Man tries to steal and cycle bike away - while it's still locked to the railings

Foxhound38

Will you take me to... junkie tooown

Anyone else think the zombie problem in the capital and the cities is getting worse instead of better since the crash?

the groutch

He's definitely a dope peddler.

The_Valeyard

A wheelie bad thief. Fair play to the Garda for the speedy arrest. I wonder if he tried to pedaddle when he saw the gardai coming.

The public are encountering an ever-increasing number of people daily in the city centre who appear to be under the influence of illegal drugs.

Just look at that slant. The focus is not that there's an increasing addiction problem, and that this represents a life-changing crisis for an increasing number of people; instead, it's "An addict tried to cycle a locked bike" (hilarious!) and 'isn't it awful we have to see these people?'

A woman rang into Joe Duffy last week complaining, without a hint of irony, that seeing junkies on O'Connell Street had 'ruined' a night out socialising with her friend. Not a second thought given to how those "junkies'" lives were ruined, as if addiction is a lifestyle choice for inherent wrong 'uns.

Sorry to be a humourless bastard, I know it's AH, but this isn't at all funny nor sensible reporting.

4ensic15

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The public are encountering an ever-increasing number of people daily in the city centre who appear to be under the influence of illegal drugs.

Just look at that slant. The focus is not that there's an increasing addiction problem, and that this represents a life-changing crisis for an increasing number of people; instead, it's "An addict tried to cycle a locked bike" (hilarious!) and 'isn't it awful we have to see these people?'

A woman rang into Joe Duffy last week complaining, without a hint of irony, that seeing junkies on O'Connell Street had 'ruined' a night out socialising with her friend. Not a second thought given to how those "junkies'" lives were ruined, as if addiction is a lifestyle choice for inherent wrong 'uns.

Sorry to be a humourless bastard, I know it's AH, but this isn't at all funny nor sensible reporting.

Its bad enough having to look at and encounter junkies without having to feel sorry for them as well.

Drakares

I'm sure it was a lovely sight for the tourists passing by. Welcome to Dublin!

Jawgap

The cycle of addiction

Tombo2001

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The public are encountering an ever-increasing number of people daily in the city centre who appear to be under the influence of illegal drugs.

Just look at that slant. The focus is not that there's an increasing addiction problem, and that this represents a life-changing crisis for an increasing number of people; instead, it's "An addict tried to cycle a locked bike" (hilarious!) and 'isn't it awful we have to see these people?'

A woman rang into Joe Duffy last week complaining, without a hint of irony, that seeing junkies on O'Connell Street had 'ruined' a night out socialising with her friend. Not a second thought given to how those "junkies'" lives were ruined, as if addiction is a lifestyle choice for inherent wrong 'uns.

Sorry to be a humourless bastard, I know it's AH, but this isn't at all funny nor sensible reporting.

When you de-humanize people, it becomes a lot easier not to give a sh*t about them. Its a popular media trick that plays right into the way the human psyche works.


You are spot on about the wording......"The public" are encountering these people, ergo they are not part of the public, they are separate from everyone else.....

Kings Inns or bust

It really is about time we gave these lads somewhere to go. I suspect it would be best, given the OP, that it was in walking distance.

The amount of misery to everyone including the junkies that could be avoided buy handing out free heroin etc. is absolutely stunning. It amazes me that this is still a political football in this day and age.

Tombo2001

Drakares wrote: »

I'm sure it was a lovely sight for the tourists passing by. Welcome to Dublin!

Ah yeah, cause we all care a lot more about tourists than our own......

SteM

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The public are encountering an ever-increasing number of people daily in the city centre who appear to be under the influence of illegal drugs.

Just look at that slant. The focus is not that there's an increasing addiction problem, and that this represents a life-changing crisis for an increasing number of people; instead, it's "An addict tried to cycle a locked bike" (hilarious!) and 'isn't it awful we have to see these people?'

A woman rang into Joe Duffy last week complaining, without a hint of irony, that seeing junkies on O'Connell Street had 'ruined' a night out socialising with her friend. Not a second thought given to how those "junkies'" lives were ruined, as if addiction is a lifestyle choice for inherent wrong 'uns.

