Found a heroin addict strung out in a McDonalds toilet.

Pace2008

partyatmygaff wrote: »

But regular users will eventually develop a dependency on the drug. People who take heroin very occasionally may not develop an addiction.

This goes without saying. Frequency of use is a significant factor in the likelihood of developing a dependency.

Besides that there are many other statistics that do have the majority of heroin users as being addicts
"57.4 percent of past year heroin users were classified with dependence on or abuse of heroin, and an estimated 281,000 persons received treatment for heroin abuse."
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/heroin_addiction/hic_heroin_abuse_and_addiction.aspx

Aye, as I've suggested in my post above, I'd say rate of dependence varies from location to location. I would maintain that this depends on the demographics that use the drug.

partyatmygaff

Pace2008 wrote: »

This goes without saying. Frequency of use is a significant factor in the likelihood of developing a dependency.

Aye, as I've suggested in my post above, I'd say rate of dependence varies from location to location. I would maintain that this depends on the demographics that use the drug.

So I wasn't really spreading misinformation, was I?

In Ireland at least it appears to be that most heroin users are addicts.

Dudess

Degsy wrote: »

Yes,Boo friggin Hoo,the poor junkie:rolleyes:

Anyone who isn't moved by a pitiful sight like that must be pretty heartless Degz. I mean, the impression I get is that you grew up in a community blighted by heroin, so I understand your anger towards junkies in one respect, but I don't understand how you're so black and white about them all. Surely you acknowledge many are good people who took a stupid and irresponsible path but are now paying dearly?

longhalloween

Saw a woman light up a crack pipe in Burger King once.

Her kids were tucking into their burgers right beside her.

Pace2008

partyatmygaff wrote: »

So I wasn't really spreading misinformation, was I?

In Ireland at least it appears to be that most heroin users are addicts.

I go by stats and i don't have the stats to confirm or deny this. FWIW I wouldn't have had enough issue with this assertion to reply to it.

I'm not sure if you've noticed yourself move the goalposts, but this was the original comment:

There's no such thing as occasional with Heroin.

It's a terrible drug that has ruined the lives of thousands of people. Spouting rubbish like that could lead to easily impressionable people getting hooked on Heroin.

This moved on to the "vast majority" of users being addicts, and now we've reached a more balanced standpoint.

I'm all about balance, so I'm happy out.

Pace2008

longhalloween wrote: »

Saw a woman light up a crack pipe in Burger King once.

Her kids were tucking into their burgers right beside her.

Did they even offer her a bite???

partyatmygaff

Pace2008 wrote: »

I'm not sure if you've noticed yourself move the goalposts, but this was the original comment:

This moved on to the "vast majority" of users being addicts, and now we've reached a more balanced standpoint.

I'm all about balance, so I'm happy out.

How have I moved the goalposts? This is an Irish forum and I was speaking of heroin use in Ireland. My last comment was "In Ireland at least it appears to be that most heroin users are addicts.". This continues on from what I said earlier. The majority of Irish heroin users appear to be addicts.

Spunge

Luckily, the amount of heroin I use is harmless, I inject about once a month on a purely recreational basis. Fine. But what about other people less stable, less educated, less middle-class than me? Builders or blacks for example. If you're one of those, my advice is leave well alone. Good luck.

Yakult

Was this him?

Pace2008

partyatmygaff wrote: »

How have I moved the goalposts? This is an Irish forum and I was speaking of heroin use in Ireland. My last comment was "In Ireland at least it appears to be that most heroin users are addicts.". This continues on from what I said earlier.

Because the statements "there's no such thing as occasional heroin use" and "In Ireland at least it appears to be that most heroin users are addicts" are patently not the same thing?

The majority of Irish heroin users appear to be addicts.

I would not find it particularly surprising, but how would you ascertain this without the relevant statistics?

Certainly, a walk around Dublin would confirm that there are plenty of people completely beholden to the drug. But what if there were many once-off or occasional users who haven't lost everything as a result of dependence? Surely they'd just look like regular people, so how could personal observation alone confirm your assertion?

brenn7475

Hi all

Didnt really think this thread would attract so much attension.

