SCRIPT --- OPIATES IN TRUMPLAND...

 

UPSOT

MUSIC

IMAGES OF KIDS IN CHURCH……

 

Luzerne County Pennsylvania.

First holy communion for a group of youngsters at one of the Catholic Churches…

 

(Body wheeled along) 

 

In another part of the county its a busy day for the coroner…

 

SOT

William Lisman

CORONER 

WILKES Barre 

 

We’ve been averaging about three a week for last year and half. For this small community it is out of the ordinary.  But unfortunately it is becoming ordinary…

 

 

COMMENTARY…

 

THIS PART OF AMERICAN IS KNOWN Deerhunter  territory……..

 

 

WHERE ONCE LOCAL YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WENT OFF TO FIGHT IN VIETNAM AND OTHER Foreign wars

 

Now the body bags are being filled right here on the streets they call home….

 

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STUDENT….

Some girl overdosed in the bathroom

She looked like she was fucked up - like I’ve never seen before……

 

This is the war against opoids that many Americans are fighting - and right now, losing. 

 

Drug overdoses are now leading cause of death among the under 50s here.

 

And The drugs responsible: —  Heroin and its synthetic equivalent Fentanyl…

 

(COMM)

 

The tragedy is that many begin their journey into addiction with a prescription from a doctor, designed to alleviate pain.

 

And that’s TJ’s story. He took his life earlier this year following a drugs relapse. 

 

Everything began to go wrong for TJ after he broke his collar bone.

 

SOT 

Michael Elliot

"TJ’s" father.

 

He suffered a broken clavicle and was prescribed an opiate drug. And I think thats where it kinda   begun ….And it escalated from there. 

 

(Commentary)

 

In the UK, you’d be given paracetamol or ibuprofen. And for TJ that first prescription proved a disaster. He was soon addicted and seeking out Oxycontin and Heroin….

 

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Pam

TJ’s mother

Right here, this is where I now come to see my son…

 

Its just 2 weeks since they buried their son. TJ had lost his battle with addiction…

 

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Pam Elliott

 

This is terrible to come out here……

 

(Father cries )

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Pam

I know I know…I know 

 

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Michael Ellot 

Father

 

Oh my God I’m going 

Be sick

I miss him so much

 

PAM

We do miss him

 

SOT Michael 

Father

I dont  think there’s anything we can do

Its so big, so out of control…!

 

PAM

I know…I KNOW…

 

Yeah. He’s with his GRAN ….

 

(FAMILY INTERCHANGE….AT HOUSE)

SOT MOTHER / DAUGHTER

 

It’s just totally unbelievable around here. There’s just too many good people losing their lives. And my son is one of them….

 

SOT

Ashley Long

TJs sister 

 

He was sober for so long and that was longest period of time he was sober, and serious and really wanted his life, and he failed. He failed himself. 

He ended up killing himself. That Hurt more than him actually overdosing.

(I know)

It kills me that he actually thought about putting that around his neck and shit. And that sucks. I do not know what he thought. I dunno. It hurts.It sucks,

 

SOT

Pam Elliot

Mother 

It’s terrible to say this, AND I MISS MY MOTHER TERRIBLE.

IM GLAD MY mother passed away when she did. Because I DONT HOW I Would have told my mother that her grandson is no longer here. 

UPSOT MUSIC

‘…I WILL LEAD YOU ALL IN THE DANCE SAId HE….”

……I danced with the ‘’’’’’’’

 

Just Yards from St Faustina’s Church, on the outskirts of Wilkes Barre,  the police’s new Drugs Task force is the move, searching for dealers…and their drugs

 

UPSOT

Dan Mimnaugh

Head of DRUG task force , Luzerne County

 

This cash here, it’s proceeds from narcotics sales.

