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Should first responders be sent to revive/save Heroin addicts who have overdosed

Should society stop saving heroin addicts from their own behavior


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TurtleDude

warrior of the wetlands
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In SW Ohio there is a huge increase in the number of heroin overdoses. Our first responders have been tied up responding to Heroin addicts' suffering overdoses and this in turn is expensive as it consumes the time of the responders plus the medical costs of reviving and then treating addicts.

Should society stop wasting money and time on idiots who engage in such self-destructive behavior
 
In SW Ohio there is a huge increase in the number of heroin overdoses. Our first responders have been tied up responding to Heroin addicts' suffering overdoses and this in turn is expensive as it consumes the time of the responders plus the medical costs of reviving and then treating addicts.

Should society stop wasting money and time on idiots who engage in such self-destructive behavior

Tough question. I'm glad it's not my job to find an answer.
 
Hippocratic Oath.
 
In SW Ohio there is a huge increase in the number of heroin overdoses. Our first responders have been tied up responding to Heroin addicts' suffering overdoses and this in turn is expensive as it consumes the time of the responders plus the medical costs of reviving and then treating addicts.

Should society stop wasting money and time on idiots who engage in such self-destructive behavior

Should we stop sending first responders to tend to gun-owners who've accidentally shot themselves in the foot, knee or other bodypart?

Well there you go . . .
 
In SW Ohio there is a huge increase in the number of heroin overdoses. Our first responders have been tied up responding to Heroin addicts' suffering overdoses and this in turn is expensive as it consumes the time of the responders plus the medical costs of reviving and then treating addicts.

Should society stop wasting money and time on idiots who engage in such self-destructive behavior
A medical emergency, is a medical emergency, is a medical emergency.

Doesn't matter if it's drug overdose, accidental self-inflicted gunshot, single-car DUI accident, or attempted suicide. They all gotta' be addressed.
 
Should we stop sending first responders to tend to gun-owners who've accidentally shot themselves in the foot, knee or other bodypart?

Well there you go . . .

those are accidental injuries. if people were intentionally shooting themselves, I'd say no

you cannot watch a newscast in Cincinnati without seeing warnings about the fact that dealers are cutting smack with elephant tranquilizers and other nasty things. There are more people ODing in SW Ohio in the last 2 months than there have been accidental shootings in the last 5 years
 
A medical emergency, is a medical emergency, is a medical emergency.

Doesn't matter if it's drug overdose, accidental gunshot, single-car DUI accident, or attempted suicide. They all gotta' be addressed.

a fire captain noted that they have responded to an OD in the morning and respond to the same addict that afternoon or a day or two later.
 
a fire captain noted that they have responded to an OD in the morning and respond to the same addict that afternoon or a day or two later.
Hey, weird **** happens.

I wonder why the OD wasn't hospitalized?
 
Hey, weird **** happens.

I wonder why the OD wasn't hospitalized?

yeah they gave him a shot of that narcam or whatever its called and he recovered and then OD'd that night according to the FC
 
those are accidental injuries. if people were intentionally shooting themselves, I'd say no

you cannot watch a newscast in Cincinnati without seeing warnings about the fact that dealers are cutting smack with elephant tranquilizers and other nasty things. There are more people ODing in SW Ohio in the last 2 months than there have been accidental shootings in the last 5 years

So it's not so much ODs as corrupted drugs. Then the answer is to provide safer heroin. Which would actually imply the answer is to legalize and control the drug rather than allowing it to be black market.
 
those are accidental injuries. if people were intentionally shooting themselves, I'd say no

you cannot watch a newscast in Cincinnati without seeing warnings about the fact that dealers are cutting smack with elephant tranquilizers and other nasty things. There are more people ODing in SW Ohio in the last 2 months than there have been accidental shootings in the last 5 years
What?

So if some nut case or intoxicate goof inflicts self-injury with a firearm, you'd refuse treatment?

What about botched suicides?
 
lets add people who attempt suicide to this list. clearly the cost of saving them is also unbearable
 
yeah they gave him a shot of that narcam or whatever its called and he recovered and then OD'd that night according to the FC
Interesting.

I guess I'm behind the times - ODs were taken to the hospital.

Maybe it's time to put a 72 hour hold on the Narcan crowd, or better yet: Mandatory 30 day rehab.
 
I get where you are coming from. I just don't think I am comfortable with a 911 dispatcher making that call. And it is always possible that the person could be having a medical crisis unrelated to their drug use. Unlikely, but possible. And once on scene I don't think I want 1st responders making that call either. EMTs and paramedics are highly trained but they aren't doctors. I would prefer they err on the side of caution.

Once at the hospital doctors have a duty to try and save their life but I also don't have a problem with the doctors prioritizing other non-self-inflicted emergencies ahead of the OD. That is triage.

But I am with Summerwind. I'm glad it isn't my call to make.
 
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People fall into addiction for all sorts of reasons. Some of the life stories behind addiction are horrendous. I don't judge.
 
Interesting.

I guess I'm behind the times - ODs were taken to the hospital.

Maybe it's time to put a 72 hour hold on the Narcan crowd, or better yet: Mandatory 30 day rehab.

Welcome to Obamacare.
 
what if a heart attack victim or the victim of a shooting dies because the first responders are tied up treating self inflicted heroin overdoses? 30 ODs in one day-that's a ton of time involving first responders? Should those who OD be (yeah I know lots of them are stealing to pay for their habit) charged for the cost of their treatment?
 
our resources are not being taxed to the limit by the stuff you talk about. . THIRTY Heroin ODs yesterday in Cincinnati. there were two fatalities from what I heard

Cincinnati first responders treat 30 heroin overdoses in one day | cleveland.com
Well, not good - but we go to a bad place as a society if we start denying help to those in medical emergencies.

And from a practical perspective, if it is as bad as you say due to adulterated drugs on the street, word gets out and these things run their course.

Remember: "Don't eat the brown acid"!
 
Well, not good - but we go to a bad place as a society if we start denying help to those in medical emergencies.

And from a practical POV, if it is as bad as you say due to adulterated drugs on the street, word gets out and these things run their course.

word gets out? its been on every news cast over the last month when the cops and DEA found out that dealers were cutting the stuff with that animal tranquilizer. a grain of the stuff-the size of a #9 bird shot pellet, can kill you. Senator Portman has been running ads constantly about his bill (which IIRC Obama signed) dealing with opium addictions. Billboards are talking about the problem as well.

yeah I know-Heroin addicts don't read the papers, don't watch tv, don't listen to fire chiefs, the mayor, county commissioners, the County Coroner etc.
 
If there are problems where we don't have enough first responders, then they should hire more. My dad has diabetes because he had a **** diet for a lot of his life. I would hate to hear that they didn't go to him because they blamed him for his health problems. At the end of the day, people need help, and many people that get help from 911 can trace back personal decisions to why they are getting it.
 
current CBS local news-75 ODs in the last three days. One firehouse-14 addicts saved in one day. (good thing there was no fires in that district). One addict revived refused to go to the hospital. One guy Od'd and rolled through an intersection, almost killing another driver and injuring a pedestrian,

the latest report was that some dealer in the west side of Cincinnati was passing out "free samples" and that might be a reason for this spike in over doses cut with that tranquilizer

anyone in my hometown who doesn't know the dangerous of heroin is probably too stupid to be helped at this point. its been the lead story on every local news story I have seen in the last four days. all four CBS, NBC, ABC, and fox. evening lunch and morning.
 
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