Still think its safe to legalize drugs? Sad story now a mother gets to bury her son.

They're illegal and this happens, whats your point?

poisonivy85

Still think its safe to legalize drugs?

If you don't think drugs are already legal, just go to your local pharmaceutical. Besides, I don't think people are calling for legalization of heroin. But nice try, maybe when you actually get some education you can come back and make better informed comments.

I'm sure his jail/prison mates will be sure to explain to him just how much of a dick he is. I give him 2 weeks maximum if he's ever put in the general population. If he willingly confessed to this, I'll give him a few kudos for manning up, otherwise I suspect he will claim he confessed under duress and in fact had nothing to do with the kid "injecting himself with heroin that may or may not have been his. With adults in your life like that, who needs enemies.

Poisonivy85...nice try but Marijuana and Heroin are 2 very different things. You are grasping at straws now.

When my little brother was 10, he spent the night at a friend's house, whose mom's boyfriend kept drugs in the house. Trying to impress his friend, my little brother ate 10 hits of acid and wound up trying to gouge his own eyes out. My mom was called and came to find him strapped to a gurney in the emergency room. I'm not anti-drugs, I've experimented in my time, but for God's sake keep them away from the kids!!!

Sorry I do not believe this anecdotal evidence. I don't mean to cause any trouble. This is just the type of story that causes me to be a critic of internet "proof". How many other heresay stories have been passed around lately, dysph...?

Still think its safe to legalize drugs?

Yes. Alcohol can (and does) kill, especially among inexperienced (young) users. That's why it's illegal to purchase, possess or use alcohol prior to 21 years of age. I don't know about your experiences, but when I was in high school I was able to purchase drugs (of any kind) far easier than alcohol. Why? Because drugs are completely unregulated and pushers don't ask for ID. Black markets are the absolute worst place to put any commodity. History has shown us this lesson a thousand times, but we still feel compelled to act on a moral/emotional judgment of the issue rather than on objective fact. C'est la vie.

Sad story now a mother gets to bury her son.

Agreed. Tragic no matter the circumstances. Worse when someone who should have known better (the idiot adult) put this child in that situation. On the other hand, what the hell is a 13 year old doing injecting heroin? Sounds like failed parenting on both sides of the equation.

Even if he confessed he didn't "man up" when it would have been appropriate..... like when the boy was convulsing!!!!! Manning up AFTER you get caught is not in any way honorable.

Matty, you can choose to believe my story, or not. I don't think anyone is going to argue that giving kids drugs is a great idea in any case. My brother's story, and his whole life sadly, have been dramatic. He is bipolar and even as a kid his behavior was a little overblown. Putting him in a situation where there were drugs around was always a bad outcome. I carried him home once when he was 12 and I found him passed out drunk in a park near our home where his "friends" left him. He's in prison right now in Taiwan, for smoking pot... it is very illegal there, more than here, and he just didn't realize the rules still applied to him as a foreigner. Like I said, I've never been really anti-drug, but now that I have kids, I would never do them, keep them in my house, or let my kids stay in a house with people that do. Am I a hypocrite? Maybe, but having kids really changed my outlook.

@poisonivy85 Bit of a over reach on your part don't you think. Pot and Heroin are two very different things and pot actually does serve a proven medical purpose. For proof please feel free to Google the 4 people who have been getting supplied with medical marijuana since the 70's by the FEDERAL government. That's correct Uncle Sam gives to a select few but then tries to tell the states like California they can't. Medical Marijuana is also legal in Washington D.C. in face they even help low income patients get it if they can't afford it.

You can easily verify what I am saying by a simple internet search maybe before you post such inflammatory comments you could consider verifying all the facts next time.

We need a major culture correction, better education, a new system that recognizes jails are not the answer and efficient mental care programs. My son was also introduced to drugs by an adult friend. I meditate everyday for his well being and driven all his friends away from him to keep him clean...he is alive for now, a day at a time. I have no words for this boys parents but trust somewhere along the empty road, they can find inner peace and share their story with others. RIP.

Haven't done any drugs in about 30 years.

My guess is things are pretty much the same.

You go to your dealer to score some weed and he asks if you would like to try something else - free.

The hope is the free sample will get you to buy more - sort of like walking through Costco.

LEGALIZE POT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then the pushers won't be pushing another drug because people will either grow their own or buy it from a legitimate retailer that won't be trying to push anything else.

