Drug Policy: Safe Injection Sites (SIS)

Look, I honestly feel like anyone who dives headfirst into drug addiction—knowing full well what they’re getting into from the very first hit—is just being an idiot. And yeah, I know, I'm being politically incorrect here, but whatever...

In a country that's already dealing with a million other massive, much more important issues... the whole idea of setting up these specific spots is just gross, if you ask me.

Honestly, it feels super entitled and just out of touch to demand dedicated spaces or clean needles for people who are basically choosing to kill themselves. I mean, if someone coming out of a state prison is gonna wander over to a neighborhood like downtown Chicago looking for gear, then fine, they can go to a place like Staten Island too. I guess if people are gonna be out doing this stuff in the middle of the night, they should just deal with it while the pharmacies are actually open... (it would probably be enough just to pass a regulation saying all 24-hour pharmacies have to hand out syringes or something)...

That way, you'd actually solve the hepatitis and AIDS problems and all those other diseases without wasting a ton of money building or renting extra facilities just for that purpose...

At the end of the day, I'll say it again: what logic is there in me worrying about whether you have a clean needle when you don't even care if I have my Voltarol?

I mean, even a grocery store doesn't stay open 24/7. If I want ice cream and I have to wait until morning, is that my fault because I didn't go buy it during business hours?

As far as I know—and I might be wrong, who knows—you don't get to judge me on drugs, and you definitely don't have any right to go posting my comments elsewhere. Because if I started demanding that you write your posts "clean," well, that would pretty much mean you wouldn't be allowed on this forum anymore 😢

Bravo. You’re all for treatment and rehab. Did that whole "it's fine" mentality prevent you from realizing people actually need help to get through it?

Just one question: what happens to the ones who never seek rehab, or find it way too late? Someone could easily exploit this setup and just keep using longer than they ever would have if things were handled normally.

stormywolf39 said:Just wondering, what happens to the people who never get rehab, or get it way too late... I mean, someone using this setup could just end up getting high even longer than they would have in a normal situation, right?

yeah, basically just getting high on the taxpayer's dime😲 but in a safer environment.
and we definitely aren't about that; nope.👍

It’s not even about that. If you go down that road, you’re just asking to get burned—whether it's a mental breakdown or actual physical damage. At some point, it doesn't matter which hits you first: whether you're dealing with a viral outbreak or just a completely wrecked immune system. It's all the same end result.

Hey, does heroin actually fry your brain? 🤔

stormywolf39 said:it’s not even about that, it’s more about how you'd just end up getting burned even worse—if not mentally, then physically. At some point, it doesn't really matter if you're crashing from hives and hepatitis or just because your whole system is totally trashed.

it’s never "whatever"😉
at least not for me.

@elonmusk: First off, you rarely find people just chasing pure heroin. Most of these guys are hitting a cocktail of everything they can get their hands on. Not to mention all the nasty cutting agents and other garbage they mix in to stretch the supply—stuff that’s definitely doing wonders for their health, clearly. 🙏 🙏

Rose said:@elonmusk:

My point is simple: this country is broken and we're all going broke. 😁 And I’d probably jump in to help out some other groups first, too. Sickos. "I’d rather just take the cash and buy some mammogram machines and all that other useless junk nobody actually needs," or whatever. Look, once we hit a higher level of development and actually fill up the federal treasury, then—and only then—can we start worrying about everything else. Just like Denys said.

That money ends up being flushed down the drain on junkies anyway. We're talking about tax dollars used to bail out addicts after an overdose or paying for their rehab when they catch some disease from their lifestyle. It’s a joke.

Anthony Miller13 said:How exactly is that going to help someone who's already dead? Or what about HIV positive patients? What’s the point?

Come on, use your brain. It’s like an on/off switch.
If you’ve got pros watching over you, the odds of ODing drop through the floor. Period.
Listen, let's get one thing straight: you can't catch HIV from sterile equipment. Period.

brisknomad6 I can't even begin to respond to this. What is there to say? It’s absolute nonsense.
What the hell, are you high or just incapable of reading what’s right in front of your face?
Here, take a look at this. It’s clearer now.
I’m all for treatment and rehab. Period.

It's obvious. 😉

Look, anyone who consciously dives headfirst into a drug addiction—knowing damn well what the warnings are and exactly what kind of wreckage they’re leaving behind—is a fool. And that's me being polite. That's me being politically correct. Honestly? They're just idiots.

The reckless drivers tearing up the highways, the idiots driving drunk, sleep-deprived, or just completely losing their minds behind the wheel—they’re all the same. Then you’ve got the people sleeping around with random strangers without even using a condom, or anyone hooked on drugs. It doesn't matter how you slice it: they're all just a bunch of morons.

Does it not absolutely sicken you that Medicare is picking up the tab for their entire treatment?

Enough with the nonsense. I’ll say it again: why on earth should I care if your syringe is clean if you aren't even checking to see if my fuel is volatile? Make it make sense.

