I know josh and he was a pretty good kid before getting into the heroin, that is what changed him because once you get physically addicted to heroin thats all you care about because your body needs it to survive. Yes he deserves the punishment for the robbings but there also need to be a affordable place around here to go to get off the stuff. If you dont have insurance which alot dont, you're screwed because it will cost atleast 300.00 for a script of suboxone and a arm and aleg to to be seen. Thats why its getting to be such a big thing now days, is people are getting hooked and there is no treatment available for people without insurance and a drugaddict will much rather spend that money on drugs than the treatment, trust me. Hopefully there will be a cheaper treatment center around here for heroin addicts, because if they could be on suboxone and be able to afford it TRUST ME they would get on it, it has saved alot of lives, people I know are back to their life now they're on suboxone, you just have to have insurance, so hopefully that will change!

Hope he gets help and can become happy in his own skin. Thank goodness someone wasn't killed over the drug addiction as so many are.

longshot...that will work too!

Hey Woody... Good One!
My sticker on my door reads: All Trespassers Will Be Shot....All Survivors Will Be Shot Again.

Sticker on my door...If you are found here tonight...you will be found here tomorrow!http://www.stickershok.com/GRAPHICS/MINISTK/2900/2904.GIF

Please, people... split hairs all you like... Joshua Jackson still chose to do drugs. What ever and how ever is moot. He stole from decent people to support his habit. The evidence was found in his parents' house.
Open your eyes! People like these are CRIMINALS.
We have laws to deal with these crimes. Laws that should protect the law-abiding public.

Miltonite- Just wanted to point out that you dont need to shoot heroin to use/abuse it
it IS a powder and can be snorted a lot easier than injected.
Mikki- Alchohol, Nicotine and Caffeine are legal because the government makes it so!-As well as getting a fat check from taxing them outrageously. Who's to say that all other drugs aren't OUR decision to indulge in? Just because the government hasn't made those legal? I mean, They've always been legal since we've been around,yeah? Well then lets start putting the coke back in coca-cola.Make it everyone's choice, same thing. BTW I still think it's funny they still use the same name to this day that references cocaine to sell a soft drink.

Im not saying other drugs should be legalized and taxed- Just pointing out a simple fact.Besides- I don't think there could possibly be a black market for cigarettes or nicotine like there is for other drugs. If you ask me- Marijuana is still illegal(though getting widely decriminalized-most recently in Mass. in november) because its impossible for the government to employ people to grow it, cut it, cure it, package it, distribute it and sell it nationwide while still selling it cheaper than average street value and making a profit.Although it does sound like a plethora of job opportunities.... Why do you think alchohol is legal? Because it was a lot easier to control and tax it than to spend money fighting it.O!And because lawmakers were enjoying it,too....=D
Anyways, getting off subject now

Back to bad guys and heroin! *whip crack*

Not picking at anyone to stir up trouble, just playing devils advocate =)

I will judge an addict if the addict is stealing from people and causing people harm only to support their sad habit. No sympathy from me. If someone chooses to live this lifestyle behind closed doors, that is their choice. You damn well better realize the costs and consequences of it and you damn well better not harm others. The innocent people that were robbed are the only ones I'm concerned with.

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/heroin...

Frequent, heavy users of strong narcotics-in this case heroin- Can easily die from heroin withdrawal. Just like alchohol, the body itself can become physically addicted to it. Theres a difference between habit and addiction. Marijuana users are "addicted" through habit/ mentally. Opiate users, Alchoholics sometimes, can become physically ADDICTED. Thier body builds a tolerance and eventually the brain itself requires opiate stimulus to survive. If a heavy opiate user was to quit cold turkey-depending on the amount they are using- they can most certainly die. What do you think withdrawal symptoms are? Cold sweats, headaches, vomitting, insomnia, dillusions...Sounds like a very sick body to me. As far as everyone so quick to "send these people away for life" these people were kind,good hearted people like yourselves once too. Dont be so quick to judge an addict. Brett Favre was an Opiate user- On a painkiller that is the synthetic form of heroin. Rather than lock him up- he recieved understanding and support, and he appears to be doing fine. So please, before you ostracize what you do not understand, approach this topic with a bit more of an open mind. Besides, in the long run, if you can rehabilitate someone, it's going to cost you(taxpayers) a lot less money in the long run-assuming they stay clean- than locking them up for 10-20, only to get out and repeat offend. Not to mention they can even be productive members of society once rehabilitated- Getting jobs, paying bills, taxes and *gasp* maybe even lend a helping hand to others who they see in their old set of shoes. Just because someone is an addict doesnt mean they are a lost cause and should be some sort of Pariah. That being said I AM very grateful they caught who they think has been doing this