I already know this Tara, I have some family members that are addicts. Everyone of them lives off the system. My ex sister in law who's addicted to heroin, just got her disability started she receives $3000.00 a month for the rest of her life, and received back pay of $80,000 guess what she's only 26. She claimed the heroin caused her seizures, making her disable. I don't think we the tax payers should have to fund the sh*t for them. We euthanize animals due to over crowding, I think the animal is worth saving. Euthanize the addict, its cheaper in the long run.

Again poisonivy one has nothing to do with the other. Social Security Disability is actually pretty through in investigating disability claims. They do not give you SS just for being a drug addict. If your ex-sister in law is clean now and is disabled then maybe she is entitled. Addicts can change if they truly have the desire. However, this was not a discussion about the perils of Social Security I was simply referring to the local DC government giving low income medical marijuana patients financial assistance so they could purchase the marijuana and the license required for legal use. In addition since you stated that California would soon be legalizing heroin for addicts since they already allow the sale of medical marijuana I thought I would be kind enough to point out how incorrect the backwoods thinking that you were attempting to force on all of us actually was. As I am nearly positive you do not live in a legal medical marijuana state I would say it is safe to assume that you are not paying for anyone to use this medicine to get better.

Medical Marijuana has legitimate fact based uses. Proven time and time again by the improvements you see from so many that it helps. There are many ways to purchase the marijuana for medical use and not all of it even makes you actually high. Since drug addicts and people with severe illnesses are completely different I surly hope you are not suggesting we "put down" American citizens simply for having a alleged addiction based on your clearly expert opinion. Just to be clear I would be glad to pay extra tax to help a severely disabled person be able to function nearly normally with the simple use of medical marijuana and just think how many tragically addictive prescription drugs we could get off the streets by using more medical marijuana.

Legalize Pot charge taxes on it and get rid of the national debt.

@poisonivy:

$3,000 / month from disability? At 26 years old, no less? Now you're just flat-out lying. Spare us the bull@!$%#, please.

Well, I know some druggies getting $1700 a month. Plus an apartment. Plus utilities. Plus food stamps. Plus medical. I wonder how close to $3000 that comes to?

Shandril, I wish I was.. Why the fu*k would I lie about that amount? The girl did one year in the Air Force at 18, before becoming pregnant, and they let her out early. Because she did one year of service she qualifies as a Vet, she gets Va disability on top of the regular one. The Va, put her on legal drugs to control her habit, she's still an addict she just gets it free now. Tara, it doesn't matter if its legal in my state or not, we are paying for the habit. It only took that girl, a little over two years to get that disability started. $3000.00 a month plus the back pay of $80,000 she gets the back pay from the first day she applied. She was getting her apartment paid for while she was waiting for this money. They also paid to fly her back and forth to the Va hospital in Amarillo Tx. It was cheaper for them to give her what she wanted. I agree with you Arizona tumbleweed.. These guys don't have a clue what drug addicts really cost the tax payers. The bi*ch cost me money, I had to help that idiot brother of mine get custody of his kid.

The people who are doing this are very well informed on how to skate over the government including having more children to add to the government subsidities. We have created a society of Zombies that truly eat the flesh from the taxpayers. I say that the government needs to freeze all existing accounts and create jobs to re-evaluate the people on welfare. The medical portion is easy to overcome because a private doctor can write whatever you want him to write as long as the patient is well informed as to what to say. These people are informed. Doctors employed by the government would be the solution to that issue much like insurance companies use to prevent Insurance fraud.

This story is about a 13 year old dying from an overdose in DrugNation. One of many, and we don't know how to stop it from happening again and again. The outrage would be best channeled into finding solutions, not in making wild claims about Social Security, free apartments, food stamps, or free utilities. We are facing a crisis that are splitting families, creating a huge political police industry serving the dealers and undertakers. No matter the class, race, religion,or age, drugs (and alcohol) find their way into every day life The challenge is to overhaul the current system to bring back a lost generation

While it is off topic, it is feasible to ge the kind of money poisonivy is talking about. I've always be a proponent of drug testing welfare and disability recipients. When you start adding in all the other programs out there, it's little wonder that we have 110 million people living in some part of a government check.

poisonivy85

Still think its safe to legalize drugs? Sad story now a mother gets to bury her son.

MJ is not a deadly drug, and the pharmaceuticals create just as many dangerous drugs such as blood thinner drug Cumadin that can also be lethal, yet lifesaving also.

