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Hood: I'd rather be right

Opioids are a government disaster. Don't get conned by the government



I have written several articles about opioids. I even invented a very simple system to combat repeat offenses. It went like this. All persons requiring EMS assistance for overdose would be charged with a crime. They would serve 30 days in jail. Upon release they would be drug tested every two weeks for 90 days. Then every month for two years. It takes two years off drugs to get 90 percent of addicts cured. Every time the person failed the drug test they would get another 30 days in jail and the process would start over. Sounds simple?



When I wrote that I was not aware of how ignorant and backward I was on this issue. I had attended the Opioid Summit sponsored by the Beaufort County Commissioners. I sat at a table with 4 or 5 other people, some of whom I knew. These were mental health providers, speakers at the summit, and grant mill workers. Discussion centered around sympathy for the person using drugs, how they needed assistance, understanding, more rehab centers and a helping hand in life. I proffered that the use of illegal drugs was entirely voluntary and that people only got off drugs when they made a personal decision not to use them. This went over like a lead balloon.



Now for how ignorant and backward I am. As for my backwardness, I guess I am old school. Do a crime and do the time, that is the way I thought it is supposed to be. No exceptions. Each of us is individually responsible for obeying our moral, ethical and criminal lives. We cannot pack responsibility for our sins and violations of the law and religion off on any body else. As for my ignorance, it is of the law.



A woman sitting at my table spoke at the conference. She had some literature, I picked up copies after she spoke. Her simple message was that no one had to fear the law if they called 911 when they were overdosing. Don't die while overdosing, just call 911 and the caller and the person overdosing cannot be prosecuted. For an Old Testament believer like me this was astounding. I wanted to know more since I thought my solution described in the first paragraph of this article would do a lot to solve this problem.



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2020-Aug-04 More... I looked up the statutes she referred to. She is right. General Statute 90-96.2 titled "Drug related overdose treatment: Limited immunity." This statute provides a lot more than limited immunity.



Generalizing, this law provides not only immunity for the person calling 911 but also for the person overdosing. It gets better. If either the person calling or the person overdosing is on pre trial release, probation, parole or post-release for drug use or drug crimes the report of abusive use cannot be used to revoke any of these. Said another way, if you already have criminal drug problems none of the information that comes to light as a result of the overdose can be used against either person. Wow, do even more drugs, get immunity and free medical care. Also, both people get civil immunity.



The law goes on to provide immunity for possession of controlled substances. The law provides specific immunity for possession of less than one gram of cocaine or heroin. Here is another big one. The law provides exemption from GS 90-113.22 Possession of drug paraphernalia. No search and seizure.



How good can it get? This law puts a lot of the opioid story into focus. About the time this law was passed, during 2015, is when the opioid epidemic arrived. Over dose incidents started sky rocketing. Now I understand how EMS saved (their claim) 88 people from dying of overdose in Chocowinity during the past year. Once they got immunity, everyone started calling and EMS just could not help administering that medicine for overdose. I could believe this story about saving 88 lives if there were 88 deaths in the Chocowinity service area during the year before the immunity law was passed.



This is an epidemic that was invented by the government. Now we make a lot of EMS runs that we never get paid for. We are providing a service to drug users. This free service only makes matters worse. With the passage of this law there truly is no punishment for the sin of drug abuse.



Speaking of government service to the drug community, Beaufort County uses between $100,000 and $150,000of tax money each year to buy drugs and make pay offs for information. Beaufort County may just be the largest single customer in the drug community. A hundred grand is a lot of money to pump into the local drug industry. In other words, our Beaufort County Commissioners give the Sheriff taxpayer dollars to subsidize the local drug industry. Unbelievable.



How could our Legislature be so un-informed and stupid as to pass this "immunity law." My confidence in government's ability to solve any problem was at a very low ebb. This law encourages drug use and experimentation because EMS will come and save you. I do not believe any of these druggies are paying for the cost of this care.



Do not get conned into the opioid crisis hysteria. The government creates this crisis and it only makes government bigger. How many EMS employees do we need to service the drug trade?



