Cic,

I don't disagree with you - good people sometimes make one seemingly innocuous decision at the time, that actually is a really horrible life choice as it ends up, in the end, ruining their life.

Regardless of race, ethnicity, religion - good people sometimes make a bad choice.  It does not make them vile; it does not make them evil.  With age comes wisdom, and I am not sure a lot of people being critical (not thinking of anyone in particular, or even this forum) - truly have an understanding of how powerful nerurotransmitters are - and how they can take a highly functional, intelligent, wise person...  And do things that are totally against logic; totally against their values; totally against their upbringing.

Quoted from JackBauer

Cic,

I don't disagree with you - good people sometimes make one seemingly innocuous decision at the time, that actually is a really horrible life choice as it ends up, in the end, ruining their life.

Regardless of race, ethnicity, religion - good people sometimes make a bad choice.  It does not make them vile; it does not make them evil.  With age comes wisdom, and I am not sure a lot of people being critical (not thinking of anyone in particular, or even this forum) - truly have an understanding of how powerful nerurotransmitters are - and how they can take a highly functional, intelligent, wise person...  And do things that are totally against logic; totally against their values; totally against their upbringing.

humans do things that are totally human regardless of values/upbringing.....agree with you

that's why making addicts criminals is wrong. and making a police officer who does the same, a 'sorry sight' is wrong

what is it that the human seeks.....FREEDOM FROM UTOPIA

Cicero

They do not ask the Police Chief what their opinion of the "black junkie" going to prison.  But, I doubt there is any police officer who doesn't have a solid grasp of what addition does to people.

And, addicts do not go to prison for drug possession.  To argue that is to simply show a real lack of understanding of how the system operates. Simple possession rarely, if ever, results in a term of incarceration.  People go to prison for sale.  Or they get sentenced for the crime that addiction precipitates.

The Police Chief answered the question asked of them.  But if you think law enforcement personnel do not appreciate the toll it takes on human lives - once again, you're wrong.  They asked because the officer was fired from the agency.  Most people understood that.  

Quoted from visitor

Cicero

They do not ask the Police Chief what their opinion of the "black junkie" going to prison.  But, I doubt there is any police officer who doesn't have a solid grasp of what addition does to people.

And, addicts do not go to prison for drug possession.  To argue that is to simply show a real lack of understanding of how the system operates. Simple possession rarely, if ever, results in a term of incarceration.  People go to prison for sale.  Or they get sentenced for the crime that addiction precipitates.

The Police Chief answered the question asked of them.  But if you think law enforcement personnel do not appreciate the toll it takes on human lives - once again, you're wrong.  They asked because the officer was fired from the agency.  Most people understood that.  

In many cases, the addict is the street corner dealer.  They stand on the corner for the drug dealer in return for payment in drugs to support their habit.  The dealer IS the addict.  I think cops are well aware that is how it works.  

you don't compare celebs with everyday folk.....when it comes to drugs...there is no "class"......we all try to help those

in need to support and help get the right treatment...BUT....they can't get well if they don't want to....

You cannot make statements that divide what drug addiction is to one person or class of one person

(career or otherwise)..

General statements are not acknowledged by people who know about addiction,,,from being one, knowing one, or

living with one.....

BEST to keep your thoughts to yourself with addiction....free speech and negativity is not needed...understand

and compassion. ...

Let the man REST IN PEACE.......

AMEN

Sad that this man had problems which played out in the press time and time again.

What is even sadder was that his addiction ended in his untimely death.

My heart goes out to this man and his family... how to prevent this from happening in the future? Maybe that's what people should be focusing on...

My cousin in his 40's died last year from a heroin and I'm sure other drugs in the mix overdose. Its a long story. I always loved him but it was hard to
talk to him on the phone, and harder to know what was happening to him.  In his case he was dead for a while before help called so his partner and
others could "clean up " the apartment. To this day I wonder if they had called immediately I wonder if he would have made it.

My cousin (his sister) who lives across the state always complained no one here tried to help him. Even though I explained that many talked to him,
and due to domestic violence with his partner he ended up in the county jail a few times.  I called his public defender and pleaded that they bring him
to drug court so that he could be sentenced to rehab, but it never happened.

When a celebrity dies there is always a full investigaton.  When a commoner dies oh well just another addict.

What is true is no matter how others try to help its up to the addict to want help.

I think what most don't understand.....the addict has to WANT the help......no one can do that for him..

Celebs get investigations....but you have to remember....this whole culture does not condone users...

they promote it by pumping up the media with all this riff raff antics.....MILEY CYRUS, JUSTIN BIEBER, PARIS HILTON,

LINDSEY LOHAN.......THIS IS WHAT IS MAKING AMERICA???....with this said....

