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Just back from two weeks state side. Spent time in (Northern) California & Oregon. Road Trippin.
Anyway, I'm sure people have read/heard about the Fentanyl epidemic and the problems it's causing. I hadn't really taken any notice as I don't really look at the drugs part of things - my view has always been that people will always take them and few will have serious issues with them. Most people will enjoy it a bit then move on with life.
WEll, it seems that has changed. San Francisco has always had a dark side, however it's gone to next level. Certain areas are literally crawling with people completely and utterly fucked up on drugs. I'm talking yelling at trash cans, screaming at the sky, walking backwards, pissing everywhere and also shitting on the street. There is human shit all over the foot paths. The worst places (Tenderloin) are literally like something out of The Wire. I had no idea it had gotten so bad. The scary thing was though, is that literally every town we went to / drove through, we saw a few of the same doing the same thing. There are homeless / drug fucked up people in every single town. It's not confined to certain sections of big cities. It's truly mind blowing.
It's a truly epidemic problem & really shocking to witness.
On the whole, I'd have to say that sadly the USA has changed a bit for the worse. People are still ridiculously friendly & you can still have a hell of a good time, but it feels like the rich/poor divide is colossal wide & there is a marked increase in social issues. I'll be in New York in November which should be interesting. My buddy who lives there was out with us in California & he was impressed to the upside as to how it was (nowhere near as bad as he was expecting). Given I was the other way, then the big apple should be quite eye opening ....
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That doesn't sound cool.
I've been reconsidering my potential move to North-America for a few reasons... but yeah, that sounds like shit.
I've always considered reports of "drug epidemic" as panic-mongering sensationalism... but hearing eye-witness accounts like this...
And this is coming from a guy who fucking loves drugs... just the right ones. Never even heard of Fentanyl, but looking it up... probably gonna give it a miss. Saving the opiods for medical purposes. -
Tranq is flesh eating. Makes me feel glad we could do silly shit without what might face you now.
Apparently fentanyl is now hitting Europe and I guess its in NZ?
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Been living in USA for 23 years now. Can tell you to totally avoid CA, politics aside it is just a shit hole, and people are constantly leaving for other states.
Colorado has been great, but now getting too many people moving here from CA, and voting in the same politics/policies that have failed CA so badly -
@gt12 said in America ... Fark Yeahhhhhhishhhhh:
I guess its in NZ
opioid abuse is still pretty rare in NZ.
I reckon our Pharmac system coupled with the example of the US has given us a chance to dodge the bullet.
Even P isn't the epidemic the sensationalist media would like to pretend that it is.
Can't upvote @MajorRage post - it's too horrific but thanks for sharing.
Lat time I was in SF there were quite a few crazies on the street but nothing like that.
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@dogmeat there was a death or 2 related to fentanol late last year (although think it supposedly wasnt what drug they were meant to be taking??), maybe in Palmy and media beat up was about how much of an issue it is in the US and now its jn nz...but aside from that, not heard alot.
Weed still seems the biggest driver, some young people are doing this daily too, which is a concern.
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@dogmeat said in America ... Fark Yeahhhhhhishhhhh:
@gt12 said in America ... Fark Yeahhhhhhishhhhh:
I guess its in NZ
opioid abuse is still pretty rare in NZ.
I reckon our Pharmac system coupled with the example of the US has given us a chance to dodge the bullet.
I suspect the primary reason is that NZ is surrounded by an ocean unlike the US border, which is like a sieve.
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@dogmeat said in America ... Fark Yeahhhhhhishhhhh:
@gt12 said in America ... Fark Yeahhhhhhishhhhh:
I guess its in NZ
opioid abuse is still pretty rare in NZ.
I reckon our Pharmac system coupled with the example of the US has given us a chance to dodge the bullet.
Even P isn't the epidemic the sensationalist media would like to pretend that it is.
Can't upvote @MajorRage post - it's too horrific but thanks for sharing.
Lat time I was in SF there were quite a few crazies on the street but nothing like that.
