S20.E01: The Heroin Triangle: Chapter 1

[pasdetrois]

Some of our favorite interventionists head to north Atlanta, the Heroin Triangle, to focus on the heroin epidemic together.

Edited January 6, 2018 by pasdetrois

[pasdetrois]

I watched episodes 1 and 2 as they were shown back to back.

It's always good to see the interventionists on my TV, but I'm disappointed in the advertisements vs. what we actually saw over two hours last night. The ads imply some kind of coordinated, official initiative to fight drugs in northern Atlanta. Instead all we saw were several of the typical interventions, with the addition of one new interventionist and a couple of brief sound bites from officials. I was looking for task forces! Extra police! Efforts to impede the flow of drugs in Atlanta! Statistics on Narcan use! Shutting down pill doctors! Donna did have a conversation with first responders about the strain on their resources. Glad they talked about how easily Fentanyl is transmitted through skin.

Where were Jeff and Sylvia, the latter of whom is a natural for working with southerners? Perhaps they could not leave their work to travel to GA for production.

About the addicts: As soon as we saw the white-car drug duo I suspected the man of having learning disabilities. And he's paired himself with a shrieking harpy taskmaster with insane to-do lists. Why didn't EMS use Narcan on him when he ODed? It appeared they waited for him to "come around" on his own. Maybe the Narcan is in short supply. Also, the girlfriend was a dead ringer for Paula from Real World.

I was glad Candy stated that folks with learning disabilities have a high percentage of substance abuse. Even with excellent family and educational support they suffer from the stigma of being different, day in and day out. People yell at them and make fun of them. It batters one's psyche. Intervention had one long-ago episode with a young man with LD - no addictions that I could recall. He was isolated and lonely; they showed him waiting in a restaurant for friends who never showed up and it broke my heart. I've never forgotten him.

I guess drunk daddy who bailed on rehab has a rage issue. We've had at least one other rageaholic like that - wasn't there one who has died? I can see his face but cannot recall his name. Jason, who crashed cars? And why did they only offer drunk daddy an "intensive" day program? I cannot imagine that working on him - maybe all the show could afford, or insurance?

I'm guessing Toni is a sexual abuse victim - she has all the symptoms.

Maybe we'll see more of a coordinated effort in future episodes.

[Enero]

@pasdetrois - I agree. I live in the Atlanta metro area and have seen local news report on the herion “epidemic” in the area. Therefore, I was looking forward to a) seeing this so called epidemic and b) seeing the work being done to combat it.

Thus far, I’m very disappointed with what has been shown. As stated this was mostly a typical intervention episode. Furthermore I take issue with this panic being parcipitated because white affluent kids are now dying from drugs but there has never been any concern about people of color who are not so affluent becoming addicts. I guess they’re considered lost causes so why does anyone care anyway. But the potential of those from affluence being lost to drugs is so tragic. SMH.

But I digress. I do believe there is an issue here in the Atlanta metro with drugs, but no more terrible than other cities. My understanding is WA, parts of NJ and MA are so much worse ie walking the streets and seeing needles everywhere, seeing people nodding off from their herion high while in line at the grocery etc. Believe me that is not “The Triangle” at all.

That said, I’m most interested in Toni’s story. She looks so young.  It’s obvious she’s not from The Bluffs and of course lives there to support her habit. I also hope to see more focus on what law enforcement, EMTs etc. are doing to combat this issue and how/why this is suddenly an epidemic.

Everyone who are becoming addicts does not have a disability or were injured, prescribed drugs and got hooked. I suspect that what’s happening in society as a whole could be causing more people to choose drugs as well.

I really do hope this doesn’t turn into a 3-4 hour standard intervention episode and that it is what the promos said it would be.

Edited January 6, 2018 by Enero

[Court]

I haven't watched it yet but am interested to. Your responses don't give me much hope, though. I'm really interested since I live in the town where it's focus is.

[Jesse]

4 hours ago, Enero said:

Thus far, I’m very disappointed with what has been shown. As stated this was mostly a typical intervention episode. Furthermore I take issue with this panic being parcipitated because white affluent kids are now dying from drugs but there has never been any concern about people of color who are not so affluent becoming addicts. I guess they’re considered lost causes so why does anyone care anyway. But the potential of those from affluence being lost to drugs is so tragic. SMH.

Yeah, that is gross. 

And I agree that it's less than they made it seem -- and these aren't even satisfying as Intervention episodes, because you don't get the end of the story in the hour!

[PityFree]

 I love Intervention and I enjoyed this episode, but I can’t get over how futile it seems to tackle this gigantic issue by trying to use a handful of interventions.

[Pondlass1]

Life isn't easy.  It's hard.  But no one seems to have coping skills anymore.  Take a pill, shoot up and forget everything.

Same thing with dealing with pain.  I had surgery, I was given medication for pain.  I took as directed until prescription finished and that was that.

It's not so much that they're addicts, it's that they don't want to face real life. 

[tljgator]

I wonder if they either held back extra content, or noted all the complaints ... last night I watched the reruns that they were billing as "new" -- they've added commentary from interventionists describing/explaining the scenes we saw in the original airing. Not sure they're really adding much with the new talking heads, but if you'd like to hear more, look for those episodes instead.

[bichonblitz]

On 1/6/2018 at 0:31 PM, Enero said:

I really do hope this doesn’t turn into a 3-4 hour standard intervention episode

That is exactly what it is.  

[Empress1]

On 1/6/2018 at 0:31 PM, Enero said:

Thus far, I’m very disappointed with what has been shown. As stated this was mostly a typical intervention episode. Furthermore I take issue with this panic being parcipitated because white affluent kids are now dying from drugs but there has never been any concern about people of color who are not so affluent becoming addicts. I guess they’re considered lost causes so why does anyone care anyway. But the potential of those from affluence being lost to drugs is so tragic. SMH.

Agreed on both counts, particularly the latter. Drug abuse is a public health crisis; it was no less a public health crisis in the 80s when crack was killing swaths of Black people. 

I knew Tiffany and her boyfriend were using meth as well - her face and his premature aging (when he said he was 27, I was like "?!") were dead giveaways. Nice Infiniti she's driving; at least it was before it got banged up and she and her boyfriend and their dogs lived in it.

[mellowjoi]

I was praying when the dog got out that he would find a better home than living in a car with two drug heads.  It reminded me of a cat that escaped from one of the hoarder homes,   just trying to get a better life. 

[Atlanta]

A few years ago, a local TV station (11 Alive?) did a great series on The Heroin Triangle.