Sorry to be a humourless bastard, I know it's AH, but this isn't at all funny nor sensible reporting.

Why take that particular paragraph, is it just because it suits your argument? There's another paragraph in the piece.....

"The incident in the city centre was yet another example of the scourge of illegal drugs in Dublin and its harmful effects."

SteM

SteM wrote: »

"The incident in the city centre was yet another example of the scourge of illegal drugs in Dublin and its harmful effects."

Read your own quote. The attempt to cycle a stolen bike is an example of the 'scourge'. The scourge of addiction on our fellow citizens' lives is not specified.

The guy was a chancer, I happen to think he ought to be prosecuted. But in the scheme of things, the article's focus is totally warped, in my view.

gramar

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The public are encountering an ever-increasing number of people daily in the city centre who appear to be under the influence of illegal drugs.

Just look at that slant. The focus is not that there's an increasing addiction problem, and that this represents a life-changing crisis for an increasing number of people; instead, it's "An addict tried to cycle a locked bike" (hilarious!) and 'isn't it awful we have to see these people?'

A woman rang into Joe Duffy last week complaining, without a hint of irony, that seeing junkies on O'Connell Street had 'ruined' a night out socialising with her friend. Not a second thought given to how those "junkies'" lives were ruined, as if addiction is a lifestyle choice for inherent wrong 'uns.

Sorry to be a humourless bastard, I know it's AH, but this isn't at all funny nor sensible reporting.

Watching someone trying to cycle a locked bicycle if funny on the face of it but I entirely agree that it quite sad to think of the events in that persons life that has led them to that point.

The Backwards Man

To be fair, the Indo thinks anyone who hasn't a holiday home in the French Riviera is part the 'scourge'.

Winterlong

He is not even wearing a helmet. Shocking.

Foxhound38

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The public are encountering an ever-increasing number of people daily in the city centre who appear to be under the influence of illegal drugs.

Just look at that slant. The focus is not that there's an increasing addiction problem, and that this represents a life-changing crisis for an increasing number of people; instead, it's "An addict tried to cycle a locked bike" (hilarious!) and 'isn't it awful we have to see these people?'

A woman rang into Joe Duffy last week complaining, without a hint of irony, that seeing junkies on O'Connell Street had 'ruined' a night out socialising with her friend. Not a second thought given to how those "junkies'" lives were ruined, as if addiction is a lifestyle choice for inherent wrong 'uns.

Sorry to be a humourless bastard, I know it's AH, but this isn't at all funny nor sensible reporting.

It is a lifestyle choice - I feel bad for the old timers who got hooked without knowing what heroin was and what it did, but the zombies crawling around O'Connell Street cannot claim to have been ignorant of it before starting. It's sad, but it's entirely self-inflicted - sorry to be harsh about it.

suicide_circus

My sympathy mainly lies with the victims of this guys no doubt continuous theft spree

Speedwell

Foxhound38 wrote: »

It is a lifestyle choice - I feel bad for the old timers who got hooked without knowing what heroin was and what it did, but the zombies crawling around O'Connell Street cannot claim to have been ignorant of it before starting. It's sad, but it's entirely self-inflicted - sorry to be harsh about it.

I wonder how many people addicted to heroin and other opiates started with legally prescribed or hospital-administered narcotics for pain. My brother in the US had to go on methadone treatment after his doctor badly managed his long-term treatment and his chemist never questioned why he had been taking narcotics for so long. He was on the methadone until he died.

Wanderer78

People posting without having any understanding of drug addiction and mental health problems! We 've a long way to go!

Tombo2001

Foxhound38 wrote: »

It is a lifestyle choice - I feel bad for the old timers who got hooked without knowing what heroin was and what it did, but the zombies crawling around O'Connell Street cannot claim to have been ignorant of it before starting. It's sad, but it's entirely self-inflicted - sorry to be harsh about it.

You cant reconcile that with the fact that heroin use is very heavily concentrated in particular pockets of Dublin and has been for close on three generations.

Its part of the culture of those areas.

Its like saying that Gaelic Football is a lifestyle choice in Kerry. No, its something that everybody in Kerry is exposed to from an early age.

Your parents did it, your grandparents did it. And when you get to your teenage years, everyone else is doing it so you may get into it too.

