Street drugs are far different today than they were five, ten, fifteen years ago.
During the 24 years I spent in active addiction I never had to worry about what I was buying. Other than different ways the cocaine was cut the pills and opioids were dependable in the fact I knew what I was about to ingest.
I got clean and sober in 2007 before the opioid painkiller epidemic which followed a few years later, and well before the streets were combusting with Fentanyl which now claims more than 8 lives every hour of every day.
No one has any clue as to the potency of the drugs they are buying, it’s an insane spin of the “Drug Roulette” wheel where anything can happen, and the person taking it can have their number come up at any time leading to overdose or death.
A friend of mine in Orange County has a daughter who was going to an Ivy League school on the east coast. She wasn’t a drug addict nor was she alcoholic. One evening while out with friends, after having some drinks they went to a small house party. A small pill was offered to the group and five or six people said, “what the hell, why not?”
Within a few minutes her heart stopped beating, rushed to a hospital she was in a coma for several weeks. She’s one of the “lucky ones” as she came out of the coma and learned the biggest lesson of her life. I have countless other stories where someone thought that taking a painkiller or a Xanax would be fun, only to find out later that it was laced with fentanyl.
Educating everyone about the dangers of this powerful drug and its unpredictability is imperative for people of all ages. Not taking that first drug is a preventative measure which will not fail. It’s taking the drug thinking it’s not going to hurt me is where we lose people. Often, the person had some liquid courage (alcohol) to convince them to give it a shot.
When I facilitate an intervention, the good news is that the person is still alive to introduce them to treatment and recovery which will undoubtedly save their lives if they do the work required to get and stay sober. For whatever reason, which has been going on since man first crushed grapes many people love the effect produced by drugs and alcohol. Most people can drink safely and not become alcoholic, I cannot drink or use drugs of any kind as I am in a class of people who are hard wired to drink and use to excess. I also pray that I never return to that so called “life” I once lived.
In my line of intervention work I face people who are far down the line with their addictions and often have been active in the disease for years and even decades. My suggestion to anyone who is considering using these drugs for the first time…RUN LIKE HELL.
For those who are sick and struggling with addiction there is hope and help. For the people who haven’t taken the dark path stay away from it, you’ll be glad you did.
Contact me anytime if you would like to discuss getting help for a loved one:
t: 833-468-7863
e: info@toddzalkins.com
