I am upbraided for my ignorance about junkies

A reader writes:

I was taken aback at your question about what looters would want from a hospital. What looters look for in hospitals is drugs. Hospital pharmacies carry more drugs, in larger quantities than your local Walgreen’s. They have the strong pain killers like morphine, Demerol, oxycontin, and many other street-valuable items that the drugstore doesn’t have in large quantities, and the major and minor tranquilizers, and drugs that act as uppers in an abuser. They also have anesthetics, such as nitrous oxide, that some like to get high on. They have syringes, and chemicals to make all sorts of so-called recreational drugs. They’ll take anything. It’s highly saleable. Hospitals also have large quantities of cash and checks, and computers and TV sets. A hospital is the ultimate shopping experience for a junkie.

My dad owned a small 20-bed hospital in a small town. He occasionally had problems with transients, junkies, breaking in. His bag was often stolen from his car if he didn’t lock it in the trunk. Doctors are sought after for what they often carry. We lived in rural farming community in north central Oklahoma, and everyone knew everyone else and that was in the 40’s and 50’s. If it can happen there, you can be sure it’s going to happen in a big city hospital in this day and age.

I’m not streetwise, I admit. I know about human evil, however.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at September 02, 2005 03:08 PM | Send