Foxhound38

Foxhound38 wrote: »

It is a lifestyle choice - I feel bad for the old timers who got hooked without knowing what heroin was and what it did, but the zombies crawling around O'Connell Street cannot claim to have been ignorant of it before starting. It's sad, but it's entirely self-inflicted - sorry to be harsh about it.

A recent survey of Dubliners who were injecting heroin found that the median age of their first use was 16 years of age. The midspread was between 14 and 18.

http://www.dtcb.ie/_fileupload/publications/2012%20The%20journey%20into%20injecting%20heroin%20use.%20Heroin%20Addiction%20and%20Related%20Clinical%20Problems.%20europad.org.pdf

Three-quarters said they would not inject if they could go back to their childhood years. They don't have that luxury.

Heroin addiction in young people is strongly correlated with poverty, chaotic families, sexual abuse and other trauma.

Most of us were lucky (yes, lucky )to have avoided a life of those miseries. The least we can do is not turn our backs and laugh at those who were a lot less fortunate.

Butters1979

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The public are encountering an ever-increasing number of people daily in the city centre who appear to be under the influence of illegal drugs.

Just look at that slant. The focus is not that there's an increasing addiction problem, and that this represents a life-changing crisis for an increasing number of people; instead, it's "An addict tried to cycle a locked bike" (hilarious!) and 'isn't it awful we have to see these people?'

A woman rang into Joe Duffy last week complaining, without a hint of irony, that seeing junkies on O'Connell Street had 'ruined' a night out socialising with her friend. Not a second thought given to how those "junkies'" lives were ruined, as if addiction is a lifestyle choice for inherent wrong 'uns.

Sorry to be a humourless bastard, I know it's AH, but this isn't at all funny nor sensible reporting.

And who grabbed these people and forced them to start taking drugs?
Some people grew up in a disadvantaged situation. Some dealt with it and did their best with what they had , others used it as an excuse to give up and now go around commiting criminal acts or begging to fund their addiction. No ones fault but their own.

Butters1979

Butters1979 wrote: »

And who grabbed these people and forced them to start taking drugs?

The point is the amount of people who began taking drugs when they were in their mid-teens, or younger. These were children, many of whom were brought up in very unstable families or in care. They weren't adults making rational choices.

Wanderer78

Butters1979 wrote:

And who grabbed these people and forced them to start taking drugs? Some people grew up in a disadvantaged situation. Some dealt with it and did their best with what they had , others used it as an excuse to give up and now go around commiting criminal acts or begging to fund their addiction. No ones fault but their own.

Oh good God, please don't ever work with people with complex issues such as mental health issues and addiction problems. Thank you

SEPT 23 1989

If they were only taking clean heroin we wouldn't see people in that state

Butters1979

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Oh good God, please don't ever work with people with complex issues such as mental health issues and addiction problems. Thank you

Please don't ever work with victims of crime by addicts and junkies. Apparently it's all our fault.

Kings Inns or bust

Butters1979 wrote: »

Please don't ever work with victims of crime by addicts and junkies. Apparently it's all our fault.

It's largely the junkies fault but as a society we've been frankly retarded (I pick that word deliberately) in not taking the obvious and cost effective solutions.

foggy_lad

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The public are encountering an ever-increasing number of people daily in the city centre who appear to be under the influence of illegal drugs.

Most of these zombies are not on heroin but they are abusing prescription medication, particularly the medication that is doled out to mental health patients in monthly clinics at most large health centres in the city. They get all their anti-depressants and heavy duty sleeping tablets including Rohypnol as well as stronger doses of Valium than most doctors would be comfortable prescribing. These drugs are then saved up and traded by these people for cash or other drugs or for items like phones etc.

Just look at that slant. The focus is not that there's an increasing addiction problem, and that this represents a life-changing crisis for an increasing number of people; instead, it's "An addict tried to cycle a locked bike" (hilarious!) and 'isn't it awful we have to see these people?'

These people used to be kept off the streets in day centres and in day wards of mental hospitals but the cuts in health care and especially the cuts to mental health care have meant that these people are left to their own devices once their chemical kosh has been dispensed! They have been switched to "care in the community" But most communities have their own problems and are not equipped to take care of the mentally ill.

