But since January—when 22-year-old Antonio Rodriguez, a PCP-smoking petty drug dealer from the notorious adjoining Badlands neighborhood, was arrested and charged with the murders—addicts say that police have retreated, leaving them to do their drugs in relative peace. It’s a scene that will look familiar to viewers of HBO’s The Wire, an episode of which, titled “Hamsterdam,” showed Baltimore police effectively legalizing drugs within an established zone of an infested neighborhood. Staff Photographer . Cynthia Kerbaugh, of Berlin, Camden County, said she had been doing well for years in a suboxone treatment program, until her insurance stopped covering the medication about a year ago. » READ MORE: How opioid painkillers became big business in a Philadelphia neighborhood already ravaged by drugs. With more than 1,000 people a year dying of overdoses in Philadelphia — the worst big-city opioid crisis in the nation — city and state officials have scrambled to help more people get into treatment programs. More than 3,000 people have died of drug overdoses here in the last three years, and the city health department estimates that tens of thousands of Philadelphians are addicted to opioids. It’s an environment, they say, that is more tolerant of drug use than ever. These self-described “low-bottom dope fiends” haven’t bathed recently, and many have been “running and gunning” around the clock for days, selling needles and prescription pills, or prostituting on the Avenue to hustle up enough money for another bag of heroin. Kensington Avenue. Some, particularly newcomers to drug use who lack tolerance for opioids, or people whose tolerance has decreased after a period of abstinence, can use it to get high, said Jay, a 28-year-old from New Jersey, who declined to use his full name because of privacy concerns. A man who goes by "El — like the train" — talks about his use of buprenorphine on Kensington Avenue. We respect your inbox. Kensington Avenue's ghoulish world of addiction and prostitution exists outside the law. Crack houses and shooting galleries were raided because women could easily get raped and killed there. Researchers who interviewed 20 drug users in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny and Dauphin Counties last year found that nearly all of the study’s participants had bought buprenorphine off the street to get through withdrawal when heroin was unavailable — or when they didn’t want to use heroin. The number of drug overdose deaths in the city increased by 50% from 2013 to 2015, with more than twice as many deaths from drug overdoses as deaths from homicides in 2015. “Commissioner [Charles] Ramsey does not support it; no one in this department does. Ironically, even some addicts on Kensington Avenue don’t believe in legalization. Subs are Suboxone, a pill containing buprenophine, a drug that eases the pain of heroin withdrawal. » READ MORE: Medicaid expansion states prescribe drugs to treat opioid addiction at higher rates, study finds, “We were explaining to people that to the extent you can limit your drug use to buprenorphine, with or without a prescription, you’re vastly improving your chances of survival, your chances to transition into sustained recovery,” he said. “It costs more to go to the doctor,” she said. Mattresses lie in the mud along the railway where prostitutes trick, and rapes and assaults are common. Packets of buprenorphine, a drug that controls heroin and opioid cravings. Is the city now looking the other way when it comes to heroin users? Tensions Rise in Kensington, Philadelphia as Lockdown Bites. Pennsylvania National Guard walking along Kensington Ave in Philadelphia on Thursday, June 4, 2020. “You can do that in Amsterdam,” Will Sims says, comparing hard-ass Kensington with what he perceives to be the touchy-feely Netherlands, “but this is Philly, and Philly ain’t Amsterdam.”. To that end, a handful of prosecutors around the country have stopped prosecuting people for illegal possession of buprenorphine without a prescription. Eight months ago, the Kensington Strangler was stalking and murdering addicted prostitutes who worked the Avenue. The Streets Department thanks the residents in advance for their patience and cooperation during this project. By continuing to visit this site, you agree to our use of cookies. The RiverWards Group's vision for the renewal of an underutilized commercial plot makes way for an exciting Philadelphia community right on Frankford Avenue. Many progressives endorse the idea of allowing addicts to get high in certain sections of cities without fear of arrest. She was just out of rehab. [Kensington] presents a prime opportunity for a heroin maintenance program where addicts could get heroin legally, safely, and free of cost so they don’t commit robberies and other crimes to support their habits. 04/30/2020 . Temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted in advance of each scheduled activity. Residents are asked not to approach employees or contractors for information as they practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city hopes to expand a police diversion program in Kensington and North Philadelphia, where people with addiction are offered treatment and social services, instead of being arrested. As the epidemic has worsened, city officials, hospitals, and outreach workers have scrambled to address a complicated public health crisis with few easy answers. Shimmer & Shine Accessories . She came, she saw, she bought, She doubted, but she saw my results and that it’s really possible to make this $$$ and said YES to joining the team ‼️I just wanna say CONGRATS to my first BP to my team Brooke Hess ‼️ She got her kit today and sold $35 already …
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