NONE OF U PEOPLE KNOW THE REAL FUCKING STORY AT FUCKING ALL!!!!!!! AND TO U @howiecantbestop AND @jillstewart HOW FUCKING DARE U!!!!!!!! IF ANY OF U HAD ANY CLUE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THEN U WOULD BE ASHAMED OF URSELF
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Hollywood Faces a Heroin Summer
A promising Kenyan-American dies amidst a risky Hollywood club scene
"It is really plentiful, and there's a cultural element," she says. "It used to be Ecstasy and hallucinogenics. [But] now heroin is regarded as adventurous."
Fried points to the explosion of clubs in Hollywood, where the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency has spent billions of dollars to clean up the area.
City officials such as Councilman Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles Police Department brass have pointed to success in moving out many drug dealers who once openly hawked everything from heroin to pills on Hollywood Boulevard.
But now, inside the glitzy clubs, Fried says, heroin is widely available, and "once they've been initiated, it's romanticized and glorified. ... They think if they smoke it they won't O.D. But they can."
Two of the most publicized accidental heroin overdose deaths involved celebrity names, and both were young men. In August 2009 Andre Young Jr., the 20-year-old son of Dr. Dre, died at his mother's Los Angeles home from taking a mix of heroin and morphine.
In February 2008, troubled child star Brad Renfro died at age 25 in his L.A. apartment while he was still on probation from a dramatic Skid Row police sting in which he and others bought dummy heroin balloons from undercover LAPD officers.
Fried has a warning for partying young people: "We go through waves, and sometimes it's more potent. For newer users, in the first six months of use, the potential to O.D. is huge. I've seen this, periods where that is what I believe is happening right now."
She also sees an economic factor behind the heroin scene unfolding in trendy clubs: Dealing it "is quick, easy money — they then sell to each other once they have a source." The bottom line, Fried says, is that this could be a summer overshadowed by heroin overdoses among young, nonaddict Angelenos.
A recent memorial for the descendant of chief Waiyaiki drew such a crowd to a Baldwin Hills home that the gathering — mixing rocker-clad friends and members of a Kenyan émigré Christian church — was moved out into the yard.
Joseph Njoroge, Kaki's father, a college professor and pastor, spoke of the pain of losing a son, and of being touched by the outpouring of support. Then, on an early morning flight, he took his son back to Georgia to be buried.
"We sang tribal Kenyan songs, and the only downside is my cheeks hurt from smiling so much," says Starr Njoroge.
Yet she fears that the breadth of the Los Angeles megalopolis will dilute this tragedy. "I hope others can learn from this," she says, "learn how precious your life is."
Reach the writer at hstier@truthdig.com.
9 comments
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Unfortunately heroin use is not a new trend and is a long established part of living in Los Angeles that is as deeply entrenched and goes as far back as gang problems - every so often it falls out of the news but it never disappears. This story could have very easily been done when the Weekly first started. Let's face it, US drug policies have failed, and a crappy economy means that more people will get into dealing. Also, in light of the current possible default of the US and what it might do to the dollar, remember that many of the wealthy Iranians who came to L.A. in the late '70s converted all their money into dope and thus were able to get their money back in L.A. easily. Danny Sugarman's book talks about that.
Unfortunately a lot of people were using oxycodone ( oxycontin) as a "safer" alternative to heroin. A huge nationwide crackdown on Rx pills as well as the maker of Oxycontin producing an abuse proof version of their medicine has led many to use heroin.
I am in no way saying that people should be able to abuse Rx meds but people are now using heroin as a substitute for the oxycontin they used to abuse. When they used the pills, most knew exactly how much they were getting. With h, as the article states, purity is higher than in the past and who knows what it could also have in it.
Heroin deaths unfortunately will only continue to rise. The answer to this seems to be DON'T DO DRUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On a recent morning , I was driving on Los Feliz Blvd behind an S class MercedesSedan .The car was periodically swerving and so I went around it because I thought , well maybe the person is texting , but definitely Distracted . As we both stopped at the Red light @ Los Feliz Blvd and Winona , I glanced over and (I drive a pick up truck ) looked down and saw this man in a nice dress shirt with the sleeve rolled up , his arm tied off and sticking a fucking needle in his arm !I couldn't believe it ! When the light turned green , I just idled there and he took off . Someone honked at me to go , and that's when I realized I should catch up to him and call 911 to report him before he got any further . He was gone and I was shocked all day from witnessing this . People have drug problems that span all age groups , races and economic brackets . I have witnessed so many junkies dying , and ruinin their lives . I'm just glad I have been able to decide different for myself . The glam of drugs is beyond me , the glam of living is not .
I know these people, they are very active in the recovery community and have been for years. Their site has a bunch more info on their interesting, more holistic approach to drug treatment: www.one80center.com
We deeply wish our effort to save Mr. Njoroge could have been successful. While at times shocking, your article resonates strongly with the words of Kaki's sister "Each time you play with substances — you don't know what they are or where they came from — you're playing Russian roulette."
Your LAFD Paramedics can often work wonders, but they can't perform miracles. If you have a substance abuse issue, or are considering the use of the products described in this article, please get professional help now, before you injure yourself or others. A phone call to 2-1-1 can put you in touch with health and human service agencies in your community.
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian HumphreyFirefighter/SpecialistPublic Service OfficerLos Angeles Fire Department
We deeply wish our effort to save Mr. Njoroge could have been successful. While at times shocking, your article resonates strongly with the words of Kaki's sister "Each time you play with substances — you don't know what they are or where they came from — you're playing Russian roulette."
Your LAFD Paramedics can often work wonders, but they can't perform miracles. If you have a substance abuse issue, or are considering the use of the products described in this article, please get professional help now, before you injure yourself or others. A phone call to 2-1-1 can put you in touch with health and human service agencies in your community.
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian HumphreyFirefighter/SpecialistPublic Service OfficerLos Angeles Fire Department
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