Common folk can get the help...it it out there...BUT....without $$$$ most of the time, help is nowhere to be
found.

so now what happens....they can go to a local clinic....get psychiatric help.....and guess what.....more drugs...

and the more drugs that are prescribed....the more the addiction grows....of course there is therapy....but the

addict can outsmart the doctor....and get more drugs....and still buy off the street.

so it is a vicious circle.....and DRUG COURT....???.....only a few will do it and the success rate is low.....relapse is

there all the time......married to the addiction without infidelity....that's what happens...

Unless you been there....walked the walk....and just not the talk.....it is fair to say....all the analyzing in the world

won't let the common person wrap their head around addiction and understand....words mean nothing to an addict...

REST IN PEACE JOHN.....AMEN

Quoted Text

so now what happens....they can go to a local clinic....get psychiatric help.....and guess what.....more drugs...

and the more drugs that are prescribed....the more the addiction grows....of course there is therapy....but the

addict can outsmart the doctor....and get more drugs....and still buy off the street.

Patches exactly what went on with my cousin, he was prescribed SOOO many very strong medications, he sold some on the street to get more of the
Illegal stuff.

He was on medecaid/medicare I just can't imagine the amount of money paid for him to see countless doctors, and to get tons of medications and none of it did a dam good.  A certain medical place on State St. was prescribing the highest dosage of Xanax to him and other meds that NO addict should
ever be prescribed.  

Quoted from rpforpres

Patches exactly what went on with my cousin, he was prescribed SOOO many very strong medications, he sold some on the street to get more of the
Illegal stuff.

He was on medecaid/medicare I just can't imagine the amount of money paid for him to see countless doctors, and to get tons of medications and none of it did a dam good.  A certain medical place on State St. was prescribing the highest dosage of Xanax to him and other meds that NO addict should
ever be prescribed.  

The dealer behind the pharmacy counter wearing the white lab coat is  a saint in our society.  Regardless of the fact that they contribute to addiction.  They peddle their drugs inside the system, and make Wall St. BILLIONS, and fund everybody's pension and 401k's.  This world is upside down.

Quoted from CICERO

The dealer behind the pharmacy counter wearing the white lab coat is  a saint in our society.  Regardless of the fact that they contribute to addiction.  They peddle their drugs inside the system, and make Wall St. BILLIONS, and fund everybody's pension and 401k's.  This world is upside down.

BINGO!!!!!

you know what is really really really sad....'ADHD' drugs prescribed to CHILDREN.....these are addicting drugs not much different
from their street clones....

we are blasting cigarette companies and not going after the drug companies/schools/psychiatrist/ologists/MD's etc for
making addicts because the little humans aren't performing like good little monkeys.....

ritalin=cocaine
adderall=meth

all because we as a society think rambunctious kids (who have genes that require them to play exercise be outdoors) need to
be tamed and are not 'right'.....

shame shame shame on us......that's why that kid on the bus got a broken arm

Cicero

I know many of those kids who deal on the corners.  Despite a lot of the problems they deal with - they are not addicts.  They are too wise to use their products.  You're operating on a false assumption to bolster your argument.

Dealers or distributors are not going to trust addicts with their product. Some dealers may become addicts but then they don't last long as dealers.  And, as far back as the 90s - street level deals without any other charges or criminal history were sentenced to shock incarceration ( boot camp) 6 months in prison. That's simply the reality of the situation.

Quoted Text

The dealer behind the pharmacy counter wearing the white lab coat is  a saint in our society.  Regardless of the fact that they contribute to addiction.  They peddle their drugs inside the system, and make Wall St. BILLIONS, and fund everybody's pension and 401k's.  This world is upside down.

Yup and the pharmaceutical companies pay  millions to lobbyists to keep their shi* on the market, no matter what the consequences.

I  helped trying to get a bill passed in the assembly and senate not too many years ago, it was for a "medication" that was hurting and killing
people.

Big pharma sent in big lobbyists. They changed the minds of some assembly and senate who had ample evidence that this med should not be
used for children. Later looked at contributions to these puppets of our government to find high donations not only from the pharma company itself but
from the pharma CEO, his wife and adult children.

Quoted from visitor

Cicero

I know many of those kids who deal on the corners.  Despite a lot of the problems they deal with - they are not addicts.  They are too wise to use their products.  You're operating on a false assumption to bolster your argument.

Dealers or distributors are not going to trust addicts with their product. Some dealers may become addicts but then they don't last long as dealers.  And, as far back as the 90s - street level deals without any other charges or criminal history were sentenced to shock incarceration ( boot camp) 6 months in prison. That's simply the reality of the situation.

I know one crack addict that took their company's vehicle to make a pickup down state for their dealer.  In return for what?  This person was in management and was going through a divorce and custody battle, prior to the turmoil in his personal life, he was a productive person.  I don't know if this person was ever incarcerated, I lost contact with this person.  And please tell how dealers don't trust addicts when former chief Kazmerak was a drug mule himself.