Eerie Economics...
Over the past two weeks there have been dozens of incidents of drug addicts overdosing from a bad batch of heroin distributed on the west side of Chicago. Many have died but most were saved by paramedics that rushed to areas where bodies lay unconscious beside curbs, against fences, in public restrooms or upon a relative's floor. Police have issued warnings to addicts not to accept free samples of heroin. A former addict was stated as saying, "the overdoses would only fuel demand; if it's that potent, they're going to want it."
Incidents of overdosing are happening all over the west side, as far south as Cermak and up to Division. Drug dealers across the area distributed samples to attract new customers or bait existing ones to purchase more. The warnings by police officials have done nothing to curb the overdoses. Instead they've increased.
If the former addict is correct and deadly overdoses increase demand, then what are the dynamics governing this economic oddity? From the suppliers side, this is counter-intuitive: losing customers increases demand. On the consumer end it is irrational: desire what will kill you. It is doubtful that drug dealers, seldom having an education that includes high school, could predict the advantage of distributing deadly doses. These deaths must be due to folly, unfortunate design or conspiracy.
A folly is likely but questionable. Drugs come into a dealer's possession in a much more potent form than it is when delivered to the addict. The dealer dilutes the drug, making it safer and increases the amount to distribute. An inexperienced dealer could have accidentally mixed too strong a batch of heroin resulting in the overdoses and deaths. But this scenario is also unlikely.
The heroin that is causing these fatalities has been distributed as free samples by the dealers. Extremely potent drugs don't garner as much as would diluted drugs. Providing them to addicts for free would seem such a stupid business venture even for an uneducated street pharmacist. One must assume that the drugs weren't mixed and packaged by the drug dealers.
Unfortunate design is possible. The dealers rely upon addicts as a loyal customer base. To addict the customer large quantities of the drug must be provided, either over a long term or short term. Dealers may have intended to develop more reliable addicts by hooking them with more potent drugs. Potency must be high enough to get them addicted but low enough to keep them alive.
The addicts could have assumed that the dealer was giving away samples because they were too weak to satisfy customers at regular price. They could have doubled up the dose based upon that assumption and the result would be overdose or death. The dealers design to hook more addicts could have backfired.
A conspiracy is possible as well. Drug addicts have long been a nuisance on the west side of Chicago. No matter what the DEA and DARE programs have done, nothing has worked to eliminate the drug problem. Before the presence of addicts in slums was unavoidable. Their presence has become more a problem in recent years due to the urban revival that has been sweeping through Chicago neighborhoods. Blocks that were once home to deadly gangs, prostitutes and dealers are now lined with million dollar homes, condominiums packed with yuppies and chic coffee houses and poetry bars. These new residents have taken to squawking about the slum traditions.
Addicts present a problem because they typically cannot hold down a job and often resort to criminal means to acquire money for drugs. With the introduction of people of wealth in formerly squalor areas, the addicts have possessions to steal, people to rob, and resources to exploit. This is not a situation that would aid in decreasing the drug problem.
Was a wealthy person a victim an addict's criminal act? That person could have provided dealers with a lethally potent supply of prepackaged heroin in hopes of getting revenge. Did the plot twist to attract more addicts to the neighborhood?
Has law enforcement stepped over the line? They have often intercepted large quantities of uncut heroin. Perhaps they are resorting to deadly means to control the drug problem in the west side in hopes that the fear of death would dissuade the addict and lead them towards the righteous path of methadone or narcotics anonymous.
If that is the case, they didn't assume that addicts wouldn't be compelled to abide by Maslow's hierarchy of needs. For addicts the physiological foundation rests upon the white powder of heroin. The hierarchy dissolves in the company of a potent dope.
Addicts are flocking toward certain death like moths to a flame or lemmings to the sea. Maybe they think they'll be lucky enough to escape an overdose. Maybe they think they'll practice the restraint to take only half a dose. Either way, the attraction to a powerful high overpowers their fear of playing so recklessly with death.
Incidents of overdosing are happening all over the west side, as far south as Cermak and up to Division. Drug dealers across the area distributed samples to attract new customers or bait existing ones to purchase more. The warnings by police officials have done nothing to curb the overdoses. Instead they've increased.
If the former addict is correct and deadly overdoses increase demand, then what are the dynamics governing this economic oddity? From the suppliers side, this is counter-intuitive: losing customers increases demand. On the consumer end it is irrational: desire what will kill you. It is doubtful that drug dealers, seldom having an education that includes high school, could predict the advantage of distributing deadly doses. These deaths must be due to folly, unfortunate design or conspiracy.
A folly is likely but questionable. Drugs come into a dealer's possession in a much more potent form than it is when delivered to the addict. The dealer dilutes the drug, making it safer and increases the amount to distribute. An inexperienced dealer could have accidentally mixed too strong a batch of heroin resulting in the overdoses and deaths. But this scenario is also unlikely.
The heroin that is causing these fatalities has been distributed as free samples by the dealers. Extremely potent drugs don't garner as much as would diluted drugs. Providing them to addicts for free would seem such a stupid business venture even for an uneducated street pharmacist. One must assume that the drugs weren't mixed and packaged by the drug dealers.
Unfortunate design is possible. The dealers rely upon addicts as a loyal customer base. To addict the customer large quantities of the drug must be provided, either over a long term or short term. Dealers may have intended to develop more reliable addicts by hooking them with more potent drugs. Potency must be high enough to get them addicted but low enough to keep them alive.
The addicts could have assumed that the dealer was giving away samples because they were too weak to satisfy customers at regular price. They could have doubled up the dose based upon that assumption and the result would be overdose or death. The dealers design to hook more addicts could have backfired.
A conspiracy is possible as well. Drug addicts have long been a nuisance on the west side of Chicago. No matter what the DEA and DARE programs have done, nothing has worked to eliminate the drug problem. Before the presence of addicts in slums was unavoidable. Their presence has become more a problem in recent years due to the urban revival that has been sweeping through Chicago neighborhoods. Blocks that were once home to deadly gangs, prostitutes and dealers are now lined with million dollar homes, condominiums packed with yuppies and chic coffee houses and poetry bars. These new residents have taken to squawking about the slum traditions.
Addicts present a problem because they typically cannot hold down a job and often resort to criminal means to acquire money for drugs. With the introduction of people of wealth in formerly squalor areas, the addicts have possessions to steal, people to rob, and resources to exploit. This is not a situation that would aid in decreasing the drug problem.
Was a wealthy person a victim an addict's criminal act? That person could have provided dealers with a lethally potent supply of prepackaged heroin in hopes of getting revenge. Did the plot twist to attract more addicts to the neighborhood?
Has law enforcement stepped over the line? They have often intercepted large quantities of uncut heroin. Perhaps they are resorting to deadly means to control the drug problem in the west side in hopes that the fear of death would dissuade the addict and lead them towards the righteous path of methadone or narcotics anonymous.
If that is the case, they didn't assume that addicts wouldn't be compelled to abide by Maslow's hierarchy of needs. For addicts the physiological foundation rests upon the white powder of heroin. The hierarchy dissolves in the company of a potent dope.
Addicts are flocking toward certain death like moths to a flame or lemmings to the sea. Maybe they think they'll be lucky enough to escape an overdose. Maybe they think they'll practice the restraint to take only half a dose. Either way, the attraction to a powerful high overpowers their fear of playing so recklessly with death.
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