Lostinhk

I wasn't sure where to ask this, but as families and friends of substance abusers the people in this forum may have had similar experiences with dealers.

So where I live there are certain pharmacies that will sell you ANYTHING that they are allowed to keep on their premises (certain drugs are reserved for medical practices only), so it was easy for me to get a bottle of 100x30mg codeine, towards the end of my addiction I was buying a bottle every 4-7 days.

One time they didnt have the 100x30mg bottle, so instead they sold me a bottle of 1000x30mg! I believe that is where my addiction really started to take a hold as I believe subconsciously I was feeling safe about taking higher doses because they sold it to me so readily, and they are a "legitimate business".

Needless to say, all of the above was horribly illegal. My psychiatrist wanted me to tell him which places are doing this, which I decided against doing.

The more I think about it the more I think that perhaps they should be reported. These people still ask me if I want a bottle of codeine whenever I go in there, or even sometimes ask if I want Valium (which I've purchased there before). They don't give any advice on how to take these pills and I am concerned that they are getting other people hooked... If these places didnt sell OTC, I don't think I'd have ever even had the opportunity to get addicted (I would never go to a drug dealer to buy opiates).

So my question is, should I be reporting these pharmacies before someone has their life ruined like mine almost was?

Ann

I would definitely report them and admit how you have had access yourself to medications that should only be prescribed.

Then, and I say this with love in my heart, think again about why you are addicted...sure, they sold you the pills but people don't just walk into a pharmacy and ask for codeine anymore than the average person walks up to a dealer and asks for heroin.

Learning "why" we do the things we do is half the solution, the other half is doing what we need to do to right it.

Good luck with all of this, I hope that place gets shut down.

Hugs

Lostinhk

For me codeine was about pain management and eventually became a dependency (which ill be 60 days clean of tomorrow). I had it prescribed back home before moving here and when I found how easy it was to buy there was nothing to stop me doing so (i.e. no need to see a seedy dealer), but then I did silly things like take too many and the addiction developed.

I'll keep thinking it over, I just can't help but feel guilty that people's lives will be affected and they may all lose their jobs.

needingabreak

Hi Lost!
So happy to hear you are clean and doing well with this! Congratulations.
I would tell, absolutely. It sounds like they get people addicted on purpose to make money. No different than a drug dealer. People could die from this.
In the end it is your decision. I hate to hear of things like this. Very bad.

anattaboy

You said they are everywhere so who are you saving by shutting down the few YOU found. Also, in these parts a "discovery" is provided to both parties in a criminal case disclosing names of informants. Are you that tough? More importantly, what does any of this have to do with YOUR addiction? I missed the part of you being forced at gunpoint to ingest said pills. Getting to an MD and being honest would be a good start. Best wishes.

Fly N Buy

So, I am curious...WHY do you still go in there???

Amysad

It's important to do what we can to banish illegal drug use from our world - it's a morale obligation. Our world is dying. - over 65% of all American families are in the throws of some addiction. The percentages are alarming and the increase is largely do to accessibility. Continue on your road of recovery - my prayers are with you - but please give others a leg up by blowing the whistle on these illegal establishments. All lives are worth a chance.

BreesGram

I am completely floored that there are places like this in the US that would give you any codeine pills without a script, much less a bottle of 1000 pills!

Hope2014

I think he is buying them in Hong Kong, not the US

GardenMama

Congratulations on your recovery.

We family & friends are here because we are looking for experience and support for ourselves and our addicts. I can't imagine anyone on this forum who would understand why you wouldn't report the pharmacy immediately. Drugs of all kinds have destroyed our families and our loved ones, sometimes even to death. I don't understand how you might expect a different answer from us than yes, report. The whole thing among users about "not snitching" makes no sense to most non-users. We've been lied to and deceived so much--how could we support you doing the same by not telling what you know?

zoso77

I'm of the opinion that the pharmacy in question is only meeting the demand for those drugs. Is what they're doing morally disgusting? Sure. But the reason why they're doing it is because they know there are enough addicts out there to make money. Isn't the addict ultimately responsible for their addiction?

I think so.

And I also think that managing your own recovery is more important than blowing the whistle.

My two cents. Take care of yourself.

cynical one

If you can do so anonymously, as in a letter to the authorities where you have not left fingerprints or DNA on the envelope or enclosed letter, then yeah I would report them.

But, to do so publically…you are admitting to participating in a crime.

On the street there is an old saying “snitches get stitches”. The pharmacy may just be a storefront for something much bigger, something you want no part of.

Use caution.

bluehour

I wouldn't snitch. We all have our own path to walk, and we aren't responsible for other people's choices. I stay out of things like that.

I am also for drug legalization, so take my opinion with that grain of controversy.

BreesGram

Hope2014, oh I didn't see that he is in Hong Kong! That explains it. Yeh you can order a lot of different medications from overseas. They must be doing something illegal or would not have even asked if should report them? Zoso, with due respect, if you use the same rationale for drug dealers as you are for this pharmacy (that they're only meeting a need, and if there wasn't a need they wouldn't be there) then the neighborhood drug dealer is just meeting a need or want in the community and not really the bad characters that they're made out to be. I think the drug problem today is two fold. There is a need because people got addicted by taking drugs in the first place. If there were no illicit drugs available then how could one ever develop an addiction to drugs? Don't you think that the amount of people addicted to drugs correlates with the availability of the drugs in the first place?

Lostinhk

The point of getting them shutdown would be to provide something to dissuade others from doing the same.

The reason you missed the part about me being forced at gunpoint to ingest pills is because I didn't say it. What I did say was that I took pills for pain management which was prescribed, and then moved country to a place where I could obtain those pills over the counter. As no medical supervision was provided, I didn't manage it properly. Whilst that is very much so my fault, I believe that had proper medical advice been given I would have been much more aware of the dangers and how to avoid them.

Where have I been dishonest?

Lostinhk

Because it's the closest pharmacy to my house (just 100m away) and it's where I buy my deoderant and nasal spray for my sinus. I don't have any desire to take pills so if I'm ever walking past and need something I'll quickly pop in there, even though I know they will ask if I want pills.

mejo

This made me giggle. My AH says this all the time. To finish the saying ... "Snitches get stitches and some end up dead in ditches". I think there is more, but I cannot remember the rest.

Just be careful. I don't think I would want to end up in some crazy criminal crap, let alone in Hong Kong.

incitingsilence

Bees gram … But aren’t street dealers just meeting a need as well? And who says they are all bad people, just like addicts aren’t all bad people.

Without a need there would be no reason for dealers, or store fronts or online places or corrupt doctors …

And you can walk into store fronts like this in the US, buy a soda, a pack of smokes, whatever and get pills. This isn’t new, nor is it anything anyone should really get involved in. I guess if one always thought safety first, the safety of their family as well, then they would be better equipped to see the writing on the wall and make the decisions they need to. Snitches don’t fare well, typically.

And lostinhk, you might be best to just let it go and focus on yourself. Tell your shrink you are there for help for you, and nothing more.

I think in the end it always goes back to if one wants to use they will find a way, just as they will if they don’t want to use.

anattaboy

Congrats on 60 days!

legna

There is a suggestion in recovery circles that you make no major decisions in the first year of recovery. This, in my opinion, constitutes a major decision with potentially major repercussions.

Your path however, is your own - and I am ill equipped to give you the answer you are looking for. I do wish you all the best going forward.