No smoking! Convicts go cold turkey

[orleans]

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The state's new indoor smoking ban is creating problems for thousands of smokers forced to quit cold turkey and face withdrawal in an unrelenting place: Prison.

On Jan. 1, Illinois joined 18 other states and made it illegal to light up in virtually every public place statewide. The ban applies to bars, restaurants, offices, and even the state's 28 prisons.

But unlike other public places, where smokers can step outside — at least 15 feet away from a building entrance, ventilation intake or an open window — inmates are out of luck.

snip

Experts say the effects of quitting increase irritability and some inmates who have other issues, like mental health problems, could even need psychological attention.

(more)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-prison_smokes_webjan14,1,3714199.story

not even a nicotine patch? what a drag.

:smoke:

(on edit: spell check--guess i did okay)

[NanceGreggs]

1. Oh, this is going to turn out well ...

... about as well as the spreading of democracy in the Middle East.

[Adsos Letter]

3. ...yeah...

this is bound to have a calming influence on the population...wouldn't want to be either prisoner or CO at this point...

[Warpy]

6. It seems to be working OK here in NM

The inmates have one more reason not to want to return, anyway.

[MrSlayer]

2. Take a bunch of on edge violent people and put them even more on edge.

Good idea.

[Darth_Kitten]

46. They are catered to too much as it is.............

I'll save my compassion for those who deserve it.....

[wuushew]

4. boo hoo

:nopity:

[SeattleGirl]

8. You are obviously not a smoker.

Otherwise, you might have a little more understanding.

[wuushew]

11. Everyone is born into the world not addicted to nicotine

Everyone has that common experiential reference frame.

I don't see how it would be good or useful to undergo the irreversible brain chemistry change by voluntarily becoming addicted to nicotine. I can only level legitimate criticism if I walk a mile in another's shoes?

[SeattleGirl]

14. You can level criticism, but I wish you would temper it with a bit

of understanding.

Yes, everyone is born not addicted to nicotine, alcohol, overeating, gambling, etc., etc., etc., (there are some drugs which are exceptions; babies can take on an addiction from the mother prior to birth), but people DO get addicted. They sometimes start down that road with the help of the pushers in the ad agencies.

Once they ARE addicted, whether you approve of their behavior or not, it is NOT easy to get unhooked, I don't care what the addiction is.

Having these inmates go cold turkey with no alternatives (gum, lozenges, the patch, whatever) sucks completely, and shows the people who run the prison to be cold hearted bastards who are more interested in punishing what ISN'T a crime (smoking), by turning it into one.

I have no problem with the place being smoke free. I do have a problem with people who are so self-righteous about what THEY think that they don't have a kind thought to spare for those who don't share those self-righteous thoughts.

And no, I really don't expect you to agree with me in any way, shape or form.

[DLnyc]

25. Brava! You are right, IMO. Nicotine is powerful and not well understood

These guys are messing with dangerous forces, making people in prison quit cold turkey.

Quiting nicotine can cause severe neurological symtoms in certain people. I wonder if this may be related to in utero exposure and/or certain brain chemistry that, my guess, correlates pretty well with brain chemisty that encourages addiction to opiates and eventual jail terms. Enforcing smoking ban in prison is a really, really dumb idea. Also, as you point out, it is sadistic and cruel.

from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine
"Nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break." The pharmacological and behavioral characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine.<2>
(snip)
It has been noted that the majority of people diagnosed with schizophrenia smoke tobacco. Estimates for the number of schizophrenics that smoke range from 75% to 90%. It was recently argued that the increased level of smoking in schizophrenia may be due to a desire to self-medicate with nicotine. <12> <13> More recent research has found the reverse, that it is a risk factor without long-term benefit, used only for its short term effects.<14> However, research on nicotine as administered through a patch or gum is ongoing.

Incidentally, the dirty secret is that heroin is readily available in most prisons--the guards know about it, profit from it to some extent, and tolerate it probably becauses it keeps the inmates calm and manageable.

[SammyWinstonJack]

35. ...

:applause:

[Darth_Kitten]

48. I wouldn't want my tax dollars to go..........

for even more diversions for smokers having to quit cold turkey. Nobody paid for the patch for my Mother who quit cold turkey, and to the best of my knowledge, is a good citizen and has never committed a crime.

Yeah, it's difficult to quit smoking. Fine. But if some inmate is feeling rather icky ;) for a while because he can't have a smoke, then so be it.

Cold-blooded prison bastards and those who support them : 1
Inmates who commit crimes against society who can't have a smoke and are a little cranky: 0

[Occulus]

19. I have no memory of not being addicted to nicotine n/t

[conscious evolution]

30. Voluntarily?

Sorry.That doesn't fly here.
When I started smoking I had no clue that nicotine was addictive.
I thought at the time "I will stop smoking before it can give me cancer"

What I did not know was that stopping would be one of the hardest things I could ever attempt.

