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….
UPSOT
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….
SOT
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…
SOT
Pam Elliott
This is terrible to come out here……
(Father cries )
SOT
Pam
I know I know…I know
SOT
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…
SOT
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