Can we please not use one story to start the alcohol vs pot debate? Come on people, seriously. This has nothing to do with either one. This is about heroin. A horrible drug that is taking peoples lives, including young people. If any of you think this is not a bad drug or that this should be legal, yadayadayad, you need your head examined.

it sounds agreed upon anyways that alcohol withdrawals can kill and we all KNOW you can overdose too. thats LEGAL. heroin is classified in the same category as marijuana according to uncle sam. ughhh. how does this make sense...

Everyone better wake up. Heroin is in our communities and it's scary. Keep an eye on your kids and keep them pointed in the positive
direction.

Call 1: Where did the person die who was detoxing , at home? How old was this person, were they using other drugs such as benzos? How many years was this person using? How much a day? A person DOES NOT die from dextoxing off of heroin. I have been a detox nurse for many years and haven't had one person die from detoxing off of herion. I have been told by many that they felt like they were dying. I was taught by the addictionologist physician that a person who is an alcoholic or a person addicted to benzodiazepines or barbituates, if put in a room for 24hrs without any medication to help with withdrawals, will most likely be dead after the 24hrs, and the heroin addict will still be alive. Your friend must have died of something else because it wasn't herion withdrawal.

Jillian, sorry, but alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine are all LEGAL.
You can't even compare them.
Even if some of us DO indulge, they are still OUR choices to make.
And sorry, I have never stolen something just so I could buy a pack of Marlboros.

I will be truthful here- I can not say with 100% certainity if someone can or can not die from heroin withdrawal.

I personally thought that you could. However, that is not the field of nursing that I am in.

A death dercificate would not likely state anything like that, unless he died from an OVERDOSE of a substance....A death certificate will note the CAUSE and the MANNER of death. For example, cardiac arrest, natural causes....or perhaps gunshot wound to the chest, homicide.....or perhaps, cardiac arrest, accidental overdose of heroin.....I would even question how you, as a friend, would have viewed the death certificate. Yes, it would likely be public record, but highly doubtful that it would include the information you claim it does.

SarahB: you really need to get your facts straight before you go on message boards talking about things when your dead wrong. I myself have seen someone die detoxing from Heroin.. So don't tell me you can;'t die from Opiate withdrawal.. And for your response, "he may have died while trying to withdraw, but he didn't die from withdrawing (i.e. cardiac arrest from the stress, etc.. whatever..)".. The death certificate specifically contributes death to Heroin/ Opiate withdraw..

He did say one day (or night) "yes, I will shoot that heroin, thank you". We do not live in a world of ignorance. Everyone knows the danger of drugs. Period. He chose to associate with criminals and the sources to buy the drugs. Period. Grow up people and take responsibility for your actions. Be an adult and not some punk kid.

People misunderstand the purpose behind highlighting the drug connection. Nobody has said that he should escape punishment. But we need to realize that this is part of the cost of addiction, costs which land squarely on society and innocent citizens. Prevention and treatment options need to be part of the solution, not just waiting for people to become criminals so we can punish them and feel superior. There really is no demographic to drug abuse -- it can happen to anyone in any family.

I don't think anybody here is condoning what this young man did. He did the crime, you bet he should be punished.

Making "an example" out of him is not going to stop others from using herion. For crying out loud, how many overdoses have there been and that isn't stopping anyone.

Most addicts are dual diagnosed. Most addicts are self medicating themselves for other untreated disorders such as bipolar, adhd, etc. Addiction is a disease and crime is a symptom of the disease. Treat the disease and there will be no symptoms...its that simple.

