SI: Pain Killers and Heroin - Roman Montano, Eldorado High's ace AHEAD of Ken Giles

[weams]

http://www.si.com/more-sports/2015/06/18/special-report-painkillers-young-athletes-heroin-addicts

He once struck out all 18 batters in a Thunderbird League game. The towering righty was Eldorado High's ace, his fastball reaching the 90s. The second starter? Ken Giles, now a flame-throwing Phillies reliever. "You're talking about a guy with a ton of potential: size, natural ability, attitude," Giles says. "Everyone wanted to be him, but everyone wanted to be around him, too. The first word I would use to describe Roman is lovable."

A foot injury his junior year didn't derail Roman. He needed minor surgery on a small bone, but he popped some OxyContin and after a few weeks was back on the mound. His senior year Roman planned to lead Eldorado to a state title and then declare for the 2008 major league draft (the Braves had expressed the most interest in him), spurning about 20 Division I scholarship offers. Before the season, though, Roman committed one of those judgment-deprived acts for which teenagers are known. He and some friends used a stolen credit card at a mall. They got caught. The school found out. Though it was Roman's first offense, he was kicked off the team.

[terps19]

Its sad. Kids in college used it a lot. I never got into it and glad I didnt. But a few of my weed buddies turned to heroin. For one of them heroin didnt let loose. Denial, withdrawals, and rehab. He relapsed and didnt make it. I never got addicted to opiates, but I was addicted to benzos for a while. All prescribed by a Dr. It took me a year of slowly tapering to get off of it. What a hell year that was. I pretty much refuse to take any kind of pills now- no tylenol, no advil, etc. I look back at that year and I hate what I went through and dont wish any of that on anyone. Sweats, shakes, headaches, body aches, nausea, irritability, depression, anger, and an overall helpless feeling. I have an addictive personality, Im an addict because I know if I ever take a benzo again I probably wont stop.

[InsideCoroner]

The ease of obtaining incredibly dangerous prescription painkillers is just out of control. This line from the article really grabbed me: "...a full 80% of all users arrive at heroin after abusing opioid painkillers such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin."

A couple musicians I work with both got hooked on opioids for years. One got clean and turned his life around completely. He's doing great. The other ripped off everybody he knew, spent time in jail, left every rehab center early, is homeless and now does absolutely unthinkable things each day to get his fix. He's a friend, and he will die, it's just a matter of when. I have an addictive personality as well, and am eternally grateful the only thing we had access to as teenagers was whiskey or wine coolers.

[Nevermore]

The ease of obtaining incredibly dangerous prescription painkillers is just out of control. This line from the article really grabbed me: "...a full 80% of all users arrive at heroin after abusing opioid painkillers such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin."

A couple musicians I work with both got hooked on opioids for years. One got clean and turned his life around completely. He's doing great. The other ripped off everybody he knew, spent time in jail, left every rehab center early, is homeless and now does absolutely unthinkable things each day to get his fix. He's a friend, and he will die, it's just a matter of when. I have an addictive personality as well, and am eternally grateful the only thing we had access to as teenagers was whiskey or wine coolers.

I got hooked on booze the very first time I drank some at a New Year's Eve party and got wasted. I despised the taste, but I LOVED the effect. Later on, someone offered me some weed and I got hooked on that as well. I thought that weed was non-addicting, which is what I told myself. But I had to have it every day and did all sorts of things to score some each day. And I still needed booze. I didn't like whisky or vodka, but I LOVED beer. Especially the German dark beer. I spent 18 years getting wasted, going through jobs before I realized that my life was completely unmanageable. I go to recovery groups and I've been clean and sober for 33 years. I go to Orioles and Ravens games and sip on Diet Coke and I still can get as crazy as other fans.

[UpstateNYfan]

I don't claim to have any solution(s) to the problems, but two things that this country spends tens billions of dollars on each year and don't work are the "War" on drugs and the penal system. Wrong forum I know, but still very sad.l

[weams]

I don't claim to have any solution(s) to the problems, but two things that this country spends tens billions of dollars on each year and don't work are the "War" on drugs and the penal system. Wrong forum I know, but still very sad.l

I think there is good evidence that they do not work.