[nnbvv]

Lots of users don't seek medical treatment because they're afraid they'll be arrested.

I know this sounds unbelievable, but it's true... I found and called in the heroin overdose of two of my friends, and not only were the paramedics very leisurely in their response (walking slowly up the stairs to get to the bedroom where my friends were unconscious), but the cops threatened to charge me with selling the heroin to my friends. I believe they were bluffing in an attempt to get me to snitch on the person who really did sell it to them, but it's apparently not unprecedented for overdose victims to be charged with possession and the people who called it in to be charged with distribution.

Thinking about that night still makes me angry. It's one of maybe three really terrible experiences I've had with police in the US. My friends both lived, though one had his heart stop completely for 1.5 minutes and had to be revived via a Naloxone shot to the chest.

[Lawtonfogle]

Considering that children forced into prostitution are sometimes charged with the crime of being a prostitute when the police 'save' them, I'm not surprised about this.

[JshWright]

What you interpreted as "leisurely" was likely "caution". Overdoses can be very dynamic and dangerous scenes, and EMS will approach carefully. Did the extra 5 seconds have any impact on your friend's outcome?

I don't know what actually happened, but your description is not correct. "A Naloxone shot to the chest" is not something that is done.

[nnbvv]

I didn't witness the Naloxone shot so I don't doubt that you're right about that, but I know he got one because the cops told us and we found the empty syringe afterward.

I really don't feel like it was caution. The cops were already at the scene. I talked to the paramedics as they entered the house. The whole thing was conducted with a total lack of urgency -- I got the impression from the cops and the paramedics that they were just pissed off to be there, tired of dealing with stupid junkie kids.

[JshWright]

So, how do you know his heart stopped?

He got Naloxone because he overdosed on an opiate... That is not the least bit surprising...

[nnbvv]

Because the police told us! And I'm also pretty sure my friend was told the same when he was at the hospital.

I should have left the part about the paramedics out because it's not really central to what I feel is important about that story -- that our laws exist in a way that makes drug users afraid to seek medical attention. I don't mean to malign the paramedics, and perhaps my perception of their behaviour was off since it was a really traumatic night for me.

You're free to believe me or not. With regard to the Naloxone thing, I told it that way because that's just how I thought Naloxone had to be administered... I guess I've seen too many stupid movies (Pulp Fiction in this case, perhaps). If you knew the full context of what happened it might make more sense. My friends had never done heroin before and I've never around people who do it either, so I don't know anybody who carries around Naloxone.

[cwyers]

> I know this sounds unbelievable

It doesn't sound unbelievable at all.

I just wish the article had asked more questions and provided more information, rather than presenting the subject uncritically.