[–] midnightblue1335 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
The "opioid epidemic" began with the "OxyContin Express" as it was called- basically a route to Florida where doctors were insanely over-prescribing absurd doses of oxycodone and morphine to hundreds of people from out of state. They then travel back home and sell the pills at $50 mark-ups.
And then, the heroin started flowing in from Afghanistan. The government clamped down on oxycodone prescriptions, and now you have a bunch of opiate addicts looking for a cheap high. And it just so happens that heroin started hitting streets in places it had never been before.
And the timing of it is no coincidence- about six years after we invaded Afghanistan (which produces 90% of the world's opium supply) we suddenly have an "opioid epidemic".
[–] Oh_Well_ian [S] 1 point 2 points 3 points (+3|-1) ago (edited ago)
One has to ask: With the massive military presence in Afghanistan just how is heroin leaving the country?
Answer: US military transport
Note: Afghan heroin production was at historic lows in 2001. For all its evil, the Taliban knew of the evil of heroin.
[–] midnightblue1335 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
A ton of US troops who did tours will tell you that they spent a lot of time guarding poppy fields. Poppies are Afghanistan's greatest cash crop- without opium, their barely existent economy would explode. At least that was the justification for using US lives to protect their drug crops.
I can't remember the exact number, but something like 70% of that opium gets processed into heroin as it is being smuggled through one of the 3-4 routes out of Afghanistan. These routes were observed by US forces, but the smuggling caravans were very rarely stopped and seized.
The final piece of the puzzle: The CIA absolutely loves seizing and selling drugs/weapons, for the simple reason that any money made from such activity is off the books. This means that it can be used to finance the shady "black operations" such as bribes, assassinations, etc.. I'm also positive that some of that money goes into the bank accounts of corrupt Americans/(((Americans))).
So as a whole- we invade the world's greatest producer of opium in 2001. By 2009, heroin is all over the USA in quantities never before seen. 8 years is about the amount of time it would take to seize distribution/production operations and set up smuggling operations using pre-existing routes and paid goons. But the timing of the epidemic is just a (((coincidence))), don't worry about it, just go get some methadone for your drug addicted friends and family!
It should also be noted that a lot of the opium from Afghanistan is used in production of painkiller drugs such as morphine, oxycodone, codeine, hydrocodone, and so on. How many pharmaceutical companies are funding terrorists by buying their raw opium to process into pills? HMMM...