Even todays anti-smoking education efforts barely touch on the addictive nature of nicotine.Plenty of info out there about the health problems associated with smoking but little about the addictiveness of the drug.

[EFerrari]

31. "Voluntarily addicted" is an oxymoron and "boo hoo"

is not "legitimate criticism". It's just ridicule.

[0007]

49. Little people that wear a cap size 3 talk about walking moccasin

Little man with little head & big moccasins sez start walking cretin

[Toots]

42. You obviously have never been locked in a gas chamber

That is what prison is like for those that don't smoke. Why should a smoker have more right to harm others than others have to escape harm. It might be different if a non-smoker had somewhere else they could go to escape the fumes and gases but they are locked up and have to endure it. It is a worse punishment than their crime probably demands. But I am sure as a smoker you could give a shit about anyone other than yourself.

[angrycarpenter]

5. They are also the medium of exchange

It will be like money suddenly becoming worthless.

[TransitJohn]

7. How is a prison public?

Public as in public accessible....no. Public as in public owned.....I guess. Still, in the 2 weekends in my life I've spent in the county lockup, there was no smoking.

[Occulus]

21. How many of them are corporate prisons?

(As in, corporate owned- something, by the way, I think we should outlaw. I recognise no corporation's authority over me, even in a prison environment.)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. We've Been Smoke Free In Jersey For Years. It Totally Sucked When I Was In There.

What's worse, is that the CO's would intentionally waft their fresh cigarette smell into the cell, just to tease ya and drive ya nuts. That's what led to the most ignorant decision of my life; which was picking the habit back up after I got out. It was the only time I was able to quit, because I was forced to. 3 long months (in 23/1 lockdown, so it felt like a year) I went without one, and technically my addiction was gone. But the ways the CO's played with ya with it, and made certain to remind you of your lack of freedoms, made me TOTALLY reach for one as soon as I got home, in a subliminal way of knowing I was no longer being controlled. I longed for that cig, not because of addiction, but because of what felt like an uncontrollable need to prove I was in fact free again. But what a stupid move. I've been more addicted than ever, ever since.

And on edit: This was back in '95.

[cynatnite]

27. Geez, I could almost see how some might get violent...

that's a crappy thing to do.

Hope you do quit. Best thing I ever did, OMC. Had to spend the night in the hospital for an irregular heartbeat and get the crap scared out of me before I did it. Haven't smoked since Nov. 17, 2007. (knock on wood) Half of quitting has been mental.

[Le Taz Hot]

39. Just FYI

from one who was addicted for 35 years, three months isn't enough to kick the addiction to nicotine. Honestly, I had THE WORST cravings after my six-month anniversary. I actually had to go on Welbutrin whereas I'd only used the patch before and quit successfully with just that. Now, having said that, for the most part, it gets easier everyday you go without a cigarette. And if you ever feel like quitting again, don't hesitate to use any tool(s) that aid you in that effort.

[SoCalDem]

10. The thought of that, might scare some people and keep them from committing a crime

:evilgrin:

It keeps me from flying... :) or taking a train :)

[EFerrari]

33. That's exactly what I thought. I can never break the law now in IL.

So many places we have to stay out of -- bars, libraries, prison.

lol

[Dorian Gray]

12. If we can't smoke in public places...

they should be held to the same rules. Though I think it will make for some really angry convicts. Glad I'm not a prison guard.

[LeftyMom]

13. Since prisoner health care is taxpayer funded, smoking should be forbidden.

Otherwise it just drives up costs.

[SeattleGirl]

15. But shouldn't they be provided an alternative?

Like the gum, patch, or other stop-smoking aid? It would be cheaper in the long run, AND probably keep things a bit calmer.

Edited to add: Not to mention, it would be much healthier than actually smoking.

[LeftyMom]

16. If they can keep them from abusing it, but wouldn't the chemical dependency pass in a week or two?

I quit smoking with nothing other than the decision that I had better things to do on my work breaks and with my money, I'm sure some big tough prisoners can manage.

[SeattleGirl]

17. Well, the addiction affects everyone differently.

Congrats on quitting that way.

I've tried that numerous times, and it doesn't work for me. I'm of the mind that whatever works is a good thing (as long as it is not also harmful to you).

Some folks need assistance, and they should have it, was my point.

[AndyTiedye]

20. But How Will the Big Tough Prisoners Manage?

A popular coping mechanism in such places is to beat the crap out of another prisoner who isn't quite so tough.

I think I'd rather let them smoke if they want.

[Occulus]

22. As someone else mentioned upthread,

cigs are a form of currency in prison. I've known many people who have spent time- in some cases, many years- in prison, and they all say the same thing: a pack of smokes is a pocket full of cash or favors.

This.... will not go over well.

