is oxycontin addiction

apparently leads fairly regularly to heroin addiction. Does anyone know how widespread oxy use is?

[kymar57]

5. Follow up

Afghan opium production at all time high. somebody must be buying on edit: "all time" might be incorrect" I was just in a "mode". but Idon't doubt that poppy crops are a major part of todays Afghanistan thanx gwb

[K-W]

8. Somebody will always buy. The supply will never meet the demand.

The black market economy is an interesting thing. As long as the US government is destroying shipments and arresting people, it creates a constant bottleneck in supply that keeps it that way.

[K-W]

6. It doesnt lead to heroin addiction insomuch as it is heroin addiction.

The difference between morphine, heroin, opium, oxycontin, and any opiate is how fast it reaches the target receptors in the brain.

It is a matter of dose and intensity, they are essentially the same drug. An oxycontin addict would be able to use oxycontin and heroin interchangeably if he/she was inclined to do so.

It is impossible to know how much more widespread it is than the perscribed users, but it certainly gets around. Perscription pills are THE drugs of this generation.

[MontecitoDem]

10. thanks for the info

even more depressing than I imagined.

[blm]

7. How do you think Poppy Bush got his CIA name?

He was part of the dirty guys at the CIA who traded in drugs and arms dealing.

[Jacobin]

9. Whatever all the guys with PTSD are using to medicate with

Probably at least 40% of them will have it. The VA won't pay for the therapy. They'll need years of counseling and medications and they won't be able to pay for it or won't admit they have the problem.

Very sad. A lot of them will end up divorced, homeless, unemployable, with flashbacks, nightmares, uncontrollable rages, major depression, you name it.

Have I mentioned this evening that I loathe George Fucking Bush and his neo-con creeps?