But with society's mindset, addicts are too ashamed to admit and seek treatment. We need to change that mindset and help these people. I mean seriously, do you think people just wake up one day and say "gee I think I want to be an addict?".

He chose to do drugs. He chose to commit crimes to pay for his habit. He deserves to be punished under the law for committing crimes. Don't like it? Don't do it!
Hurray Milton PD!!! Decent citizens appreciate your service and protection. I will gladly pay my taxes for the law and order of this quality.

OK people he chose to use, yes it's a horrible drug, yes it's to bad someone got caught up with it, And thats great they have treatment programs to try to help people deal with thier addiction.

But i have seen the damage this guy caused and if you dont make an example out of him it will continue to happen.
I would bet even if the courts are forgiving, the business owners and their insurance companies won't be!
This guy will be be paying for this for the rest of his life!

People do die from herion withdrawals. The physical withdrawals are a small part of the struggle to stay clean. Its the emotional withdrawals that can and do send people over the edge into suicide. The physical withdrawals last weeks, while the emotional withdrawals will last months.

Sannio: I totally agree with you. It just makes me sick the way society stimatizes drug use. The funny thing is if alcohol, tobacco, or caffiene were this young mans motives for these crimes there would be a whole different perspective from the posters.

Drugs are drugs, addiction is addiction. How many of you sit on this blog dragging on your cigarettes and sucking down your caffiene making judgements? Don't be a hypocripe.

It does make you wonder. When did he start on the drug? 15? 17? My question would be "How did he behave before he started?" Was he a great kid.. fun to be with.. honest..trustworthy? Did the drug actually make him a different person? Why did he take it in the first place? I can't believe there isn't a kid out there who hasn't heard the "Drugs are BAD" speech a hundred times. If he was trouble BEFORE the drugs started, lock him up. If not, get him HELP.

Good job Milton PD!

p.s. my son went through withdrawl without medication but through lots of prayer!

ranjan..I understand your anger. But, heroin addicts will do basically anything to get $$ for their fix. My son was good friends with the young man who recently died of an accidental overdose. I will be honest and say that my son is in jail for a year with a crime related to HIS heroin addiction. I thank God just about everyday that my son was in jail when this "kid" died because it saved his life, they may have been together if he wasn't locked up. Good people from good families are becoming addicted all of the time. These good people turn into something that nobody wants to be, then they turn to crime etc.. I hope this young man gets the help he need to straighten his life around. Good luck finding the right treatment, because if you don't have the $$ for it, the chances are slim that you'll get the help needed.

How about a compromise? Let's round up all the addicts in Rock County and randomly divide them into two groups. Group A will receive medical assistance and, if deemed necessary by physicians, treatment medications such as methadone. Group B will just be incarcerated until physicians determine they have fully withdrawn from their drugs. Let the results speak for themselves.
.
Film everyone from both groups and make a series of movies, increasingly detailed and unpleasant, to show to kids in school, starting in first grade, about the pain and suffering of drug and alcohol addictions. Include any related legal actions from crimes committed to support their habits and interview their families to show the effects their addictions had on them.

nurse and sarah should exchange ph #'s LOL

I am so glad we have all these medical people here to tell me that I cannot die from Heroin withdrawal... Oh yeah, that is not really true. Although the incidence is low death is possible from any opiate withdrawal. True alcohol withdrawal is much nastier with seizures, anorexia, hallucinations, etc.. ANY drug that enters the body is a poison. Once your body gets used to it, it is difficult to live without it, whether it be a psychological or physical addiction. Pain medication, anti-depressants, heart medications all have side effects when starting and when stopping...

And here I thought waiting a week was bad! LOL

Yes, I can defenitely be stubborn. It's how I survived nursing school with four kids..LOL

Thank you.

:)

Nurse4u: Thanks for the positive feedback. I hope you never lose your enthusiasm as a nurse. You sound like the kind that I would want on my team: You care about your patients and you never give up! (LOL!) As far as remembering the board exams? Oh, help me forget PLEASE. I am so old in nursing years that when I took the boards, all candidates across the country took them on the same two days (total of four two-hour exams) and then waited for two months for the results to come in the mail. The waiting was the worst part for sure.