[LostinVA]

38. Physical withdrawal lasts two to five days

I quit cold turkey, too -- two+ packs a day. The patch isn't necessary, and it would probably wind up backfiring: inmates would use the patch as money.

[MonkeyFunk]

18. Isn't it cheaper to die of a heart attack at 64

than prostate cancer at 90?

[AndyTiedye]

23. The Injuries from the Resulting Prison Riots Would Also Drive Up Health Care Costs

Imagine thousands of nicotine-addicted people, many with poor impulse control and a disposition towards violence, all locked in together with no cigarettes.

What do you think is going to happen?

[LeftyMom]

24. California banned smoking in prisons in 2005

AFAIK the world didn't end.

[AndyTiedye]

26. 2005 Seems to Have Been a Really Violent Year in California Prisons

California Prison Riot Leaves One Dead
By DON THOMPSON
The Associated Press
Friday, August 19, 2005; 2:48 AM

-- Inmates at a maximum security prison near San Diego jumped guards in the prison yard, sparking a riot that left one inmate dead and at least 30 inmates and 20 guards wounded, officials said.

The riot at Calipatria State Prison began Thursday afternoon when a guard was slashed in the head as he tried to search an inmate he suspected of concealing a weapon, said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Prisoners rioted in the yard for about 45 minutes before guards could bring them under control. Another group of inmates then jumped in the yard and attacked the staff about 20 minutes later, said prison spokesman Lt. Ray Madden.

Some inmates attempted to breach a control booth by "throwing brooms and shoving sticks in," said Lance Corcoran, executive vice president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association.

He said a tower guard broke up the rioters by firing his gun.

The inmate who died had been shot in the abdomen, officials said. Five inmates were taken to outside hospitals, while at least 25 inmates were treated at the prison.

Sixteen guards were treated at hospitals and released Thursday night, including the two most seriously wounded. Four others suffered minor injuries.
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2005/08/110612.shtml

Chino prison riot leaves two inmates in critical condition
The Orange County Register, 23 September 2005
http://www.urbanstrategies.org/programs/csj/news/archive/2005_09_01_archive.html

Well, we have dozens more prisoners injured and two in critical condition as the terrible crisis which exists in almost all California prisons continues to worsen. The riot this week at Chino is the third major one this year and the lawsuits are going to fly so it’s everyone’s business. Yesterday, there were two more riots reported at Norco Rehabilitation Center reporting more injuries.
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=2582

[flashl]

44. What prisoner health care?

CDC and other organizations readily admit that prisons are incubators for diseases (MRSA, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS) that are transferred into communities without followup.

For-profits prisons are trying to find ways to unload aged and disabled prisoners onto the public.

[mvccd1000]

28. No smoking in Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jails, if I'm not mistaken...

Never been there myself, but I have a friend who's wintering with him this year, and she says there are no cigarettes inside. She was a several-pack-a-day smoker, so I'm hoping she'll stay quit when she gets out.

[Philosoraptor]

29. Let them smoke marijuana, it'll ease up on the irritability.

[orleans]

50. oh god! that comment got me to smile! good one. and true. n/t

[ThePowerofWill]

32. That was stupid, beyond stupid really.

#1 this is jail/prison there will be tobacco just black market overly priced tobacco. Just think of a single cig fetching $5. Then these are taking apart rolled in toilet paper wrapper and sold as roll up for $1 ea. Yup that right you start a black market where it becomes very profitable for guards to smuggle in these smokes. Let's also not forget they are now going to be smoking something even more dangerous.

#2 How many deaths and violent acts will this cause? People being robbed for their money to pay for smokes, people robbed for smokes. People on edge snapping in a very stress filled environment assaulting each other.

With the added costs of enforcement, additional assaults, smoking an even less healthy alternative, the extra cost of punishment as single cell lock up costs more than standard detention. It won't save money, it'll cost extra.

Another simple minded feel good punish the prisoners bullshit rule.

[Snarkturian Clone]

34. Lets have a pool of when smoking will be completely banned.

I'm taking 2013.

[Freddie Stubbs]

36. Prison is supposed to be an unpleasant place

[G_j]

41. Unpleasent or inhumane? Addiction is a disease.

some kind help and treatment would be humane.

[Freddie Stubbs]

45. Not having cigarettes should cure them

[LostinVA]

37. Too bad

I quit cold turkey almost 13 years ago. I smoked two packs+ a day.

Smoking in prison isn't a right, it's a privilege, just like many other things. It's also better for their health

[Balbus]

40. Eh, it won't kill 'em.

And they'll be better off in the long run.

[raccoon]

43. I sure feel sorry for the people working at the prison. Dealing with those inmates

going cold turkey.

[julialnyc]

47. It's like finding out you're pregnant

That's how I quit.... cold turkey with no relief from any meds. It was horrible in the beginning, but I got through it.

[Greyskye]

51. Upon careful consideration...