A woman rang into Joe Duffy last week complaining, without a hint of irony, that seeing junkies on O'Connell Street had 'ruined' a night out socialising with her friend. Not a second thought given to how those "junkies'" lives were ruined, as if addiction is a lifestyle choice for inherent wrong 'uns.

Sorry to be a humourless bastard, I know it's AH, but this isn't at all funny nor sensible reporting.

The lives of many with mental health issues can be ruined simply by them being left to the care of the state. They are left to their own devices and simply drugged and told to go home and sleep it off and come back next month.

If the state cared about any of these people they would spend a lot more on mental health.

Wanderer78

Butters1979 wrote: »

Please don't ever work with victims of crime by addicts and junkies. Apparently it's all our fault.

your posting shows that you have very little understanding of these complex issues. plenty of info out there on the weird wide web about these issues including 'cause and effect'. as other have said, we really are approaching these issues incorrectly.

Butters1979

Wanderer78 wrote: »

your posting shows that you have very little understanding of these complex issues. plenty of info out there on the weird wide web about these issues including 'cause and effect'. as other have said, we really are approaching these issues incorrectly.

I've no concern about cause and effect. Only concern about consequences for their victims. You say that's approaching these issues incorrectly. I say it's not. We have different views of the world. Please don't tell me mine is becuase I understand less than you. You have no idea what I understand. Your arrogance stinks.

Foxhound38

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Oh good God, please don't ever work with people with complex issues such as mental health issues and addiction problems. Thank you

At what point does it stop being society's fault and start being the responsibility of the person engaging in criminality to put toxic waste up their arm?

They are swarming around the city centre stealing, hassling tourists and being a general anti-social nuisance and yet to some people it's the ordinary hardworking Joe trying to get through a days work that is to blame for it because the Junkie didn't get enough hugs as a child? PLENTY of people didn't come from advantaged areas and managed to get out without getting themselves addicted to Heroin.

In what way does it help anyone to absolve a section of society from having to take even a modicum of responsibility for their own lives and actions?

ScumLord

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The public are encountering an ever-increasing number of people daily in the city centre who appear to be under the influence of illegal Prescription drugs.

If I'm reading the article correctly..

Foxhound38 wrote: »

At what point does it stop being society's fault and start being the responsibility

Never, junkies, homeless people, criminals, are all a byproduct of how our society works. Our society generates these types of people. It's not about convincing them about right or wrong, you can't educate it out if the conditions remain the same and you can't punish it out.. Change society or these people will continue to be generated.

OhHiMark

Butters1979 wrote: »

I've no concern about cause and effect. Only concern about consequences for their victims. You say that's approaching these issues incorrectly. I say it's not. We have different views of the world. Please don't tell me mine is becuase I understand less than you. You have no idea what I understand. Your arrogance stinks.

If you've no concern about cause and effect then you're undoubtedly approaching it incorrectly. Do you think the war on drugs worldwide since the 70s has been a good or a bad thing? Trillions of dollars spent on fighting it with absolutely no effect. Clearly the approach we're taking is wrong and needs to be changed.

Birneybau

Going back to the o.p., what kind of tart records the whole thing on their phone? Get a fcuking life.

Foxhound38

ScumLord wrote: »

Never, junkies, homeless people, criminals, are all a byproduct of how our society works. Our society generates these types of people. It's not about convincing them about right or wrong, you can't educate it out if the conditions remain the same and you can't punish it out.. Change society or these people will continue to be generated.

So if I decide to put a needle in my arm, knowing full well that it will destroy my life, I don't have to blame myself but am perfectly entitled to blame society instead?

People are born into differing circumstances - but they alone remain responsible for the choices they do make. I'm far from convinced that the culture of allowing a certain section of society (not all of whom are junkies, in fairness) to take absolutely no responsibility for their own decisions, the situations they find themselves in or the actions they undertake (the standard "he had a hard upbringing Judge" suspended sentence defence) does society or these people themselves any good whatsoever.

If nobody expects, at any stage, a certain group of people to act responsibly - and offer no real punishment for failing to do so, then why would they act responsibly?