Its everywhere in society. What can you do really.

Im major pot head...so suppose I can say I have some sort of addiction.

But I dont judge this guy really. Chances are it will get him in the end.

Either by overdose or a burnout.

Here is an interesting doc I watched a few months ago. Maybe you can decide from this

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/ben-diary-heroin-addict/

brenn7475

If any one has the time to watch it would be great to hear you views....many people seem to have written to guy off when I posted the thread first. I rent a room to a Garda who work in the busiest station in Dublin. He could tell you a few stories about what he has to deal with.
But he also said that they are human beings and regardless of what state they are in he tries to focus on that.
He was the one who said to me that a lot of these addicts come from pretty good backrounds. He was surprised that it happened in Nutgrove .They end up in these areas of the city as the is a ready supply. I live in a middle class estate where there is a methodone clinic. The doctor runs the surgery from his home. I see them early morning. Some of them look pretty well to do.

Killer Pigeon

I had a Happy Meal in McDonalds the other day.

Are you sure the guy you found hadn't just eaten a Big Mac????....

starviewadams

Good documentary,pretty sad too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yt4Mmn7ofI

brenn7475

starviewadams wrote: »

Good documentary,pretty sad too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yt4Mmn7ofI

Will give that one a watch thanks man

TeddyTedson

I live near Nutgrove and its a nice area, i hope people dont think its a kip after reading this.

Nothingbetter2d

so he had a heroin flavored McFlurry then?

old_aussie

super_furry wrote: »

I was in McDonalds on Grafton Street a couple of weeks back and there was a syringe just sitting on top of on the toilets in a cubicle. I went outside and tried to explain to one of the guys working there but he didn't understand, asked to speak to the manager and he shows up after about five minutes, really pissed looking. Told him there was a syringe in the toilets and he shrugged his shoulders, said he'd 'sort it' and walked off. Didn't seem bothered at all, so I'd imagine it's a regular thing.

It's there for the kids to play with. Mummy, look what i found.

ebixa82

We should have a more modern approach to drug addiction in this country. Everybody knows that prohibition doesn't work. Only 10% of drugs that get into the country are caught by the cops.
Heroin has dropped from 20€ a bag to 12€ a bag nowadays. May explain while 0.7% of the population are currently using the drug.

Addicts should be treated as patients with an illness (which is what addiction is) instead of criminals.

If there was designAted buildings where junkies could inject freely, in a safe environment with clean needles then the public would not have to witness them shooting up in public restaurants and down street alleys.

Pace2008

Pace2008 wrote: »

Complete urban myth as well, for that matter.

Is it f***, maybe on the internet it is

sbsquarepants

TeddyTedson wrote: »

I live near Nutgrove and its a nice area, i hope people dont think its a kip after reading this.

I didn't anyway.
I thought nutgrove was a kip long before reading this!

Pace2008

RoverJames wrote: »

Is it f***, maybe on the internet it is

And yet I can't find any solid information confirming the existence of this deadly polydrug, just dubious anecdotes that are quickly shot down and derided.

You don't just lob a wrap of gear into a spliff and spark up. Any junkie will tell you a degree of caution is needed when smoking heroin - any contact between the drug and a high flame and it will just degrade. Hence the reason you'll often see burnt tinfoil discarded in a junkie's trail, but never a pile of roaches from their preferred form of wake-and-bake.

I'm sure it's possible that somehow, somewhere, weed could come into contact with heroin and hence retain some residue of the drug, but the chances of it making it into the hands a typical drug user would be vanishingly small, and the likelihood of them getting addicted to it through sustained use even less so.

knird evol

Apparently there is a higher chance of overdose/death for a junkie if they shoot up in an unfamiliar place. Everyday the act of just going to their usual shooting gallery causes their body to autonomically prepare for the intake of the drug by releasing various enzymes and chemicals. Using the drug somewhere different - the same amount will have a different effect.

Dan I Am

Deleted User wrote: »

How far gone must you be to think that injecting yourself in the testicle is a good idea?