Maybe the heroin addict just FEELS like they are dieing then?

You know how it is in nursing school-they have to get you ready for Boards so you have alot to learn. Plus, nursing is an ongoing educational process that never stops.

BTW- I enjoy reading your posts, they never fail to help me ask "Why?" or teach me something new. Remember SarahB when you took your Boards? The relief? LOL

SarahB-Thank you for being a dedicated nurse and helping those going through withdrawal and addictions. You know better than most how lives are destroyed by drugs.

I agree SarahB, but truthfully how many heroin addicts are considered to be in "good" health?

Sounds good to me, Nurse4u. (LOL)

Nurse4u: There needs to be a very heavy emphasis on that "in poor health" section then. I doubt if I will ever find another detox nurse or addictionologist that will say opiate withdrawal will kill people. I have taken care of hundreds of opiate addicts in detox, most of them hooked on heroin. For 98 percent to 99 percent of them, the biggest battle was the cravings and restlessness. The rest of it is similar to a very bad case of the stomach flu. Unfortunately, too many parents of heroin addicts believe that withdrawal can kill and do all sorts of enabling activities to "help" their addicted children obtain more drugs when the help they really need is to get into detox and then follow it up with a strong treatment program.

SarahB-I am also an RN. I am well informed on the medications prescribed uses and side effects. Please do not mistake my tone, I am not trying to sound like a know it all either. The links I have found from government and educational sites state that heroin can cause death from withdrawal. I will have to get out my mental health books and conduct more research.

IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

Nurse4u: The withdrawal will not kill the opiate addict. Those medications are sometimes used in short-term detox, especially the suboxone, to ease the symptoms and to keep the patient in the process. Methadone is mostly used as an opiate replacement for heroin and other opiates to stabilize the patient while he rebuilds his life. Many methadone centers will allow a client to remain on that drug for up to two years only; other facilities let them stay on it endlessly. There are two forms of suboxone, one of which is for short-term withdrawal treatment. The second form is used more as an opiate-replacement drug (as the methadone is used). Some addictionologists recommend recovering heroin addicts remain on that type of suboxone far into the future. Unfortunately, there are some risks with all of the replacement drug therapies also.

From the DEA:

"One of the most significant effects of heroin use is addiction. With regular heroin use, tolerance to the drug develops. Once this happens, the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity or effect that they are seeking. As higher doses of the drug are used over time, physical dependence and addiction to the drug develop.(8)

Withdrawal, which in regular abusers may occur as early as a few hours after the last administration, produces drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (“cold turkey”), kicking movements (“kicking the habit”), and other symptoms. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health is occasionally fatal, although heroin withdrawal is considered less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal.(9)"

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/heroin....
(In case the link does not show up right it is:
www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/heroin.html

I Give up! My links are NOT posting right! UGH! Frustrating!

"Addiction & Withdrawal

One of the most significant effects of heroin use is addiction. Also, with regular use, a tolerance develops, where more and more heroin is needed to achieve the same effect. The average heroin addict can spend up to $200 per day to maintain his or her addiction. 10 As higher doses are taken over time physical dependence and addiction will develop. Within a few hours after the last administration of heroin, withdrawal may occur, producing intensely negative effects such as drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, and vomiting. Methadone and Buprenorphine, both semi-synthetic narcotic opiates, were developed as a way to minimize the drug's severe withdrawal symptoms. In the worst cases, this withdrawal can even cause death."
http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/her...

Why isn't my whole post coming up? You have to add the htm at the end..
I will see about other links.

Let's try that again..

http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.info/h...

SarahB- During my mental health rotation I was taught that heroin withdrawal CAN cause death. That is why they have Methadone and Suboxone. These medications help with withdrawal and relapse.
http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.info/h.......

One last note, please don't misinterpret my tone on my last post. I am not trying to sound like a "know-it-all". I am a nationally certified addictions registered nurse and have worked in detox facilities for much of the last seven or eight years. The lack of a detox facility in this area is sad. This is especially true for those that are uninsured or underinsured.

ranjan-Keep in mind that Heroin is a powerful and highly addictive drug. This drug causes the user to crave more drugs. The user than can do dangerous criminal acts in order to obtain that high. This can make a HEROIN user a very dangerous individual.