This is sad indeed, but possession of heroin is a felony, and I hope the judge throws the book at this man. And if/when he does go to prison, he will still have access to his drugs since prisons sell/trade drugs in them all the time.

Who is advocating the legalization of heroin?

Poisonivy, heroin already has a legal use as morphine. A doctor can prescribe it though they rarely do except in the hospital for procedures like bones being set. Heroin is a far cry from pot and they wouldn't even come close to allowing people to buy it at stores, though back before it was illegal it was used by wealthy people, either smoked in pipes or used as "the poison laudanum". There is no point in being that bitter about drugs, drugs didn't wreck your family, half-witted genes did, stay away from drugs like people have been telling you since birth and you'll be fine, don't and you'll end up a hooker, it really is that simple.

I have buried two sons because of drugs and now have a grandson on them. All three started with marijuana and then moved to something stronger. Anyone who believes marijuana is harmless is nothing less than utterly stupid. You might deceive yourselves, but you can't fool someone who has experienced the consequences first hand.

Marijuana is certainly not in the same category as heroin. The two sons you buried and the grandson you still have made a PERSONAL CHOICE to move on to other, stonger, potentially lethal drugs. They made that choice and apparently paid the price.

Yeah tired, well my friends and I have enjoyed the occassional MJ for over 15 years now and none of us has dared explore further, though it also seems we all drink less than our other peers. I am truly sorry for your experience, but personal experiences cannot be extrapolated to facts for all.

The maximum SSDI benefit in 2011 was $2346/mo, which would require paying in the max for 35 years. The average benefit was about $1000. Social Security benefits did have a COLA increase this year (my son gets $391, up from $361). Some people in VERY good jobs have long-term disability up to a percentage of their actual earnings. Not a lot of them are 26 year old heroin users but I suppose it could happen.

tiredof the lunacy--not to demean what you have suffered, but was their first drug marijuana? or was it beer? (or hard liquor, since it's easier for kids to sneak around with a bottle than a case of beer)

Are you aware you die from drinking too much water as well? (Look it up, a woman died after a water drinking contest.)..... if you drink too much alcohol or use too much heroin (or any other drug), you can die. If you smoke too much pot you fall asleep. While I will not be smoking it, I think pot should be legal and regulated like liquor. Which would generate tax income and free up time and resources for law enforcement officers.

Damn bigoted geezer.

Troll alert!

LOL!

What kind of "legal" narcotics you got in the ol' medicine cabinet? I'm sure you're well aware that prescription meds are one of the biggest killers amongst the "druggies" these days.

Your statement is a generalization which makes no sense. Are you on drugs? I ask because it seems to me that there are vast differences between the following drugs: Ambien, Heroin, Marijuana, Cocaine, Asperin, etc., and perhaps - just suggesting here - we might want to take a different approach / viewpoint depending on the drug, as opposed to a black & white viewpoint.

Nuance is free.

I think Mr. Harris was clear enough without Ivan's assistance.

I think the actions speak for themselves. Mr. Harris was speaking of this incident. Clearly if you inject a 13 year old with heroin your brain had to be on drugs. That is why we call it dope. I thought he expressed it quite clearly. Why muddle the waters? Don't inject kids with drugs. If you most people will assume (and in this case rightfully so and we have the evidence) you were probably on something.

How sad and tragic and preventable if he called 911 immediately.

RIP

I think Mr. Harris stated it quite clearly. He was speaking to this specific incident. Why muddy the waters? If you inject a 13 year old with drugs most people will assume (and in this case quite correctly and we have the direct evidence) you must have been on something. That is why we call it dope.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that people do things on heroin that they would not normally do (it is psychopharmalogical) unlike aspirin which is why it is illegal.

As far as the other drugs you mentioned, or any drugs at all (including alcohol), if you give them to a child or anyone else irresponsibly then that would be a problem as well. Especially, as in this case, if they died.

Mr. Harris simply stated that if you shoot up heroin don't shoot up others. Not a generalization, actually pretty good advice.

I speek for no one but me, I have use some drugs, I have ask others if they have want to try some drugs, it was their choice if they want to. The types of drugs does not matter. I do not continue to use, some of the people that I have asked still do as i understand it, I'm not in contact with that group of people. I never became hooked on any drugs, They did. I stll some times ask if that is my fault? I would never force any and I WOULD NEVER EVER ask anyone under the age of 18 in my time it was just not right you didn't sell or use with a kid. In my neighborhood that would have got your a-- beat. This person needs to have his last injection.