ScumLord

ScumLord wrote:

Never, junkies, homeless people, criminals, are all a byproduct of how our society works. Our society generates these types of people. It's not about convincing them about right or wrong, you can't educate it out if the conditions remain the same and you can't punish it out.. Change society or these people will continue to be generated.

Bull **** of the highest order.

suicide_circus

Birneybau wrote: »

Going back to the o.p., what kind of tart records the whole thing on their phone? Get a fcuking life.

Good word

longshot911

Wanting to take drugs is normal.

Our government should seek to ensure that people take drugs in the safest manner possible.

Prohibiting all drugs is stupid and foolhardy. It is prohibition which is the scourge on society.

Drug users could be fine, if they didn't have to pay for their own supply.

The government is to blame for failing or refusing to make drugs legal.

How bad must our cities get before action is taken?

Drugs should be legalised.

Overheal

SteM wrote: »

Why take that particular paragraph, is it just because it suits your argument? There's another paragraph in the piece.....

"The incident in the city centre was yet another example of the scourge of illegal drugs in Dublin and its harmful effects."

That is not a paragraph...

arybvtcw0eolkf

Foxhound38 wrote: »

It is a lifestyle choice - I feel bad for the old timers who got hooked without knowing what heroin was and what it did, but the zombies crawling around O'Connell Street cannot claim to have been ignorant of it before starting. It's sad, but it's entirely self-inflicted - sorry to be harsh about it.

A lot of them are also second and even third generation addicts who were born into addiction & NOT self inflicted.

vicwatson

Can't watch videos with their 30 second ads on that rag of a website

Rakish Paddy

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The point is the amount of people who began taking drugs when they were in their mid-teens, or younger. These were children, many of whom were brought up in very unstable families or in care. They weren't adults making rational choices.

Jayson Lemon Symmetry wrote: »

A lot of them are also second and even third generation addicts who were born into addiction & NOT self inflicted.

Sorry to go a bit off-topic, but are those two compelling arguments to repeal the 8th? If abortion was easily available and free/affordable to those who couldn't otherwise pay, would it reduce the problem dramatically in a generation?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Rakish Paddy wrote: »

Sorry to go a bit off-topic, but are those two compelling arguments to repeal the 8th? If abortion was easily available and free/affordable to those who couldn't otherwise pay, would it reduce the problem dramatically in a generation?

I've no idea.. I'm all abortion & couldn't give a toss about peoples moral objections to it.. But would addicted mothers have the presence of mind to opt for an abortion is another question.

And we can't make them have abortions, if a female addict wants to keep her baby its not for anyone to say otherwise.

I've a lot of sympathy for addicts and have lots of dealings with them around the quays & Templebar (Dublin) most weekends. I believe in the vast majority of cases its not a lifestyle choice.

There's a very good series of youtube clips interviewing some addicts on Dublin streets, its worth a look. But be warned people who want to feel all superior and judgemental, this puts a human face on the addicts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzJjDYdELbs

Its also worth baring in mind that unlike most of us here who hope & can expect to die of old age or later in life that most if not all the people in these clips won't.. Without breaking the cycle of their addiction then sadly most will die very young.

MOH

SteM wrote: »

Why take that particular paragraph, is it just because it suits your argument? There's another paragraph in the piece.....

"The incident in the city centre was yet another example of the scourge of illegal drugs in Dublin and its harmful effects."

More like the article is yet another example of the scourge of "journalism" in Ireland and it's inability to produce coherent articles.

There's no mention of illegal drugs anywhere. Plus the entire article is based on a claim "a passer-by" that he overheard the "addict" being asked why he had prescription drugs in someone else's name.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

I think what we'd all do well to remember is the fact addiction could come knocking at any of our doors. All it may take is one traumatic incident to send someone over the edge. All those people, they're someone's child, sibling or parent.

Nobody wants to grow up to be a waster that everyone else is disgusted by. Nobody wants to be reliant on something that could kill them just to function. Nobody wants to take a sh1t on the street like a dog.

They're still people and at the very least they should be treated as such.


Addiction is whole different complex ballgame. It's not nice, I agree, but I don't think anyone in a good place would willingly go into that situation. I do think we as a nation need to do more to help them, but I'm not in favour of free heroin or shooting up clinics

Dyr

Tombo2001 wrote: »

When you de-humanize people, it becomes a lot easier not to give a sh*t about them. Its a popular media trick that plays right into the way the human psyche works.


