Galway homeless and Head shops

EuskalHerria

Was out last thursday and left the nightclub with a friend who wanted a cigarette. We ended up talking to a homeless man I usually see around eyre square asking for change for a cup of coffee yet usually spot him with a can an hour or so later. Anyway we ended up talking to him for another half hour at least and as my friend an I are staunchly Anti-Drugs we started asking him where he got the drugs he used when he needed them.

I was honestly shocked at the answer when he said that him and most of the homeless go to the head shop as they are a lot of the time cheaper and stronger than the stuff you would buy off your dodgy dealer. He started telling us that you could get a PCP tablet in the head shop for €7.50 that would have you off your head for a night and sometimes take you on a bad trip.

Now Speaking personally I would be for the legalisation of some drugs so to take away from the dangers of how drugs are made and distributed at the present time. At the same time it was a little unnerving and I was uncomfortable at the thought of someone walking into a shop and simply purchasing a drug that could possibly (whether it being "herbal" or not) make someone have a bad trip and possibly lead to a tragic accident.

I'm sure the discussion of head shops have been done to the death but how do feel about people being able to buy legal drugs? Especcially legal drugs like this PCP replacement which are a very serious drugs.

Robbo

By PCP, you mean BZP?

EuskalHerria

Robbo wrote: »

By PCP, you mean BZP?

He Kept referring to it as PCP but I would assume that is probably the more likely to be sold in a head shop.

happyoutscan

EuskalHerria wrote: »

I'm sure the discussion of head shops have been done to the death but how do feel about people being able to buy legal drugs? Especcially legal drugs like this PCP replacement which are a very serious drugs.

Everyone to their own, recreational drugs don't cause too many problems. You would probably be better off being anti-drink as it causes way more issues than a bit of weed or a happy pill ever did.

ronnie3585

EuskalHerria wrote: »

He Kept referring to it as PCP but I would assume that is probably the more likely to be sold in a head shop.

He had probably taken a lot of PZP and had confused the two.

Amalgam

EuskalHerria, why are you staunchly anti-drugs? Why be against something you haven't tried, or do not have any wish to try, what business is it of yours what other people do?

It is the market and the support structure behind the drugs that are the problem, the violence and shootings do not come from the drug 'itself', but from the supply chain and the lure of profits from controlling supply.

In isolation, if that person wants to take drugs, let him. He has probably made a decision in his mind as to the worth of taking that pill.

cornbb

Imagine being able to walk into an establishment that will legally serve you potentially addictive beverages that will make you go off your face for the night, make you sick, depressed, or maybe even violent...

Sorry, don't wanna go off on a mad one comparing legal/illegal drugs... just wanna point out that legality often has little relationship to the harm a drug has the potential to cause, and that its folly to point out the dangers of one drug without considering the dangers of all drugs - I don't like the fact that drinkers/smokers often have very strong judgemental opinions about the vices of others without considering the implications of their own drugs of choice.

Personal responsibility is key, the law is really very self-contradictory. Although having said that I do feel sympathy for people whose drug habits have consumed their lives.

EuskalHerria

Amalgam wrote: »

EuskalHerria, why are you staunchly anti-drugs? Why be against something you haven't tried, or do not have any wish to try, what business is it of yours what other people do?

It is the market and the support structure behind the drugs that are the problem, the violence and shootings do not come from the drug 'itself', but from the supply chain and the lure of profits from controlling supply.

In isolation, if that person wants to take drugs, let him. He has probably made a decision in his mind as to the worth of taking that pill.

Sorry can you do me a favour? I re-read my post a number of times and still not once could I see where I had written that i have not experimented with drugs?

I am staunchly anti-drugs from my own experiences and when I realised the reasons I was taking certain drugs. There is nothing wrong with a joint but drugs such as heroin should be completely eradicated fro society.

You say why am I involving myself in what others do? I'm not try to infringe on any ones rights but at the same time forgive me for having a dislike for drugs that prematurely kill, destroy lives and families and are a disease in predominantly working class areas.

padi89

EuskalHerria wrote: »

I am staunchly anti-drugs

EuskalHerria wrote: »

There is nothing wrong with a joint

Sure there is nothing wrong with having a drink either, sure it never did anyone any harm.