Shelly, I never used H as it is called. I don't care what excuse you try to give this pig slaughter him. The pig pen will be cleaner! If you don't learn what will or can happen with the drugs you are going to take then don't take them. When you do, do as I did take them in a controlled environment, in a way you can enjoy them that is what it is all about. For me Music, Book, and boardgames.

Mr. Harris was speaking about this specific case. I think he stated it quite well. Why muddy the waters?

If you shoot up a teen with heroin you clearly are not thinking straight and/or you are on something. In this case there was evidence the man was on something. His actions after shooting the boy up show he was on dope. Much of what he did was because he didn't want to "get in trouble." This was his brain on illegal drugs. Many people do things on psychoactive drugs they wouldn't normally do.... that IS why we call it dope.

As far as the other drugs you mentioned, if someone gives them to a child or other person irresponsibly or illegally that would be a problem too (especially if they died because you didn't call for help). That would apply to even aspirin and alcohol. I would think someone would have to be ignorant or on something to do that.

I think Mr. Harris stated it quite clearly. The perpetrator wasn't thinking clearly and the 13 year old is dead. Does the drug of choice really matter at this point? This was his brain on dope... he will probably try to use that in his defense.

Sally I don't care it's about time you start taking responsibility for your action and he is responsible for killing this kid just because he incapacitated himself with heroin before he did it should not alleviate him of that responsibility. Quit felling sorry for him and trying to make excuses for his actions. He knew what he was doing to him self before he did it that is all you keen to know.

He was doing herion herion can kill and he knew that. He injected it into someone else so he knew that injecting it into someone else it could kill them and he knew that before he injected it into himself.

Perhaps those who think the term "dope" refers to Heroin could bestir themselves to perform a Google search of the word "dope"?

As for interpreting the author's comment: "This is why they call it dope" - here's a clue:

"Dope" is a term often used to refer to marijuana. NOT heroin.

Of course, based on the knee-jerk responses to my comment, I'm not at all surprised at the lack of understanding and the complete absence of knowledge surrounding the term "dope".

Education is difficult; I get that. But with Google at your fingertips, wouldn't it be better to at least try? For God's sake, THINK.

I retract my objection - assuming of course that the reference to "dope" actually referred to heroin.

Personally, I've never heard the term "dope" referring to anything but marijuana. Apparently my understanding of the term... is not shared by others.

I must have led a truly sheltered life.

Mr. Ivan -

I hope you are less pissy in the future. Mr. Harris did not need your help.

Actually Mario, I hope you are little more astute in the future. In today's society, dope often refers to marijuana - which, thanks to our insane "War On Drugs", has brainwashed many into thinking marijuana is "bad" and the hysteria is used to fuel an ever increasing expansion of police powers and for-profit prisons.

Mr. Harris statement, using a common term which is generic and often associated with "pot", does nothing to make such a distinction. In point of fact, Mr. Harris used the exact phrase which was used as marketing in our "War On Drugs" - which itself made no distinction and attempts to lump all non-corporate produced drugs into a single category of "bad".

My sympathies to you (and others) for displaying a complete inability to grasp the nuance and recognize the underlying false meme being employed.

Perhaps Mr. Harris could bestir himself to provide clarification that his statement, while employing a failed War On Drugs marketing meme, was indeed singularly referring to heroin and that he (Mr. Harris) recognizes that marijuana does not belong anywhere in the same universe as heroin.

Mr. Ivan -

You wrote: "I must have led a truly sheltered life."

Yup. You have.

Word play isn't important to espousing your ideas, but you keep doing it.

I apologize if you missed the sarcasm in that statement.

As for word play.. if you are unable to follow a train of thought which delves into memes, propaganda constructs, etc. - that isn't my fault nor my concern and I have no intention of regressing my style of communication.

It's really not a complicated idea to grasp: When someone employs a phrase which has been a cornerstone of propaganda meant to silence discussion and foist a "black / white" mentality onto people for the subject area (drugs) - the person using the phrase is probably not using it within a specific context because they are repeating a phrase (which they obviously heard and internalized) which was designed to negate context to begin with.

JohnIvan, the more you extrapolate, the more you sound like a moron. I can only vouch for the years from the 50's and forward, but the term "dope" has always referred to any drug with mind-altering properties that muddled the brain into stupidity. You, sir, appear to have done too much dope.