 

The police officers show me what they’ve picked up on the latest raid…

 

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UPSOT

 Dan Mimnaugh

Head of DRUGS task force , Luzerne County

 

This is the Heroin that was seized last night by the officers.  As you can see they have Stamps on them. This particular one here says Do or die. Its a do or die stamp…

 

What these officers are most worried about is a new lethal mix - heroin cut with carfentayl. 

 

SOT

UPSOT

Dan Mimnaugh

Head of DRUGS task force , Luzerne County

 

Car Fentanyl, can be absorbed through skin and you can actually overdose and die by just touching the product. 

This particular heroin packet is stamped “Jackpot”…

 

SOT

UPSOT

Dan Mimnaugh

Head of DRUGS task force , Luzerne County

 

The majority of drugs round here coming from Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey

 

Inigo - where coming before that?

 

 

UPSOT

Dan Mimnaugh

Head of DRUGS task force , Luzerne County

Its coming from South American…

 

(INIGO Is it coming through Mexico?

 

Yes absolutely…absolutely

 

The cemetery where TJ lies in Wilkes Barre, bears witness to the fact that this was once a welcoming place for immigrants-  from Poland, Italy and Ireland. They came to work in the coal mines, now long closed.

 

 In the recent elections LUCERNE COUNTRY, SWUNG HEAVILY TO TRUMP. 

 

And I WONDERED WHAT TJ’S mum and Dad MADE OF THE NEW PRESIDENT’S PROMISES…

 

SOT

PAM Elliot

TJS Mother 

 

…I don’t know what to think.

Build a wall don’t build a wall?

Will it Solve the problem?

 

Michael Elliot

TJs Father 

I THINK trump was more interested…in making it easier for day traders and Wall Street.

He’s more about business. Than control of drugs

Nothing he will do will put a dent into the drugs problem.

 

PAM Elliot

Mother….

A lot of people are afraid of this drug situation.

They think its dirty. They don’t get it.

Not my family but some think like that.

Only bums get it and people that are filthy are the only ones.

 

Michael

 

Heroin is Not prejudiced….

 

Pam

Mother 

 

Its not. Its for every walk of life…

Its for everyone…

 

I was given rare access to the coroner’s office in Wilkes Barre. 

Today was another sad day - a local man dead from an overdose. 

 

UPSOT

The victim was found unresponsive….

 

(COMM)

 

The number of the autopsies have been increased as the drugs task force attempt to trace the drugs and in turn the dealers. The toxicology gives them vital clues.

 

The surgeon who performs the operation, Gary Ross, is a proud Pennsylvanian born and bred….

 

SOT

Gary Ross.

Forensic Pathologist

 

I have been doing this over 35 years . 

When I started out, drugs deaths were not uncommon…

Maybe 2 or 3 times a month.

Now I am seeing 2 or 3 a week..

It’s a Massive increase over time…

 

The surgeon Confirmed TJ's  journey into addiction was typical…

 

SOT

DR Gary Ross

Forensic Pathologist

A lot of drug use starts  innocently,. People are injured in some way, they take an opiate,. It takes away the pain and they like the feel.

 

Inigo - (question…)

What’s the danger…..? Is it the cocktail…?

 

SOT

DR Gary Ross

 

The dangerous thing is that Anytime the drug is taken you really don’t know what you’re taking. It be Could be anything.

You’re playing Russian roulette every time you take this or inject yourself.

 

Inigo - How you gonna stop this thing?

 

I don’t think we can stop this thing. I don’t have answer. I just don’t. Its pretty sad.

 

At the family home TJs dog KOBIE is still keeping vigil, waiting —— for his master to come home.

 

Upstairs his bedroom is left untouched, just as it was……

 

UPSOT

PAM
This is his bedroom right here…Typical boys room

 

....This is stuff I didn’t get to put away yet….

 

Watching over the room, a cruxifix TJ received for first holy communion, at the Polish church just up the road.

 

End 

 

Reporter – Inigo Gilmore

Camera – Inigo Gilmore

Producer – Inigo Gilmore

Editor – Channel 4 News