I don't know if this is appropriate to ask - What is the street cost of opioids (fentanyl?)?

[RamblingRose]

Let me explain why - I have a joint checking account with our daughter that's a junior in college. I keep getting email overdraft notices on her account which then draws the money from her savings account. I went online and went through all her transactions and was surprised by what I found - ATM withdrawals in the amount of $40 every couple of days. What college kid pays with cash? She has the usual grocery store purchases, fast food, etc. - all paid with a debit card, along with waaaaay too many purchases at the package store again using her debit card. She also uses Venmo. Looking back at her behavior over the summer while she was home I'm wondering if she is addicted to opioids. I think there's definitely a drinking issue though she won't be 21 until Dec. 7th.

I am trying to get an appointment with a counselor to find out how to address the situation.

[lettucebe]

1. Ask bank to set account to deny overdraws

I have a meth addicted nephew. He also has a joint account with his mother and just recently she told me she was trying to remove the overdraft protection and have it simply deny charges if the account was overdrawn. Not sure if it worked, but worth a try.

As to the street price, I'd think $40 - $60 but I'm guessing.

It could be alcohol -- not hard to imagine a heavy drinker buying $40 worth of booze every couple days. I sympathize with your situation.

[irisblue]

2. I don't know about opioids.

Last edited Tue Nov 17, 2020, 02:45 PM - Edit history (1)

But I do know $40 is 2 boxes of wine. 2 boxes of wine are equivalent to 6 bottles.

But yeah, street corners are cash businesses.

Is there a Narcotics Anonymous group near you?

[catbyte]

3. It sounds like a potential alcohol problem. I know that fentanyl is very expensive. Before I

retired, I was taking 4-800 mcg Fentanyl lollipops/day. I only paid $10 for the prescription, but insurance was charged over $2300/month for them. Forty dollars wouldn't buy much. I still suffer from chronic pain, but was able to wean off the Fentanyl within a month with no ill effects because I didn't need it anymore because I wasn't working. I know it's different for addicts. I think $40 is too low, actually. It doesn't mean she isn't taking a cheaper opiate, though. What makes you think it's Fentanyl?

[BlueTsunami2018]

4. Depends on what you're doing.

Drugs come in all different price ranges. You can get dime ($10) bags of just about anything except for coke which usually comes in dubs ($20 bags) at its lowest point. Pills are more expensive than powder as a rule when it comes to opioids. A single Oxy can be as much as $30. Which is why people turn to the cheaper heroin once they get deeper into it. I’ve never known anyone to sell straight fentanyl, it’s too powerful alone and generally more profit friendly for dealers to cut their heroin with. A pinhead of that shit could potentially kill you.

It could just be weed, which these days goes for about $40 for an eighth. That’ll last two or three days depending.

Hopefully it’s nothing like that at all but I don’t blame you for keeping an eye on it.

[mr_lebowski]

5. There's no way to tie a specific amount of money to a particular drug ...

Also, people don't really purposefully buy fentanyl. People buy things they think are something else ... that then turn out to be tainted with fentanyl (typically heroin) or made of fentanyl (typically 'pirated' hydro/oxy pills whose active ingredient is actually fentanyl ... Prince died from those).

$40 every few days will support a relatively small scale opioid habit. A serious habit is going to run you more like $80-$150/day. And that will be like EVERY day, without fail.

Someone taking out cash very regularly is definitely a red flag unless you know of some other logical explanation.

Here's one thing to try ... see what the pattern is ... if it's every 48 hours or so, try to reach her after like 42 hours. See if you can. See what her mood is when you do. Does she try to get you off the phone unusually quick or not answer? That's a possible sign she's focused on getting her next packet and possibly in withdrawals.

If an EXTRA day suddenly goes by withOUT her taking out money, definitely try calling her then. If she doesn't answer at all ... maybe she's sick and not caring about anything but getting more.

In my using days, if I was out and starting to get sick? I didn't want to talk to ANYBODY ... who was not playing a productive role in the process of getting more dope. They were NOBODY at that moment.

Also try calling her like 3 hours after she takes out money. How does she sound/act then?

[RamblingRose]

7. Thank you for your insight! She will often go days without answering my texts or calls.

A couple of weeks ago I told her if she doesn't respond back I will call the police to check on her. That was BEFORE I had this epiphany.

[mr_lebowski]

11. No problem. Feel free to direct message me if you want to take it offline.

Here's what I'd check ... when you do finally hear back ... is it typically shortly after money has been taken out?

If so, that could mean she's feeling well/happy and that's when you'd want to talk to your parents if you're addicted. When you're out, you don't want NOTHING to do with talking to your parents, believe me. That's the LAST people ...