I think we need to be aware of drugs in our community. If you as an individual smell strong offensive odors at a residence or see many diffrent cars/people coming to and from a residence at all hours of the day and night, inform local police officials.

It is not just the policeman's job-we need to keep our eyes and ears open. Just be careful and remember DO NOT CONFRONT any suspected drug users as they can be extremely dangerous.

First thing, great job on catching the suspect. Secondly, most drug stores sell the at-home drug detection kits. However, the national affiliation of pediatricians (I can't recall its official name) does not recommend that these tests be done at home or at school because it is not that difficult to screw up the sample and get incorrect results. If a parent really wants to test their child, it is better to contact a family physician or area treatment center and have the test be processed by a real lab. Secondly, opiate withdrawal (heroin is one type of opiate) DOES NOT kill people. Nurse4u: The patient may feel like they are that sick, but there are no known cases of withdrawal from opiates killing anyone. It is best to obtain help from a detox center because (for various reasons) it can be very difficult to detox on one's own. If someone addicted to alcohol and/or benzodiazepines or barbituates (both also known collectively as "sedatives") tries to detox on his own, then that can kill him. Both those types of detoxes can bring on seizures also (among other medical crises). Opiate withdrawal does not bring on seizures. One last important note, a pregnant woman should NOT attempt to withdraw from opiates. It can bring on a miscarriage.

You can buy them at Walgreens. However, IF they show a positive, keep in mind that it can be a false positive. If you have a positive reading it is recommended that you send the test in to the lab to confirm.

There are certain medications (prescription and over the counter) as well as such things as energy drinks, that can show a false positive for drugs (especially with the OTC drug tests).

I heard a radio ad tonight that was advertising an "at-home drug testing kit" that can be purchased at CVS pharmacy. Does anyone know anything about this?

A person can become addicted to heroin after using for the first time. The user craves the high that he/she experiences. That person will then do things, such as breaking the law, that he/she would not do otherwise.

Heroin is a highly addictive drug that has life threatening complications. A Heroin addict may even die while withdrawing from the drug. An addict is highly encouraged to obtain a medical doctor's support when trying to attempt cessation from the drug.

In addition, crystal meth is also being used in the Janesville area. It is even making the rounds of middle school children.

The BEST thing a parent can do is talk to their children and find out what they know about drugs. EDUCATION IS THE BEST PREVENTION!

Nice work!

I don't think we should blame heroin.
HE had to use the heroin, and HE didn't stop using the heroin even though HE knew how dangerous it was, and how it was effecting HIS life. Hopefully he'll get help if that's what he needs. It's too bad society has stigmatized drugs to the point where people are afraid and ashamed to admit they have a problem until it spirals out of control.

Kinda like the "pizza connection" a few years back, eh?

It is just big city problems reaching littletown U.S.A

camper - don't be so dulusional. If you believe that, I have a conspiracy theory to sell you. Come on, blaming the CIA?

ok so back when Oly North was in south america and the CIA was bringing in coke from south america everyonewas doing coke. Now that we are in Afganistan and heroin poppies are the flavor there is anyone else seeing a pattern? Thank you CIA for moving from coke to Heroin as you import of choice!!! My tin foil hat fits just fine thank you!

Heroin has been known to have additional additives that cause serious lung problems, coma and death. Heroin is frequently being laced with Fentanyl, a very potent and deadly narcotic. Fentanyl is perscribed for such conditions as terminal cancer.

The heroin use is awful and the young kids are playing with death. My sons thank god havent went there so far but a lot of their friends have and some are on paper or headed to prison because of it. The awareness after a certain kid from janesville died is more to accepting YES IT DOES HAPPEN HERE!! and the dealers need to get the max sentences with no plea bargains........... To many young lives are lost and the young adults just think it wont happen to them, this is the sad thing as without realizing the truth and power of the drug itself they keep using and eventually they will be a statistic. The purity of the heroin is the scary thing and it is cheap at first. I pray parents see thru the love they have and find out if their kids use it ( JUST ASK) and find help.