EuskalHerria

EuskalHerria wrote: »

Sorry can you do me a favour? I re-read my post a number of times and still not once could I see where I had written that i have not experimented with drugs?

I am staunchly anti-drugs from my own experiences and when I realised the reasons I was taking certain drugs. There is nothing wrong with a joint but drugs such as heroin should be completely eradicated fro society.

You say why am I involving myself in what others do? I'm not try to infringe on any ones rights but at the same time forgive me for having a dislike for drugs that prematurely kill, destroy lives and families and are a disease in predominantly working class areas.

i presume you didn't inhale;)
Have to be careful when you are in politics.

EuskalHerria

padi89 wrote: »

Sure there is nothing wrong with having a drink either, sure it never did anyone any harm.

Of course there is nothing wrong with a having a pint. I love when a drugs thread is started any where smart arses straight in with alcohol and cigarettes are drugs too. Thing is your not down a back alley for a pint or a fag? There is regulators to make sure there is a safety standards met with all alcohol but i'll be honest never seen the same approach with heroin.

My point for this thread was the fact that there are homeless men becoming addicted to drugs that are readily available over the counter but are far more dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes.

Basically it comes down to how you can apply it to yourself. There is a chance your family or friends may not find certain drugs because of their illegal status but when similar drugs with the same effects are being sold in shops then it becomes more openly available to a wider market. Added to this is because younger people are fed bullsh*t stories about drugs they are unable to properly gauge how to handle and take them in moderation as much as say a young person would know hw to gauge hw much alcohol they intake.

The problem is a mixture of these drugs becoming legal and openly available and a lack of information for young people. As I was talking to this man I could only think that there may be another like him soon who could have been prevented from going down what would generally be considered the wrong path in life.

cornbb

EuskalHerria wrote: »

My point for this thread was the fact that there are homeless men becoming addicted to drugs that are readily available over the counter but are far more dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes.

I think the relative dangers of various drugs are highly debateable, but lets not get into that... I just think that its not fair to demonise one particular drug (no matter how dangerous or high-profile it is) without acknowledging that most/all drugs have the potential to cause huge harm.

As an example: A guy takes cocaine most weekends for two years and kicks it or gets bored of it after that, and continues his life. Ten years later the same guy is struck down by lung cancer caused by his smoking habit. Not a universal example I know, but maybe it'll illustrate my point.

Basically it comes down to how you can apply it to yourself. There is a chance your family or friends may not find certain drugs because of their illegal status but when similar drugs with the same effects are being sold in shops then it becomes more openly available to a wider market. Added to this is because younger people are fed bullsh*t stories about drugs they are unable to properly gauge how to handle and take them in moderation as much as say a young person would know hw to gauge hw much alcohol they intake.

I think this just comes down to common sense, which in turn is a matter of personal responsibility. Just as someone with no common sense might overdo it with BZP or whatever, they would be just as likely to overdo it with alcohol. But I accept your point that maybe alcohol maybe isn't necessarily so much of a hazard because its effects are well-known and it is ingrained in our society.

Tawny

EuskalHerria wrote: »

We ended up talking to a homeless man...

he said that him and most of the homeless go to the head shop as they are a lot of the time cheaper and stronger than the stuff you would buy off your dodgy dealer...

Now Speaking personally I would be for the legalisation of some drugs so to take away from the dangers of how drugs are made and distributed at the present time.

Just out of interest, what has his being homeless got to do with the availability of legal highs?

EuskalHerria

Tawny wrote: »

Just out of interest, what has his being homeless got to do with the availability of legal highs?

Very little it was just something that caught my attention when talking to a homeless man last week. Essentially the homeless are not going around doing dodgy deals to score drugs they are readily available, cheaper and safer in certain shops.

What I am asking is this a good thing? Straight off the cuff it is for those who do not have to be in danger when using or acquiring their drugs. At the same time it is readily available to a larger market of people. My fear is that younger people do not know and are not educated enough on drugs and that can lead to misuse and overdosing as they do not know how to gauge their intake carefully?