PS: I understand if you do not believe what I have written. Look at GS90-96.2 along with the General Statutes referenced herein. It is a very bad page and one half of law. I have written several articles about opioids. I even invented a very simple system to combat repeat offenses. It went like this. All persons requiring EMS assistance for overdose would be charged with a crime. They would serve 30 days in jail. Upon release they would be drug tested every two weeks for 90 days. Then every month for two years. It takes two years off drugs to get 90 percent of addicts cured. Every time the person failed the drug test they would get another 30 days in jail and the process would start over. Sounds simple?When I wrote that I was not aware of how ignorant and backward I was on this issue. I had attended the Opioid Summit sponsored by the Beaufort County Commissioners. I sat at a table with 4 or 5 other people, some of whom I knew. These were mental health providers, speakers at the summit, and grant mill workers. Discussion centered around sympathy for the person using drugs, how they needed assistance, understanding, more rehab centers and a helping hand in life. I proffered that the use of illegal drugs was entirely voluntary and that people only got off drugs when they made a personal decision not to use them. This went over like a lead balloon.Now for how ignorant and backward I am. As for my backwardness, I guess I am old school. Do a crime and do the time, that is the way I thought it is supposed to be. No exceptions. Each of us is individually responsible for obeying our moral, ethical and criminal lives. We cannot pack responsibility for our sins and violations of the law and religion off on any body else. As for my ignorance, it is of the law.A woman sitting at my table spoke at the conference. She had some literature, I picked up copies after she spoke. Her simple message was that no one had to fear the law if they called 911 when they were overdosing. Don't die while overdosing, just call 911 and the caller and the person overdosing cannot be prosecuted. For an Old Testament believer like me this was astounding. I wanted to know more since I thought my solution described in the first paragraph of this article would do a lot to solve this problem.I looked up the statutes she referred to. She is right. General Statute 90-96.2 titled "Drug related overdose treatment: Limited immunity." This statute provides a lot more than limited immunity.Generalizing, this law provides not only immunity for the person calling 911 but also for the person overdosing. It gets better. If either the person calling or the person overdosing is on pre trial release, probation, parole or post-release for drug use or drug crimes the report of abusive use cannot be used to revoke any of these. Said another way, if you already have criminal drug problems none of the information that comes to light as a result of the overdose can be used against either person. Wow, do even more drugs, get immunity and free medical care. Also, both people get civil immunity.The law goes on to provide immunity for possession of controlled substances. The law provides specific immunity for possession of less than one gram of cocaine or heroin. Here is another big one. The law provides exemption from GS 90-113.22 Possession of drug paraphernalia. No search and seizure.How good can it get? This law puts a lot of the opioid story into focus. About the time this law was passed, during 2015, is when the opioid epidemic arrived. Over dose incidents started sky rocketing. Now I understand how EMS saved (their claim) 88 people from dying of overdose in Chocowinity during the past year. Once they got immunity, everyone started calling and EMS just could not help administering that medicine for overdose. I could believe this story about saving 88 lives if there were 88 deaths in the Chocowinity service area during the year before the immunity law was passed.This is an epidemic that was invented by the government. Now we make a lot of EMS runs that we never get paid for. We are providing a service to drug users. This free service only makes matters worse. With the passage of this law there truly is no punishment for the sin of drug abuse.Speaking of government service to the drug community, Beaufort County uses between $100,000 and $150,000of tax money each year to buy drugs and make pay offs for information. Beaufort County may just be the largest single customer in the drug community. A hundred grand is a lot of money to pump into the local drug industry. In other words, our Beaufort County Commissioners give the Sheriff taxpayer dollars to subsidize the local drug industry. Unbelievable.How could our Legislature be so un-informed and stupid as to pass this "immunity law." My confidence in government's ability to solve any problem was at a very low ebb. This law encourages drug use and experimentation because EMS will come and save you. I do not believe any of these druggies are paying for the cost of this care.Do not get conned into the opioid crisis hysteria. The government creates this crisis and it only makes government bigger. How many EMS employees do we need to service the drug trade?PS: I understand if you do not believe what I have written. Look at GS90-96.2 along with the General Statutes referenced herein. It is a very bad page and one half of law.

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