Complacency Kills #
The contents of this book are deadly serious, and will hopefully convince you that practicing harm reduction is a necessity, not an optional extra. Always remember that addiction can strike anyone, and that the consequences of a mishap can be dire.
The stark and grim truth of these words is all too often illustrated across social media drug groups: real people losing real lives leaving real suffering behind them. The following randomly chosen posts were taken from Reddit’s r/drugs subreddit:
A particularly harrowing route to the same end is illustrated by the following photographs, which I took in a major US city. The police incident tape, personal belongings and used paraphernalia suggest that the homeless victim (who was in situ when I walked past on the previous evening) had perished during the night. This was subsequently cleaned up such that it appeared as though nothing had ever happened there. I felt sick, and still do when I see these images.
An addiction therapist once told me that we are all just four bad decisions away from homelessness and addiction. I have no idea where this theory originated, but I have no reason to doubt it. Whatever drug you use, be cautious and never skip the safety measures, as described here and elsewhere. Remember that complacency kills.