Bobeagleburger

EuskalHerria wrote: »

Was out last thursday and left the nightclub with a friend who wanted a cigarette. We ended up talking to a homeless man I usually see around eyre square asking for change for a cup of coffee yet usually spot him with a can an hour or so later. Anyway we ended up talking to him for another half hour at least and as my friend an I are staunchly Anti-Drugs we started asking him where he got the drugs he used when he needed them.

I was honestly shocked at the answer when he said that him and most of the homeless go to the head shop as they are a lot of the time cheaper and stronger than the stuff you would buy off your dodgy dealer. He started telling us that you could get a PCP tablet in the head shop for €7.50 that would have you off your head for a night and sometimes take you on a bad trip.

Now Speaking personally I would be for the legalisation of some drugs so to take away from the dangers of how drugs are made and distributed at the present time. At the same time it was a little unnerving and I was uncomfortable at the thought of someone walking into a shop and simply purchasing a drug that could possibly (whether it being "herbal" or not) make someone have a bad trip and possibly lead to a tragic accident.

I'm sure the discussion of head shops have been done to the death but how do feel about people being able to buy legal drugs? Especcially legal drugs like this PCP replacement which are a very serious drugs.

NEWSFLASH: Galway man buys LEGAL drugs in head shop.


OP, wtf ?

TerrorFirmer

I think the real point here needed to be gotten across is that BZP is crap. Thought my girlfriend did look like a manga cartoon for an entire day. You gotta weight these things up...

ronnie3585

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Thought my girlfriend did look like a manga cartoon for an entire day.

You don't really have a girlfriend, do you? You just took some of the sh*t and sat looking at a manga cartoon for the day.:pac:

EuskalHerria

rarnes1 wrote: »

NEWSFLASH: Galway man buys LEGAL drugs in head shop.


OP, wtf ?

Good man, fair play your a welcome addition to this thread. Please any more ground breaking insights into social problems?

Bobeagleburger

EuskalHerria wrote: »

Good man, fair play your a welcome addition to this thread. Please any more ground breaking insights into social problems?

Your thread is about LEGAL highs. I dont see the problem?

Also, you cant get pcp in head shops. You should do your research before posting nonsense

EuskalHerria

rarnes1 wrote: »

Your thread is about LEGAL highs. I dont see the problem?

Also, you cant get pcp in head shops. You should do your research before posting nonsense

My argument was a bit more than just about legal highs, read through the thread.

I Realise you cannot get PCP in the head shops i stated a PCP replacement or something similar to PCP.

Pub07

rarnes1 wrote: »

Also, you cant get pcp in head shops. You should do your research before posting nonsense

I agree, go do your research and then come back and post more nonsense.

EuskalHerria

Pub07 wrote: »

I agree, go do your research and then come back and post more nonsense.

F**king hell, two head shop owners on their period have just entered the thread?:eek:

Des Hynes

EuskalHerria wrote: »

Of course there is nothing wrong with a having a pint. I love when a drugs thread is started any where smart arses straight in with alcohol and cigarettes are drugs too. Thing is your not down a back alley for a pint or a fag? There is regulators to make sure there is a safety standards met with all alcohol but i'll be honest never seen the same approach with heroin.

My point for this thread was the fact that there are homeless men becoming addicted to drugs that are readily available over the counter but are far more dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes.

Basically it comes down to how you can apply it to yourself. There is a chance your family or friends may not find certain drugs because of their illegal status but when similar drugs with the same effects are being sold in shops then it becomes more openly available to a wider market. Added to this is because younger people are fed bullsh*t stories about drugs they are unable to properly gauge how to handle and take them in moderation as much as say a young person would know hw to gauge hw much alcohol they intake.

The problem is a mixture of these drugs becoming legal and openly available and a lack of information for young people. As I was talking to this man I could only think that there may be another like him soon who could have been prevented from going down what would generally be considered the wrong path in life.