"I can only vouch for the years from the 50's and forward, but the term "dope" has always referred to any drug with mind-altering properties"

In your mind it has, but that does not make it so. I can only vouch from the 60s on, but IN MY EXPERIENCE, dope has never referred to anything but marijuana, except to those people who like to generalize everything together.

Except that needles also have legitimate medical purposes to help heal people rather than harming them. Other than that, though, perfect analogy.

His life for the kids.

Ash, guns have a legitimate purpose too, not that we are under any duress to justify it to you. You see, guns are a Contitutional right. Needles are not.

What does gun control have to do with this story? An innocent kid died, show some goddamn respect.

The gun nuts will bring it into any discussion. You can have a story about flower petals, and they will get it in there.

this is not directed just to you Dr., but he was under the influence of heroin when he did that to the kid. no different than a drunk driver killing someone. do you think drunk drivers who kill someone should be killed in return?

Yes.

Well, I don't think there would be a need for a prison cell after the unsupervised beating.

I was thinking the same thing. Poor kid - RIP

I'd have to agree. Bad enough he injected the kid but then he watched the kid die and did nothing the whole night? What a monster, I hope he gets what's coming to him. What a coward and a low life. I feel bad for the family of that kid, how horrible.

That would be "trailer".

Most people live in the real world. You can choose not to, as it suits you.

"Just one step away from a tattoo or shooting up."

Yes... Because the two are synonymous.

Wow. Way to generalize.

In my state, art carving on a kid's arm (under 18) is a class A felony...~~

"Kids get other kids to go to the Hookah Bar, smoke cigarettes, drink beer or other alcohol. Just one step away from a tattoo or shooting up."

I've done all of the above and wouldn't touch heroin with a ten-foot pole. I wouldn't get a tattoo either, but, as has already been said, there's more than a few differences between getting a tattoo and shooting heroin.

The point is you have no idea what you're talking about.

Ever been in the Dragon Tattoo Bar in Can Tho, Vietnam -- I was there in 1971, sorry, I have been around awhile...

You'd certainly be accepted.

A bit rough........................but I can't argue.

Idiots don't deserve sympathy, they only deserve what they get.

...which hopefully results in a Darwin Award.

He was a child, the shooter-up was an adult. Child dead, and the shooter might as well be. Ugly insensitive post.

We can send our condolences if we want to. You don't control what we say. You're not Tyler!

Your post is so insensitive it speaks volumes about the type of being that you are.

RIP - 13 yr old kid

I was wondering what was going on in this kid's life that he thought it was ok to do that? I know my kids will experiment ( shudder) but while I have some control, we talk a lot about choices and consequences. I can only hope they are not led astray by some stupid, glorified punkster.

Whoa, nelly! Harsh, aren't we? Its not like the kid shot himself up.....the adult here is to blame....he administered the drug to him. THEN, when he saw the kid OD'ing he did NOTHING. That alone is deplorable and makes him responsible for his death.

I didn't see anywhere in the story that stated the man was associated with the "Occupy" group.

Nerf, silly post, child, 13, dead at the hands of an adult and you equate that with "Occupy," I don't think drug addicts are really into politics, do you think, maybe the next fix is the primary goal instead of a march.

Pale, Children at the age of 13 have the brain capacity of a gnat, fact: Child Dead at the hands of an Adult, both are dead, one in the ground and the other, quality jail time with Bubba, until he's in the ground.

They do? My daughter is 12 and she's more than able to discuss astrophysics with her old man including economics and politics.

Seems to me PaleinPortland has a point. Neurological development around that age is excelling three times that of an average 25 year old.

This teen decided to try heroin for the first. He was curious, and most likely well aware of what heroin was but yet unaware of the dangers because he most likely wasn't educated about the use of heroin. Why a 23 year old agreed to administer it to a 13 year well, I would think that right there supports my statement on neurological development.

No one knows what this boy knew. We don't know if he knew what he was being injected with. We also don't know if he was injected voluntarily. There is a possibility this jerk, caught injecting himself, shot the kid up to kill him. He claims he panicked so he didn't call for help. Maybe he knew exactly what he'd done to this boy. Stop blaming the victim!

A minor is presumed to lack the decision making capacity to take drugs, make babies, or get married.

What an unbelievably ignorant comment.

Ron, agree, know where I can get some of that killer ....?

Death of a 13 year is not funny, so very sorry for the family.