What kind of twisted logic is that? You’re seriously saying it’s harder to scrape together cash for someone’s clean needle than it is to save their life after an overdose? Make it make sense.

stormywolf39 said:So, wouldn't someone using this room just end up getting high for way longer than they ever would have in a normal situation?

Yeah, he probably would've lived longer if that had happened..

stormywolf39 said:@Edward Green: first off, it’s rare to find people just shooting pure heroin. Most addicts are mixing it with everything they can get their hands on—not to mention all the cheap fillers and garbage crap they add just to stretch the supply, which is obviously "great" for your body. 🙏 🙏

So what, everyone who gets clean from heroin has a fried brain? Is that the consensus now?

Live longer, sure, but with progressively smaller odds of ever actually feeling normal again... at which point, there might not even be much point in sticking around.

Edward Green said:so everyone who quits heroin ends up with brain damage? Is that the majority?

I know a handful myself—and let’s be real, it was rarely just the heroin. But honestly, you're really fixating on the brain here... what about the liver, the kidneys, or a completely trashed cardiovascular system?

stormywolf39 said:living longer, sure, but with a shrinking chance of ever actually getting back to normal... at that point, you might not even want to stick around.

Hey, stormywolf39, what’s your take on people with mental disabilities, Down syndrome, or those struggling with mental illness?

Edward Green said:Sterile equipment isn't going to transmit HIV.

:grizenokte: I’ve got a few things to throw into the ring here. What about the people who have already caught some kind of virus? A sanitized room isn't going to do a damn thing for them.

And honestly, what does it matter if they have expert staff on hand if the patient walks in carrying a nasty pathogen themselves? Fine, maybe I can help by resuscitating him if things go south, but that's it.😬
Plus, what kind of "specialized staff" are we even talking about? Are these just volunteers, or would doctors from a place like Mayo Clinic be trekking out there? When? On their days off? And who’s footing the bill? Or would they just hire people specifically to work those shifts?

I'm listening.

Edward Green said:Hey, stormywolf39, what’s your take on people with intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, or those struggling with mental illness?

Look, we could choose to pour our tax dollars into supporting those groups, but there's no obligation. 😉 We have other options... for where that money actually goes.

stormywolf39 said:I know a few people (and it wasn't just about the heroin)... but what are you even thinking? What about the liver, the kidneys, or the total destruction of the cardiovascular system?

Great. Just go explain that to someone undergoing their tenth round of chemo. Tell them they can just shove some lead up their nose since their body’s already trashed from the treatment anyway—might as well get it over with so they don't have to live much longer.

Or tell it to someone stuck on dialysis.

Look, if the first post had actually mentioned these rooms were being funded by private sponsors and stuff like that, I wouldn't have said a word.

Because there is absolutely no way something like this was ever factored into any kind of US healthcare budget.

Edward Green said:Great. Just explain that to someone undergoing their tenth round of chemo—tell them they might as well shove some lead between their ears now. If they actually manage to beat the cancer, their body will be so trashed anyway that living longer isn't even on the table.

Or tell someone stuck on dialysis.

Read this again:

So it basically boils down to who cares whether they're taken out by HIV and hepatitis first, or if their entire system just collapses from being completely worn out.

Megan Reed said::nail_biter: I’ve gotta add something here. What about the people who’ve already caught some virus? Those quarantine rooms aren't going to do a damn thing for them.

And what about the ones who haven't caught it yet? Who gives a shit about them?
A condom won't help someone who's already infected, but it stops the spread. That's how it works.

Look, the only way I can help is by resuscitating them if things go south.

"The only way." Seriously? When you're talking about the line between life and death, "the only way" is a hell of an understatement. Sorry if I misunderstood, but aren't you a med student? Why wouldn't you try when saving a life is the absolute best you can do?

Edward Green said:Trying to lecture someone undergoing their tenth round of chemo by telling them they might as well stick their head in a gun barrel is just cruel; if they actually pull through, their body will be so trashed from the treatment anyway that they won't have much life left to live regardless.

Why are you comparing apples to oranges?

Someone going through chemotherapy is doing it because they’re fighting a devastating illness through no fault of their own, and they're doing it to save their life..

Now, someone using heroin? Why do they do that? To save a life? To "improve" their quality of life? Yeah, give me a break.

You simply cannot make that comparison.

It's the same logic as saying there's no difference between someone whose liver fails due to a genetic disease and someone who develops cirrhosis from heavy drinking. In my book, those aren't even in the same universe.

I don't even know where to start with this one. Absolute nonsense. Total waste of time. kaže:
So you end up looking like an idiot. Whatever. What’s going to break him first? HIV and hepatitis, or just his entire body completely falling apart?

Look, people need to stop freaking out about HIV. It’s not a death sentence anymore. And for the record, over 90% of Hepatitis B cases are actually curable. As for Hepatitis C? You could go 20 years without even knowing you have it because there are zero symptoms. Get the facts straight.

What exactly are you trying to say? 🤔