The only reason for this posting is to take a more broader look at the drug use issue that has us spending and whining year after year. We have quite a few doper's in our country...and some stereotype view's on this issue. I never seen myself as one who "used" or "abused" drug's...because it was alway's the dope that used and abused me instead. But yes...I had problem's in the past with drug habit's. It is also coming to light it appear's that Michael Jackson may have been an addict himself...which I was touching on in the posting I did within the first 24 hour's of his death...and going after the dealer's that may have had a lending hand in it,which in this case, was not some street side dealer...but a white collar type PHD dealer out of Houston. BUT ...I want to stress...that no doctor's have been found guilty of anything...and this is like any formality in post death investigating to determine if there was any foul play...in this nation you are innocent until proven guilty.
The peninsula I stated in the heading is the State of Florida..."Pill Mill" is a name that came about on the east coast and with Florida Law Enforcement as well as the DEA as a name for this area of dealing in Florida...which is heavily concentrated particularly in Broward County, which is primarily I believe in Fort Lauderdale...I lived in Dade County(City of Miami) which is right next to it...and I was a 30 minute walk from downtown Miami.But this area is the most popular dope fiend's paradise on the entire east coast these day's...all the way from New England...to the NYC Tri-State area...Philly,Camden,DC/B-More...Norfolk,Savanna, you name it...it's the word on the street period if your on the east coast.Just like Virginia is the the word for firearm's.
This part of South Florida is saturated with "pain clinic's"...and regulation is loose as a goose.Hell...even Rush Limbaugh was a dope fiend...I think he call's it a substance abuse problem or some crap.(Along with the low taxes and strong right wing hand...it's no wonder that Rush loved Florida)This is the place you go "doctor shopping"..you get discount coupon's on your next fix(script)...30% Off Sales..and the usual retailing tactic's.I mean even dealer's as far north as the above mentioned cities get supplied here...and business is BOOMING...despite the recession! The street dealer's buy the dope from the good guy's here(legal dealer's) then peddle it in the street's on the black market.I mean...the clinic's are like flea market's down there from what I hear on the street...you can get script's wrote and filled in a flash...and no one's tracking jack...until now...inspired strongly not locally but by the DEA. Kentucky was the previous playground for this activity of the east coast, until a few year's back...Kentucky tightened some legislation to cap it. Florida is currently working on legislation...and if it get's too tight there...it will just move to another state...remember...supply ALWAYZ meet's demand.Oxycodone is one of the most popular drug's across the nation as well... at least according to demand on the street.
When many folk's think of drug dealer's they think of the Hollywood dealer's portrayed in movies like "Scarface"...about the Cubano immigrant turned drug lord of Miami(played by Al Pacino),or gun toting gangbanger's...with shotgun shack walk up window's in the hood with Five-O eyes keeping watch out(look-out's for cop's/narc's).The nation's top 50 doctor's who dispense these drug's like Oxycodone all practice in the State of Florida...33 of them in Broward County. Overdose fatalities of legal drug's in Florida outnumber illegal drug OD's such as from heroin/cocaine.And these day's...it's not just Florida anymore.BUT ... I just want to make clear that these are good drug's prescribed by good legal doctor's and manufactured by good legal pharmaceutical companies...and it's just a few bad apple's ...okay? I am a former drug addict(which I'm not going to get into here) and to me...dope is dope...like any other addict would agree...an addict look's to get their worx/fix...they could give a rat's ass less if it's good or bad ...legal or illegal.
This is a real big issue that isnt looked at enough in this country...and we cant blame this on the Mexicano's or the Cubano's or anyone but the good ole US of A and us. I realize that there is a drug war going on between the Mexicano cartel's on our border...hell...I live in Texas!But I also look at the broader picture of America's addiction...and not look only at good/evil,left/right,right/wrong or especially legal/illegal.We currently are burning opium crops for instance in Afghanistan... and also now not just paying million's to do that...but more 100's of million's to come to find crop's to replace with it...so the people's dont starve...and the reason were doing it...is not just to cut down production and cultivation of opium/heroin...but because those were fighting that are the islamic fundamentalist's are using the fund's to finance operation's.And those who we are fighting are the same folk's that both Pakistan and Afghanistan also want to include in the government.If this isnt pissing in the wind...I dont know what is! Half the money we funnel into Mexico for this drug war and arm's end up in the wrong hand's. And little do most American's know...that about half the opium that is exported from Afghanistan end's up confiscated by the Iranian Gvmnt, I have called Iran the Fort Knox of Dope for this reason, and they sure as hell aint burnin it all...or giving access to it to anyone outside of Iran...they got that crap stockpiled like bale's of hay.Do we not think any of that get's exported to the black market? Well, maybe so...maybe their just "good guy's" wanting to keep it off the street, heh?
Of coarse the doctor's and pharmaceutical companies shouldnt mind any of this, it's make's their legal businesses prosper...and their dope is clean...and FDA approved. Hell...this is probably the prescription capital of the world. It is as common now as taking a daily aspirin(I have no script's and never did,or want any if I can avoid them)....just drug's in general.Corner stores are lined with labourer's in the morning to buy these energy drinx, some that make you crash(come down) hard too.Just so they can give the boss that extra mile...and these guy's and gal's are young men and women...can you imagine the physical toll this will take on their bodies after several year's of usage? Some of that stuff has so much crap in it...it's harder on you than a bump of cocaine! If a kid these day's isnt too interested in school or certain activities,speak's out,is restless because of their opinion and dislike's...they are deficient...mentally and have a "disorder" ...so they are put on "drug's" to make them ...let's say acceptable...yet these dope dealer's who put your kid on this crap are considered "good".As a parent...I would question what the long term effect's on this would be on the mind/body.But...many parent's dont...because it's the good guy's telling them this is good.
I have no doubt that in the future drug's will become obsolete...and medicine will be practiced different because of new technologies without injecting,oral comsumption, or smoking a damn thing...as well as recreational psychological stimulation's. But until then...we have a crapload of doper's in every class of society...and the way we deal with all of this is a waste of time and money. So I reckon we will have to just learn...the hard way. Enough said.
"Legal addiction pushed by corporate interest" it seems almost like an old science fiction concept, except that it's true.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to understand that a "prescription drug culture" exists in Florida. :)
Indeed CC,legal addiction is a big business,and you have to research with people to find out what worx and doesnt,I mean...you cant use monkey's and rat's for every damn thing. I think the intention's initially are positive,to produce a product that worx,and is needed like Mr.Infidel said about how he needed to relieve his joint pain as an example,and can be safe...after all...like any dope dealer even...you dont want to produce a product that makes your customer's sick or die,and you want what is needed,and you will alway's ahve that segment that want's to only make a buck.But excessive "greed" again is an issue with our nature.It's far more complex than I can write here.But I think you have a fairly accurate idea of the "game" here. And of coarse...before Florida on the east coast it was Kentucky, and my guess is when Florida tighten's up legislation,they'll find somewhere's else to supply the region...and so on.They alway's go to state's with loose regulation's/enforcement,midwest,Texas,the central and deep South,etc.
ReplyDeleteThanx for you comment CC .....