If you are reading this and someone is near you, ask them if they know what kratom, or 7 OH, or “gas station heroin,” is. If they do, chances are they have a story of a family destroyed, or an individual’s life ruined, or even their own personal nightmare.
If they haven’t heard of these, which is quite likely, they may just shrug with indifference. And indifference is a problem.
The people who have suffered from these drugs are anything but indifferent, and many are broken (and broke).
If you go into a bar or liquor store to buy alcohol and are intoxicated, by law they cannot serve you. But if a glassy-eyed, strung-out soul goes into a store, most any store (because these drinks and such are readily available everywhere) to buy these substances, they can buy as many as they want.
Be aware, and beware. These are deep hooks, and addicts lose their ability to reason. Those who do use these drugs will tell you there is nothing wrong, but something terribly wrong. And the withdrawal is so bad, they keep going back for more.
Ralph Padgett
Greensburg