Junkies definitely do not inject in their testicles (or their penis for that matter). Many long term hardcore junkies do inject in their femoral veins at the top of their legs next to their groin though. The poor quality and impurities in illegal heroin, together with bad injecting practices, will damage all the easier to find and closer to the surface veins in their bodies. However, if they are careful (and lucky), they may be able to use their femoral veins for years, due to the relatively much bigger size. They will be running the risk of an infection (through bad hygiene practices while injecting) in a very difficult to treat area though, which may result in the loss of a leg or death. There is also an increased risk of dvt (blood clots) when using the femoral vein.

There seem to be some very strong opinions in this thread, considering the fact that the knowledge displayed doesn't stretch beyond the occasional sighting of a 'tip of the iceberg' hopeless homeless junky, and the usual myths and misinformation spread by equally clueless reporters in the media. You don't want your present or future kids to be hearing nonsense like 'all junkies are animals' or 'all heroin users are addicts' or 'try it once and you will be addicted'. If they happen to come across friends or acquaintances in their lives who smoke/snort heroin occasionally (for example, at the end of 'party' weekends) with no apparent problems at all, what conclusions are they likely to draw about your advice? It's much better to arm them (and yourselves) with the truth.

orourkeda

brenn7475 wrote: »

Popped into McDonalds at Nutgrove shopping centre yesterday evening.
Was around 7.30pm
There were one or two people at the counter so I decided I pay a quick visit to the jacks and wash my hands before eating. So there I was washing my hands when from behind I could hear a sort of gurgling sound and short breaths. Some of the McDonalds cubicle toilet doors only cover half the door. From underneath I could see a guy in the fetal position in only his boxer shorts. It sounded like he was crying at first. The door was locked. I was freaking out thinking this guy had cut his wrists or something. I opened the door from the outside with my car key to open the latch. He was lying there blue in the face and from what I gather he had injected into his testicle. Syringe on the ground with small drops of blood. Grabbed the manager quicky and they phoned an ambulance. It was freaky and the place was packed with kids.. The services arrived very quicky and were in there with him for about 10 mins or so he walked out to the ambulance.
just thought Id post one of those things you dont deal with often.

Why didnt you just let him die?

ebixa82

Dan I Am wrote: »

Junkies definitely do not inject in their testicles (or their penis for that matter). Many long term hardcore junkies do inject in their femoral veins at the top of their legs next to their groin though. The poor quality and impurities in illegal heroin, together with bad injecting practices, will damage all the easier to find and closer to the surface veins in their bodies. However, if they are careful (and lucky), they may be able to use their femoral veins for years, due to the relatively much bigger size. They will be running the risk of an infection (through bad hygiene practices while injecting) in a very difficult to treat area though, which may result in the loss of a leg or death. There is also an increased risk of dvt (blood clots) when using the femoral vein.

There seem to be some very strong opinions in this thread, considering the fact that the knowledge displayed doesn't stretch beyond the occasional sighting of a 'tip of the iceberg' hopeless homeless junky, and the usual myths and misinformation spread by equally clueless reporters in the media. You don't want your present or future kids to be hearing nonsense like 'all junkies are animals' or 'all heroin users are addicts' or 'try it once and you will be addicted'. If they happen to come across friends or acquaintances in their lives who smoke/snort heroin occasionally (for example, at the end of 'party' weekends) with no apparent problems at all, what conclusions are they likely to draw about your advice? It's much better to arm them (and yourselves) with the truth.

Unfortunately that's what 80% of views and opinions in AH are based on....misinformation, speculation, rumour, gossip and ignorance..

orourkeda

ebixa82 wrote: »

Unfortunately that's what 80% of views and opinions in AH are based on....misinformation, speculation, rumour, gossip and ignorance..

Durka Dur

ebixa82

orourkeda wrote: »

Durka Dur

I forgot to include unoriginal, overused south park/team america impressions...

patrickc

ebixa82 wrote: »

Heroin has dropped from 20€ a bag to 12€ a bag nowadays.


If there was designAted buildings where junkies could inject freely, in a safe environment with clean needles then the public would not have to witness them shooting up in public restaurants and down street alleys.

it's actually 35 a bag..

+1 one on the shooting galleries, would be great to see.