You are spot on about the wording......"The public" are encountering these people, ergo they are not part of the public, they are separate from everyone else.....

I grew up in the 80s in an area that was riddled with drugs, some junkies were just unfortunate individuals who did no harm to anyone but themselves but most of them were scumbags long before they went near any drug.

Nowadays you've people who haven't read the f**king memo that heroin is highly addictive how much sympathy can you have?

Turtyturd

Bambi wrote: »

I grew up in the 80s in an area that was riddled with drugs, some junkies were just unfortunate individuals who did no harm to anyone but themselves but most of them were scumbags long before they went near any drug.

Nowadays you've people who haven't read the f**king memo that heroin is highly addictive how much sympathy can you have?

Would agree with that. Grew up in an area with similar problems and a lot of people I grew up with are now locked up or junkies but these people were identifiable even back then. Most of us were little sh!ts, did stuff we shouldn't have, and got into trouble but most of us knew where to draw the line, the ones that didn't are the ones stung out or in prison.

Wonder how different the general attitude would be though if it was just some drunk guy trying the same thing.

OhHiMark

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Addiction is whole different complex ballgame. It's not nice, I agree, but I don't think anyone in a good place would willingly go into that situation. I do think we as a nation need to do more to help them, but I'm not in favour of free heroin or shooting up clinics

Why aren't you in favour of injecting clinics?

ScumLord

Foxhound38 wrote: »

So if I decide to put a needle in my arm, knowing full well that it will destroy my life, I don't have to blame myself but am perfectly entitled to blame society instead?

There doesn't seem to be any appreciation for how different, how bad, how inclosed life can be in these areas. Many of them are uneducated and full of all sorts of nonsense, they can have a very warped view of the world and don't really fully understand many things. Others can just have lost hope, without any useful social skills they compensate in damaging ways. There are all sorts of reasons. It's not about blaming society either. Drug crime is something invented by our judicial system, it didn't really exist in the way we know it today before prohibition. Legalised drugs would leave us with drug addiction to deal with.

People are born into differing circumstances - but they alone remain responsible for the choices they do make.

I'm far from convinced that the culture of allowing a certain section of society (not all of whom are junkies, in fairness) to take absolutely no responsibility for their own decisions, the situations they find themselves in or the actions they undertake (the standard "he had a hard upbringing Judge" suspended sentence defence) does society or these people themselves any good whatsoever.

We do force them to accept responsibility, they get arrested and charged. Whether that punishment is severe enough is another issue.

We can't over look the fact that nearly every urban centre of the western world develops the same problems in poorer parts of their city. It's not a culture that people are exchanging and deciding is a great way to live. It's a reaction to the way our societies work, less opportunity, less education, and stigmatising people because of where they live and their employment status. We can blame them all we want but that's done nothing to change the fact if we create impoverished places they generate undesirable behaviour.

Turtyturd wrote: »

Wonder how different the general attitude would be though if it was just some drunk guy trying the same thing.

A drunk wouldn't have the coordination to try and steal the bike without injuring themselves. If it was clearly your average person he's actions would be dismissed as drunken shenanigans. If he was homeless he'd be seen as a thieving scumbag. Even though the homeless guy may have a greater need to steal the bike, whereas the tax paying citizen was only doing it to be a prick.

Birneybau

OhHiMark wrote: »

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Addiction is whole different complex ballgame. It's not nice, I agree, but I don't think anyone in a good place would willingly go into that situation. I do think we as a nation need to do more to help them, but I'm not in favour of free heroin or shooting up clinics

Why aren't you in favour of injecting clinics?

Yeah, I'm baffled as well. Talks about doing more and then disagrees with some sensible solutions.

endacl

Reopen Spike Island. Not as a prison. More like a reservation. Three goes at rehab, and then off to spending the remainder of ones junk addled days on an idyllic island paradise. Food and drug drops twice a week. Let them sort out a junkie utopia themselves. Every one gets a free bike. I mean, it ticks all the boxes. All a junkie wants is to wander around aimlessly all day, a regular supply of their drug of choice, and free bicycles.