Wouldn't a simple solution be to make those that OD, you know, pay for it themselves?

 

Sure. Are they not being billed for the medical services?

Sure. Are they not being billed for the medical services?

 

It's my understanding that they leave the hospital without paying anything. I could be wrong on that though.

 

If you send them a bill, very high likelihood you never see a dime from them. They should make them pay before they leave.

Sure. Are they not being billed for the medical services?

 

From The article I read, the city was picking up the tab for the Narcan. That's why they need to do the strike 3 policy. Can't fit it into the budget.

It's my understanding that they leave the hospital without paying anything. I could be wrong on that though.

 

If you send them a bill, very high likelihood you never see a dime from them. They should make them pay before they leave.

 

That's impossible not to mention unfair treatment. That's like a hospital/doctor telling a smoker who has lung cancer that they won't treat them because they knowingly smoked cigarettes knowing what it would do to them. Adopting measures that would take place overseas in countries like the Philippines or China isn't something I'd be comfortable with.

I just wish all the money we wasted on The War on Drugs was spent on trying to prevent a fourth strike. Legalizing the drugs and work harder at prevention and treatment. Like it or not, addiction is a disease.

I just wish all the money we wasted on The War on Drugs was spent on trying to prevent a fourth strike. Legalizing the drugs and work harder at prevention and treatment. Like it or not, addiction is a disease.

Legalize heroin? That seems like a good idea.

Legalize heroin? That seems like a good idea.

 

We've spent billions and billions to get to here:

 

In 2016 in KY almost 4 people died from a drug overdose EVERY DAY.

Good for them.

 

At some point life is going to hit you and things won't be so easy and this obvious sheltered view on the world will cause you to change. Watching people die is never a "good thing". Even worse when something can be done to reverse it.

Got a knock on my front door a few weeks ago at 10:45 PM, wasn't expecting anyone so it was a bit disquieting.

 

The little boy (10 or less) was standing there, obviously panicked, said he needed me to call 911 because his mother's BF was passed out on the floor. I made the call and went over. I found the guy on the living room floor with the lady kneeling over him. She was on their phone with a 911 dispatcher and counting his respiration. She was telling the dispatcher he had ODed. I went out to wait for the responders. 2 police units, a manned fire engine and an ambulance all responded. Apparently once they revived him he refused further treatment because they all left about 15 minutes later without him.

 

IMVHO if you OD and are revived you should be subject to citation and mandatory counseling. My neighbor doesn't seem to have had to pay any consequences.

Got a knock on my front door a few weeks ago at 10:45 PM, wasn't expecting anyone so it was a bit disquieting.

 

The little boy (10 or less) was standing there, obviously panicked, said he needed me to call 911 because his mother's BF was passed out on the floor. I made the call and went over. I found the guy on the living room floor with the lady kneeling over him. She was on their phone with a 911 dispatcher and counting his respiration. She was telling the dispatcher he had ODed. I went out to wait for the responders. 2 police units, a manned fire engine and an ambulance all responded. Apparently once they revived him he refused further treatment because they all left about 15 minutes later without him.

 

IMVHO if you OD and are revived you should be subject to citation and mandatory counseling. My neighbor doesn't seem to have had to pay any consequences.

I would agree with something like this.

In short, we've spent a lot of money and a lot of effort on the notion that we can prevent drugs from coming into this country. In comparison we've spent very little money and effort towards the notion that a) we cannot prevent them from entering this country and b) addiction is a disease.

 

When I say legalize it, make no mistake, it's not giving up. It's trying to fight the problem in another way. Tying to prevent it from getting to the point where we are so "exhausted" that we are willing to watch people die.

 

I don't have all the answers but I know two things:

 

1. Addiction IS a disease.

2. We aren't keeping drugs out of this country.

Got a knock on my front door a few weeks ago at 10:45 PM, wasn't expecting anyone so it was a bit disquieting.

 

The little boy (10 or less) was standing there, obviously panicked, said he needed me to call 911 because his mother's BF was passed out on the floor. I made the call and went over. I found the guy on the living room floor with the lady kneeling over him. She was on their phone with a 911 dispatcher and counting his respiration. She was telling the dispatcher he had ODed. I went out to wait for the responders. 2 police units, a manned fire engine and an ambulance all responded. Apparently once they revived him he refused further treatment because they all left about 15 minutes later without him.

 

IMVHO if you OD and are revived you should be subject to citation and mandatory counseling. My neighbor doesn't seem to have had to pay any consequences.

 

Agreed. As much money that has been put into the private prison industry it'd be nice to see that same amount of money put into some kind of comprehensive and competent rehabilitation services. A citation and a mandatory sentence to rehabilitation is something I would get behind. Seems like the known purchase of illegal drugs along with possession of illegal drugs could bring charges of something which would bring about a citation at the least.

I still find it obscene that Narcan (I've actually been trained to administer it) has been made readilly available but Epipens cost a fortune.

I still find it obscene that Narcan (I've actually been trained to administer it) has been made readilly available but Epipens cost a fortune.

 

Agreed with this also. It makes zero sense.

Agreed. As much money that has been put into the private prison industry it'd be nice to see that same amount of money put into some kind of comprehensive and competent rehabilitation services. A citation and a mandatory sentence to rehabilitation is something I would get behind. Seems like the known purchase of illegal drugs along with possession of illegal drugs could bring charges of something which would bring about a citation at the least.

 

That's first offense though. Mandatory random drug testing afterwards and jail time for subsequent incidents are also on my idea list.