Don't let on that you're watching her money though til you get more info. All she has to do to throw you off is start buying other stuff when she takes it out so the total isn't $40 even

[RamblingRose]

13. EXACTLY! When she returns my calls she seems happy & talkative. I brush it aside & think all is well

[mr_lebowski]

15. Match your phone records with your bank records ...

If you see a consistent pattern that you hear back after money was taken out, well ...

Doesn't mean it HAS to be opioids though, could be anything.

But it's probably something ... and I doubt it's booze, pot, or nicotine, sorry to say

[RamblingRose]

18. YOU NAILED IT! She made an $80 withrdrawal today. I called her but she didn't answer her phone.

She just called me back and was very cheerful and talkative. We talked for almost an hour. This is where I usually start thinking everything is fine and she's ok, however her bank account tells me otherwise.

Today's ATM debit brings the total, starting from October 26, to $400.

She's going to run out of money fast. I'm afraid of what comes next.

[mr_lebowski]

19. Well, the good news is ... $400 in that amount of time ... that's not that much $ ...

I could've done up $400 worth in 3 days easy back in my day.

So ... assuming she doesn't have some other source (like a SO who's using with her and buys most of the time, or some source of cash money you're not aware of) then she's not doing THAT much of whatever it is.

What I'd do is try to figure out the pattern of the withdrawals such that you know how long $80 'worth' would last. So if she takes our $40 every 3 days, 80 should last 6 days, for example.

Then come up with something you can 'sell' as being urgent and send a text saying that you need to talk on the phone right away ... either the 5th night or the morning of the 6th day. See if she doesn't get back you (or puts you off via text) until a few hours after she makes a withdrawal. Make sure she didn't make an early withdrawal first though of course. If she has already, then wait til next time to send the text.

See what I'm saying? Next step is to figure out if she's always unreachable right before taking out money and then is cool with talking and happy right after.

Again, doesn't HAVE to be opioids ... but if you establish what I'm describing here as a definite pattern ... I would bet money that it's drugs of some kind.

Sorry about all this People do get off of them though, and stay off them. I know many who have

[RamblingRose]

6. she got addicted to nicotine by vaping. A counselor once told me nicotine is a gateway drug

The package store purchases are every couple of days and are anywhere from $10-$20 on her debit card.

I've heard people say that you've got to admit you have a problem before you can get help.

At 20 they think they're invincible.

She's not going to listen to anything my husband or I have to say so I'm slowly watching her kill herself.

[mr_lebowski]

12. Tell her if she's going to vape she should buy a mod and juice to refill it separately.

Buy 'cig-alikes' like Juul is a TOTAL RIPOFF.

I vape like a freaking fiend and it costs me like $40 A MONTH. Cause I have a refillable unit and buy the juice in 240ML bottles for $40.

[Midnightwalk]

8. Package store as in liquor store?

That’d make sense and you mentioned suspecting a drinking problem. I’d say you’re right in worrying about a substance abuse problem and maybe don’t focus on which one specifically.

Others might be able to give more practical advice. Talking to a counselor seems like a good idea.

Sorry to hear about it. Hope it turns out ok.

[Freddie]

9. That is exactly what my son used to do

He is a recovering heroin addict, almost 5 years clean now. Had a joint checking account and I could monitor his spending. Always the same amount of cash at the same ATM - I found out that particular convenience store is where the drugs are sold in the parking lot. Plus he was ALWAYS asking for $$.
You have every reason to be concerned. My son always got on the Dean’s List even while being an active addict, some people can hide it really well. I hope you can get her help.

[RamblingRose]

10. Yup. Hope Scholarship at UGA. I looked it up & the ATM is at the convenience store.

She didn't get it together to request an absentee ballot or vote which is the other reason I became suspicious. I've been texting her the link to request an absentee ballot

[mr_lebowski]

14. After a time you're just using to feel normal, you don't get high anymore ...

And it's actually really easy to work/study high on opioids. It's more fun actually.

Honestly the biggest downsides of opioid addiction comes from the incredibly high cost (relative to what it costs to make), the difficulty of attaining the steady supply that you need, and the shady characters you end up dealing with. OH, and going to jail if you get caught.

If I could just go to the corner drug and buy a days worth of dilaudid or oxycodone for $10 like I could with cigs or booze ... I might just have decided to be an addict until I die. Which taking pharmaceutical opioids does not hasten (as long as not using needles), believe it or not.

Honestly it's the illegality that makes opioid addiction terrible. But many people are actively addicted for many many years and just go about their business, achieving and accomplishing things and living an otherwise normal life. But you need a steady supply somehow.

[RockCreek]

16. This site gives info for place, type, etc

https://streetrx.com/

[RamblingRose]

17. Wow. It's amazing what you can find on the internet.