My mate was there a couple of years back and said you could be on a beautiful high end street and literally turn a corner to a street populated by feral druggies.
I went to San Fran in 2000. Absolutely loved it, part of the best holiday I’ve ever had. Not sure if I got lucky or whether it wasn’t as bad back then.
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we went to san fran in 2010 and was surprised with how grubby/dodgy it was in places, even one of the nicer areas (we thought) we had someone follow us into a store and when we received our change came and stood right over us and asked if they could have it, not threatening exactly but a hell of a surprise and the staff had to chase them out and they were just waiting outside to ask again
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@taniwharugby We average about 140 overdose deaths per annum in total which is slowly trending up.
The overwhelming majority are alcohol related
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@dogmeat If you are talking about narcotics like norco and oxy those drugs are heavily regulated now. After an ortho surgery you will probably get about 3 weeks supply with transition to tylenol. Fentanyl and other drugs are coming across the border but there are meth labs wherever they can flourish.
My cousin from Oz came over for a visit and the homeless and drug addicts were a big shock to her. They are all over the place and really need to be placed in institutions as they are incapable of looking after themselves and are a blight on society. They sleep in parks and urinate and defecate wherever. I live in a pretty decent community but they have no boundaries. Pretty sad.
The last time I went to LA for a concert missed stepping on a giant turd by inches. Its pretty disgusting and a dirty place to be.
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@Darren said in America ... Fark Yeahhhhhhishhhhh:
Been living in USA for 23 years now. Can tell you to totally avoid CA, politics aside it is just a shit hole, and people are constantly leaving for other states.
Colorado has been great, but now getting too many people moving here from CA, and voting in the same politics/policies that have failed CA so badlyI hear this thoughts a lot. That Californians are treated in the US like a lot of European immigration from the wartime countries.
Upsticks as their place has turned into a shithole, yet they look to invoke their own standards / views in the new place which were to blame for the downfall of their old home.
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I have been to San Fran and the USA quite a lot. The last time was in 2019. I honestly did not see much difference then; I ran everywhere while there and mostly felt safe! It's actually a great city for runners because of all the hills, parks, stairs, bridges etc! but I imagine things got worse fast there during the chaos of covid. I did the San Fran Marathon in 2010 and had the misfortune to meet a drugged-out maniac wearing a NZ silver fern singlet on the walk back up to my hotel in China Town! He wasn't a Kiwi but I only made eye contact because he had it on. And it was freezing. He had needle marks all over his arms. He wanted cash but I don't run with any on me so I gave my finishers medal and the goodie bag full of runners' gels etc. later that night watching the news I found out he had been killed (beheaded) because they mentioned he had a marathoner finishers medal on his neck and a NZ tank top. Said he was not a runner too. Colorado was bad for all the pot being smoked in all the sweet bus shelters! I'd try and get a bus somewhere and end up stoned! I find Vegas to be the worst of what happens in the States. I only ever go there when I go to run the Grand Canyon and you get the hicks there just drinking/smoking it up//acting out for the weekend. Lots of homeless hanging out too so it's hard to tell who is who! Hollywood also like that as the neighbourhood is bad because full of people not from there.
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This link is to quite a good piece which sets out the issues in SF. Some staggering stats
Five years and an investment of 3.5 billion dollars later, the number of homeless people has not only failed to drop, but it is increasing uncontrollably. When Farha visited (in 2018), the figure was estimated to stand at around 7,800, in 2022 this figure has increased to more than 20,000.
Got this for Christmas - yet to read it....
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@Victor-Meldrew said in America ... Fark Yeahhhhhhishhhhh:
This link is to quite a good piece which sets out the issues in SF. Some staggering stats
Five years and an investment of 3.5 billion dollars later, the number of homeless people has not only failed to drop, but it is increasing uncontrollably. When Farha visited (in 2018), the figure was estimated to stand at around 7,800, in 2022 this figure has increased to more than 20,000.
Got this for Christmas - yet to read it....
Great title
The sequel, investigating crime, is also a good read
San
Fran-
frisko
America ... Fark Yeahhhhhhishhhhh