# 52

Florida mother avoids death from overdose, however, 6 year-old son finds her unconscious in women's bathroom stall at a Wendy's in Florida and police are summoned.  Mother arrested for child neglect.

In this case, the below article is just another repeat of so many we have read this year in which parents/grandparents subordinate the care of their juvenile loved ones to the substance they seek.

In a society which recognizes three categories of persons: adult, juvenile, incompetent, we may need to take a lesson from the supporters of people who have what the DSM-5 refers to as a comorbid psychiatric disorder or substance use disorder.  These supporters attempt to make the case that the adults who have the disorder are not able to control the priorities of their lives which have been diverted to pursuing their next fix.  They advocate for these adults while attempting to maintain that they be permitted to remain as adults in society.

It may be time to consider that the substance use disorder renders such adults as incompetents and courts may need to appoint guardians to such adults who cannot perform basic parental functions due to their disorder.

Currently, society lets near-death substance abusers find relief with Narcan and such abusers frequently resume their addictive behavior following revival.  In the case of the neglect of children by adults who overdose, the adult may be charged criminally and face those consequences, but - currently - they resume their status in society as adults...competent adults.

The defense submitted by substance use disorder adult' supporterss is so persuasive that "the addicts cannot control themselves" that their argument buttresses a view that such adults are helpless and may need lifetime guardianship.  The adult reverts, in a sense, to a status of juvenile in need of full-time care.  We must ask ourselves how, as a society, we can knowingly return to society an adult whose condition has been diagnosed as being incapable to resist the substance to which they are addicted.  When adults are no longer capable of making adult decisions, they need caretakers.

http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/boy-calls-911-after-mom-passes-out-at-wendys-with-syringes-in-arms

# 51

Washington Post reports that DEA raided two homes in Utah and seized large sums of cash, a pill press and evidence that an individual in custody ordered powdered Fentanyl from China and pressed the fatal substance into pills which were labelled Oxycodone; then shipped falsely labelled pills to purchasers around the US.

A U.S. Manufacturer/Distributor is facing Federal charges in what may involve fatalities resulting from his efforts.

Great work, DEA!!


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/11/23/dea-raids-colossal-fentanyl-operation-in-one-of-the-largest-drug-busts-in-utah-history/?hpid=hp_rhp-morning-mix_mm-fentanyl%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

# 50

Virginia makes "reloading" easier for Opioid abusers to obtain Narcan/Narloxone without prescriptions from all pharmacies.

In a November 23, 2016 Press release, the State's Health Commissioner announced that no one can be turned away from purchasing the Opioid antidote because they do not have a prescription.  As proponants are interviewed, they welcome the small step while reporting that larger steps are needed.  For example, the cost, for Narcan, is too high; the antidote is a stop-gap but rehab is what is needed more.

http://wtop.com/virginia/2016/11/virginias-overdose-drug-policy-welcomed-good-start/

# 49

"Designer" drug, discovered in 1978 and rarely abused, manufactured in China shipped to two teenage boys in Park City, Utah and they die after using "Pink."  Substance, known as U-47700, so unusual that it was never scheduled or added to prohibited/proscribed list in the law before the boys obtained/used the substance.

Substance 7-times more potent than Morphine received and used by 13 year-old boys in Park City, Utah...they expire.

Article indicates that the DEA began the process to add the substance as a Schedule I substance in September 2016.  Article also reports that the same substance was found in pills in Prince's home.




https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/11/04/synthetic-opioid-nicknamed-pink-blamed-for-deaths-of-two-13-year-old-utah-boys/?hpid=hp_rhp-morning-mix_mm-pink%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

# 48

In Washington State, Court removes children 6, 4 and 2 from parents after confirming that parents injected "feel-good medicine" into them...later confirmed to have been heroin.  Large bond set, parents forbidden to go within close proximity even many years later when the children have jobs.

Just in case anyone was leaning towards believing that the adults with "substance use disorder" [formerly; drug addiction] are the true "victims," the below article reminds us how juveniles cannot make adult decisions and may be accorded true victimhood by the courts.

The article does mention the father's email from rehab in which he reports how "tuff" it is.

After reading about the conditions in which the children were raised, the court had to see them as victims of their self-administering, adult, parents.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/02/us/washington-children-injected-heroin/index.html