The Dialogue: Here’s What Readers Said About the 18-Year-Old Girl Who Overdosed on an Opioid She Bought on the Dark Web

Courtesy of Jessica Collins
By WW Staff

Here's what readers said about an 18-year-old girl who overdosed on a synthetic opioid she bought on the Dark Web using Bitcoin, and the Portland Police Bureau's subsequent investigation that led to a major arrest ("Death by Bitcoin," WW, July 5, 2017).

Alex Fallenstedt, via wweek.com: "This is sad. I hope there will be a day that drugs like these can be decriminalized and treatment centers exist. Putting people in jail solves nothing, neither does letting them die like this. We have to encourage treatment."

Kate Daly, via Facebook: "Instead of reporting on these illegal, synthetic drugs causing minimal deaths, WW should look into the legal drugs promoted by Big Pharma that kill thousands each year, like Cymbalta."

Erin Piccolo, in response: "It is possible to look into multiple stories. Reporting on one does not lessen the importance of another."

Laura Frances, via Facebook: "Good article. Would like to see more in-depth journalism like this from WW."

Blame Opioids, Not Bitcoin

In response to "Death by Bitcoin" [WW, July 5, 2017], I am embarrassed at Willamette Week's lack of research and extremely harmful media framing of Bitcoin. You guys are usually better than this.

Blockchain technology (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.) presents solutions for real-world problems. Bitcoin drives projects that close the wealth gap in poor countries, facilitate the protection of medical records, ensure artists own their content, protect women who are receiving abortion services in unfriendly cultures, etc. You are using the same logic against Bitcoin that Trump uses against immigrants.

If your article had been published in 1994, it would have blamed "the internet." Demonizing the blockchain will put you on the wrong side of history. Blockchain technology merges socialism and capitalism in a way that threatens those systems of oppression that are so commonly discussed in your paper. Bitcoin will do more to smash the patriarchy than a pile of pink hats could ever hope for.

Further, how many times has your paper celebrated (rightfully so) the culture of alcohol? DUI deaths occur nightly, yet we won't see a "Death by IPA" feature on your cover when a politician's kid kills a family of four after driving home from Staggerville Booze Palace.

The girl in your story was killed by drugs, not Bitcoin. I know the media has a hard time being honest when our white suburbanites start overdosing, but to blame the technology that was used to purchase it only echoes a dangerous, ignorant myth. Otherwise, let's ban cash and solve the rural heroin problem, too.

P.S. Blockchain technology is transparent and not as anonymous as you make it out to be. You can find a ledger of every transaction at Blockchain.info. Underqualified feds relied on blockchain/Bitcoin users to track the bad guys down. In other words, Bitcoin was also used to solve this case. I don't see any mention of that in your article.

I expect more from your paper and will continue to support it, but you're bordering on shutting down burrito carts at this point.

Ray McMillin

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