Drug dealers

The British had two major conflicts with the Chinese over opium, in fact, they were called the Opium Wars in 1839 and 1856. These wars would force the Chinese to import opium to help control the population. The fact that opium, cocaine and their synthetic derivatives are illegal has only increased their value. In the same way that the Prohibition Act of the 1930 s allowed organized crime to get a great tax free start, the drug dealers of today have enormous sums of wealth to legitimately buy into any kind of business or government in the world. 

Both of these are false—Rohypnol pills are often crushed by dealers into a powder, and this powder may contain many contaminants incorporated by drug dealers. In addition, advances in medical technology can now detect Rohypnol metabolites in bodily fluids for 2-3 days after taking the drug. 

Ketamine dealers have been known to obtain the drug by breaking into veterinary clinics or pharmacies and stealing their supply of the drug. Dealers also get ketamine by diverting shipments of the drug from pharmacies and veterinary clinics in Mexico. 

One day I went down when Grace was about six months old. I walked in and there were drug dealers there because she [sister] owed money and they were actually saying to her that they were going to hold the baby over the window because she owed them money. She lived in the high flats then. One of the other times I went up, it was on a Saturday one... 

Self-interest was also what motivated one drug-using sibling directly to expose his sister to drugs. As he could not go safely to the particular area where the drug dealer lived, he had used her to buy them for him. Unbeknown to him, she started to sample his heroin and developed a drug problem herself. 

Police received further support for rapid entries with the Supreme Courts unanimous ruling in United States v. Banks (2003). Here the Court ruled that the police did not have to wait more than 15 or 20 seconds before breaking down the door to a suspected drug dealer s apartment. Even though the defendant said he did not hear the police because he was taking a shower, Justice David H. Souter s opinion emphasized that the rapid forced entry was reasonable in circumstances where it was likely the suspect would try to destroy evidence. 

During the trial, it was revealed that the physician prescribed more OxyContin than any other doctor in the state of Florida. Prosecutors in the case accused the physician of running an illegal pill mill in which OxyContin prescriptions were given to anyone, including known drug dealers, who paid an office visit fee. 

Another serious concern is that young drug users may not be able to distinguish Rohypnol from other potentially harmful drugs. The DEA has received reports of benzodiazepines other than Rohypnol being passed off by drug dealers as Rohypnol pills. One such substitute Rivotril, a benzodiazepine sold in Mexico for the treatment of epilepsy. In the United States, this drug is known as Klonopin (clonazepam). 

Raina and her friend went to a popular place for parties along the Eel River in Potter Valley, where they tried methamphetamine that was supplied by a drug dealer. The girls became disoriented, were sexually assaulted, and left the party in a confused state. What happened after that is a mystery, except for the fact that Raina drowned in the river. ... 

Figure 8.1 Law enforcement agents enforce laws regarding controlled substances and arrest drug dealers, suppliers, and users. Anna Clopet/Corbis...

Diversion cases involve, but are not limited to physicians who sell prescriptions to drug dealers or abusers, pharmacists who falsify records and subsequently sell drugs, employees who steal from inventory at a pharmacy, executives of drug companies who falsify orders to cover illicit sales, and the use of fake prescriptions. At present, the largest problem results from the criminal activity of physicians and pharmacy personnel. 

Two deaths from metamfetamine overdose in drug dealers have been reported from Thailand, which has experienced an increase in metamfetamine abuse (108). 

A 43-year-old male drug dealer swallowed a number of metamfetamine tablets at the time of his arrest. When seen in the emergency room, he was comatose with reactive pupils. He died 6 hours after consuming the tablets. The autopsy findings were non-specific. 

Another 33-year-old female drug dealer, while at the police station, swallowed a number of metamfetamine pills that had been hidden in her undergarments. At the hospital, a gastric lavage was done but she died 10 hours after ingestion. 

As described in these cases, there may be an increased risk of death in drug dealers who, in attempting to prevent arrest, may consume toxic amounts without anticipating the consequences. 

A fact is an accepted truth whose verification is not affected by its source. No matter who presents it, a fact remains true. We accept some statements as facts because we can test them personally (fire is hot) or because they have been verified frequently by others (penguins live in Antarctica). We accept as fact, for example, that Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered in Los Angeles in 1994. However, the identity of the assassin remains, for some people, a matter of opinion. That is, depending on the speaker, the killer(s) could be an ex-husband, a burglar, a drug dealer, a member of organized crime, or someone else. As you think about your evidence, be careful that you don t present your opinions as facts accepted by everyone. Opinions are debatable, and therefore you must always support them before your readers will be convinced. 

---