Not half as addictive as alcohol, nor as dangerous.

**** drug all the same

happyoutscan

Sorry but ALCOHOL is the deadliest drug this country has or will ever have to deal with.

F*** all point worrying about heroin (although I do agree it is a filthy drug) when the issues that alcohol bring are dismissed because it is a 'social' and 'regulated' drug. It isn't, it's a terrible drug that has destroyed entire sections of our society and will continue to do so unfortunately.

Right, I'm on holidays in Poland so I'm outta here and to the pub for a pils and some brown-vodka (I think thats what it was).

Thomas_S_Hunterson

EuskalHerria wrote: »

My point for this thread was the fact that there are homeless men becoming addicted to drugs that are readily available over the counter but are far more dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes.

Funnily enough, given a clean supply of heroin, an everyday (ab)user will live a long (and very happy) life.

Given a clean supply of alcohol from your local offie, an everyday (ab)user will probably have liver failure within a decade.

That's not to say I support the legalization of heroin, it's a filthy drug.

biko

Fine Gael Senator Fidelma Healy Eames has called for emergency legislation to be brought before the Dáil to deal with the availability of herbal ecstasy.
She claimed two young people in Co Galway are being treated in a psychiatric unit as a result of taking the drug. Herbal ecstasy contains the legal drug BZP (Benzylpiperazine) and has effects similar to MDMA. BZP is legally sold in Ireland although it is banned in a number of other countries, including the US.

Robbo

Fidelma is prone to grabbing hold of every balloon in the hope that one of them rises, as she's not guaranteed a nomination next General Election. Classic example of a local politico thinking aloud and every newspaper in town printing it as if it were delivered by Moses himself.

I would question the validity of her claim unless it gets backed up by someone from the HSE. These rumours abound in Galway and one of my own favourites was of soapbar hash being laced with heroin (yet sold as normal, for the same price) to get teenagers addicted.

I once read the BZP comedown as being "like waking up in a playground of dead children. With food poisoning". It does strike me that someone who develops an addiction to this is feeble minded enough to develop a marshmallow flump habit if they thought it would get them caked.

Oh and Alcohol isn't a drug, it's a drink.

Lockstep

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

I think the real point here needed to be gotten across is that BZP is crap. Thought my girlfriend did look like a manga cartoon for an entire day. You gotta weight these things up...

That sounds class.

Life in a manga cartoon would be bizarre if my limited knowledge of manga is anything to go by.#


+1 on Fidelma. I've met her a few times, she creeped the ****e outta me.

Robbo

From my limited knowledge of Japanese animation, it means there were tentacles. Lots of tentacles.

Des Hynes

Robbo wrote: »

Fidelma is prone to grabbing hold of every balloon in the hope that one of them rises, as she's not guaranteed a nomination next General Election. Classic example of a local politico thinking aloud and every newspaper in town printing it as if it were delivered by Moses himself.

I would question the validity of her claim unless it gets backed up by someone from the HSE. These rumours abound in Galway and one of my own favourites was of soapbar hash being laced with heroin (yet sold as normal, for the same price) to get teenagers addicted.

I once read the BZP comedown as being "like waking up in a playground of dead children. With food poisoning". It does strike me that someone who develops an addiction to this is feeble minded enough to develop a marshmallow flump habit if they thought it would get them caked.

Oh and Alcohol isn't a drug, it's a drink.

inisboffin

Sean_K wrote: »

Funnily enough, given a clean supply of heroin, an everyday (ab)user will live a long (and very happy) life.

Unless you limit and constantly monitor this clean supply, unfortunately, this isn't true either. Any junkie will tell you that they are constantly chasing the first 'high', so the chances of ODing are enormous. Death is not good for the health

Liver and kidney damage/failure, hormonal imbalance-related illness, vein collapse, are just some of the long term physical effects of heroin.
Long term psychological effects would take a page.

It's a nasty drug in its 'clean' form, never mind what it's like after s*it is pumped into it for street use.


Not taking from the argument that alcohol is very damaging when abused though, and the latter is legal AND almost always encouraged in our culture.