#13: The (Street) Gospel According to Kenneth #1.

About getting off opioids.

NOTE: The following is simply what one guy says about addiction, rehab, and addictive behavior. Kenny’s a serious pothead and talks to everyone but doesn’t do hard drugs. There’s undoubtedly a lot of subjectivity and even inaccuracy in what follows.

Whenever I ask Kenny about anyone or anything I encounter downtown, he begins by despairing of my naiveté. And then answers the question. Sort of. I recently learned that sometimes people get a prescription for Suboxone and sell it so they can buy fentanyl or heroin (and/or whatever’s in that plastic baggie.) Which made me wonder who’s, then, buying the Suboxone?

So, I asked Kenny. Who, as usual, didn’t really answer my questions, but said some interesting things in the process.

This is edited for length since everything Kenny says desperately needs editing. I also rewrote in a few places so it makes some semblance of sense.

I began the conversation by threatening to record him:

K: Careful, I’ll start talking like a regular human being. 

D: That’s the last thing I have to worry about. OK. The Suboxone question.

K: The thing is, most fentanyl and heroin addicts, even the crackheads, there’s a shame that comes with that that is almost self-obliterating. They are so horribly ashamed that even if they have an apartment, sometimes they’ll go somewhere else to do their needles because they don’t want to contaminate their own apartment with energy. 

D: So if you're not getting your Suboxone for some reason and you’re serious about trying to quit, and some street dealer like Jimmy has Suboxone to sell as well as fentanyl, why not buy the Suboxone if you’re already on it?

K: What they do is have an Rx for Suboxone so they sell their Rx.

D: I know. I just said that.

K. Why are we focusing on my friend Jimmy? I turned him in three times when I first met him, he went right back out on the street. 

D: That's not the point. The point is that when someone needs like $10 for a hit of fentanyl.

K: It’s more like $15 I’ve heard.

D: I’ve heard $10-$15.

K: The other thing is one of the nicknames is “Wax” ‘cause it came in a little tiny wax bag with a stamp. It was the image of Satan for a while …and, well, [eagerly] you know how we’re going to arrest them. All of them? Right?

D: No, Kenny, I don’t know how we’re going to arrest all of them.

K: The copyright law.

D: The copyright law….

K: ‘Cause they’re using a Superman symbol now. It's copyright infringement. We got them man…

D: Great idea. Back to the point. Okay, so if you have 10 or 15 bucks and you can’t get your Suboxone ‘cause you don’t have insurance or you missed some appointment at the Clinic, and you feel guilty about doing hard drugs… 

K: Well, no if you have the 15 bucks, you don't feel guilty, your brain simply goes into search mode. 

D: Okay. Right. 

K: There’s nothing else. You should see them. When they're walking, they're searching. Like that girl last night. They’re v’room! ‘Cause someone gave her some money. 

D: [Makes exasperated face]

K: Don't make that face I’m in love with her. 

D: I was making the face at you, not her. Anyway, you’re in love with all people

K: I love all people, Exactly. 

D: I’m just trying to get the answer to one question. 

K: Yes?

D: If someone runs out of their Suboxone, which happens for all kinds of reasons…

K: Of course, they’re going to “jones,” they’re going to go through withdrawal, right? 

D: But if Jimmy has, or someone has Suboxone they are selling.

K: [Squirrel approaches] He’s my friend, he eats right out of my hand. “Not now! I don’t have anything!” He’ll stay right here…oh part of his tail got chopped off.

D: [sigh] So if someone can go and get Suboxone ‘cause they they’re really trying to quit but can’t get up to the Clinic and get their dose. Why don’t they buy Suboxone from Jimmy instead of fentanyl?

I’m asking this question mainly based on my interactions with “Bruce” in the previous two Street Creds: No Exceptions Part 1 and Part 2.

K: Because they don’t have the money. 

D: C’mon, no way Suboxone is more expensive than fentanyl.

K. Depends on how much you want it and what the person needs the money for ‘cause the person who’s getting the money is buying the drugs with that money. So, it’s always a desperate… 

D: But it can't be more than a dose of fentanyl. 

K: Of course not, it’ll be way less. It’s illegal.

D: Duh..So, why? Who’s Jimmy selling that Suboxone to?  

K: Anyone who thinks they might want to quit, or they’re jonesing. And that's the only thing they think they can get because it's cheaper. You've got to stop the pain. [To squirrel] Oh you poor little guy. 

D: Okay, so when someone says to me I need to get just a couple more hits of fentanyl until I can get an appointment at the Clinic.

K: Oh, wait a minute. Now I know why you’re doing these questions. 

D: Why?

K: You're being played all the time, David.

D: I know that. That's why I’m asking this. So I can figure out how much they’re lying to me.

K: They will say anything to you to get the money out of you. They’ll lie, cheat, steal.

D: Still, I'm trying to figure out the degree to which they lie. Which you’ve kind of answered. They lie all the time.

K: 100%. ‘Specially when they look really contrite and they’re trying and they’re looking you in the eyes and boy are they good at that. They get me every time. I gave a guy thousands for his apartment¹ and he was doing crack with it. Then he stole the rest of my money. He doesn't give a f—-. Now, he’s not doing crack, he's kind of Ok but the lure…by the way he didn't pay his dealer. So they came from Holyoke and pop, two, 9-millimeter rounds under his girlfriend's window, but it was wrong house. Welcome to our town.

Shortly after talking to Kenny I had a conversation with two other friends who have more experience than Kenny with both hard drugs and rehab. I’ll post that tomorrow or Friday,

1. This could be true. Kenny lives on virtually nothing and saves his SSI payments to give to other people. He also comes from money…although it’s not clear whether he’s been cut off from it or not.