Things have changed a lot on the heroin scene, even in the small time I've been using.
In 1997 when I started, the heroin market in the UK was flooded with (if you believe the reports) with 40-60% pure heroin...
There were so many dealers, if you got an introduction to a new guy they would often give a tester before you bought!
I've seen things change (in London at least) ever since.
I used to only deal with one or two regular guys, that although were usually creative with their timings they didn't really mess you around too much as there was always someone to take they're place.
These guys would usually reward your loyalty with small amounts of heroin 'ticked' (loaned) and would generally look after you if you were stuck and desperate.
Not any more.. !
I guess as people got arrested, and after the quantity of decent heroin dropped, at the beginning of the 2000s, things began got more difficult.
Incidentally this seemed to coincide with the war in Iraq
The dealers' solution was to start using teenagers to 'run' for them, the main reason to avoid arrest themselves. Ultimately the police are far less likely to stop and search a twelve year old on a bike than a guy in a car!
This is a serious problem, kids of school leaving age that would otherwise get into work or training are being snapped up by unscrupulous dealers. These kids just see dollar signs, why would they want to go to college or start working if they have the opportunity to make a fast buck for very little work.
I don't think they even realise the full implications of what they are doing! It gives them 'street cred' and respect.. and unfortunately, in a time where kids fight over postcodes as they have little else this counts for a lot.
I feel guilty buying from these kids, but being a heroin addict I have little choice! I look at them and think 'if only your mum knew what you were doing'! I'm sure she wouldn't be happy.
So, my point is, the heroin and crack scene is now, literally, run by kids...!
Kids that want respect and the kudos they get from running drugs, they revel in making us wait around on street corners and then giving us attitude when they do finally turn up. Thing is, they know we will wait....
All more reason for me to stop using and feeding into this cycle.
3 comments:
That's all too true. I used to know people who gave out Xmas presents to their loyal customers... Not any more!
I found a purity graph that compared the levels when I started using (exactly the same era as you) with a couple of years later.
This said around 1997-8 heroin was routinely 60% pure. Withina couple of years that had plummeted to 30%.
Now this explains a LOT.
When I first got into experimentation I used to be able to take a £10 bag, smoke it an quarters and get a pukka high EVERY AFTERNOON for 4 days.... not a long time later ~ and bear in mind I was using once a month or so, NOT several times a week ~ I was only getting one gauwch or possibly 2 per £10 bag!
Something had changed drastically!
But the official figures droned the same thing ad nauseum 40% 40% 40%
They still said pretty much the same thing last year. In fact average purity was said to have gone UP towards 50%.... a closer look revealed average street purity in London was 20-60% which did ring true as the worst gear was approximately a third as good as the best.
What I do remember about when I first really got into it so I was bang on it in the very early 2000s, you could score off practically anyone in my local area and the gear was the same in appearance, strength and quality.
I never suspected dealers were stamping on it themselves, as I do nowadays (bastards!)
But now it's all changed.
I met a couple of my best dealers by being given a tel no by a friend. I rang up myself and the guy came out and met me. I'd never in a million years expect that to happen now. It would be "who are you? How do you know him? Tell him to phone me"... the addicts are no better. I'd never breeze up the road see someone I know and say "hi I'm just going to see X person" a lot of those bastards would pull an "i'm sick i'm sick help me". Why? Because they're shoplifters, I was a beggar. No mutual respect. I lost my own crowd ~ the crusties ~ because most of them died. And I never fitted in with the shoplifters and criminals. Basically they looked down on me. At the end of the day they can fuck off I don't WANT to be like them and I think they secretly envied me, making cash without robbing anyone. Cuts both ways. The whole thing is a nasty business. I'm glad to be out of it. Even though I DID have a "little dabble" (ahem) in the new year.... hmmmmmmm
ps why won't those bastard dealers bring back #4. If only they knew their business and sold it as a separate product, like powder coke along with washed, they'd make a killing
fucking thing: did it put this one through??
That's all too true. I used to know people who gave out Xmas presents to their loyal customers... Not any more!
I found a purity graph that compared the levels when I started using (exactly the same era as you) with a couple of years later.
This said around 1997-8 heroin was routinely 60% pure. Withina couple of years that had plummeted to 30%.
Now this explains a LOT.
When I first got into experimentation I used to be able to take a £10 bag, smoke it an quarters and get a pukka high EVERY AFTERNOON for 4 days.... not a long time later ~ and bear in mind I was using once a month or so, NOT several times a week ~ I was only getting one gauwch or possibly 2 per £10 bag!
Something had changed drastically!
But the official figures droned the same thing ad nauseum 40% 40% 40%
They still said pretty much the same thing last year. In fact average purity was said to have gone UP towards 50%.... a closer look revealed average street purity in London was 20-60% which did ring true as the worst gear was approximately a third as good as the best.
What I do remember about when I first really got into it so I was bang on it in the very early 2000s, you could score off practically anyone in my local area and the gear was the same in appearance, strength and quality.
I never suspected dealers were stamping on it themselves, as I do nowadays (bastards!)
But now it's all changed.
I met a couple of my best dealers by being given a tel no by a friend. I rang up myself and the guy came out and met me. I'd never in a million years expect that to happen now. It would be "who are you? How do you know him? Tell him to phone me"... the addicts are no better. I'd never breeze up the road see someone I know and say "hi I'm just going to see X person" a lot of those bastards would pull an "i'm sick i'm sick help me". Why? Because they're shoplifters, I was a beggar. No mutual respect. I lost my own crowd ~ the crusties ~ because most of them died. And I never fitted in with the shoplifters and criminals. Basically they looked down on me. At the end of the day they can fuck off I don't WANT to be like them and I think they secretly envied me, making cash without robbing anyone. Cuts both ways. The whole thing is a nasty business. I'm glad to be out of it. Even though I DID have a "little dabble" (ahem) in the new year.... hmmmmmmm
ps why won't those bastard dealers bring back #4. If only they knew their business and sold it as a separate product, like powder coke along with washed, they'd make a killing
Funny u should say that, I started off a crusty,m in Brighton, then moved onto sites in Newbury,Manchester Airport, Yeovil, Dead womans bottom etc.. ended up living in guildford for quite a while before eviction... good times :(
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