Part of me wonders what the problem is exactly? It doesn't sound like she's hurting anybody, just wasting her life away. But really, that's just my opinion. I think people who watch TV are wasting their life away, too, but it's really not my problem.
But to the OP's point, if heroin was sold at clinics or pharmacies there'd be an opportunity for nurses and pharmacists to intervene and offer alternatives before a person's a full blown addict. Even if it's just, "Hey, you're hitting it a bit hard lately, maybe try this meetup group instead."
Heroin dealers are pretty smart. Even if you have a ton of money, they'll only sell you a bit at a time. They don't want you doing something stupid and messing up their gravy train. At least, that's what I was told by someone who was a former heroin user (I asked him for advice and guidance in this situation).
She's wasting her life away, but also endangering others' (as well as her dog's). Her dog was taken away most recently because she was out on a weeklong bender and left the dog locked inside the house. After a few days of wailing and notices, animal control finally went in and rescued the dog. This being San Francisco, of course she got the dog back after claiming she went on vacation and just forgot about the dog.
That said, there was feces and urine piled up in the apartment for that week, and a few weeks after. She also had a stopped up toilet that backed up raw sewage into her apartment for "several weeks" according to the health dept. She was literally walking around on waste soaked carpets for weeks...and didn't care. Because heroin don't care.
She would also freak out and randomly dial 911 while high and insist that there were people in her apartment that were trying to kill her.
I, mean, I could go on for days writing up the crazy stuff she does while high. Her family wants nothing to do with her. She owns her place, has a pile of money, doesn't pay any real estate taxes, is a "frequent flier" for the police and fire department, but all of this is just A-OK, right San Francisco?
Honestly, I could care less about her life at this point. I'm just worried about the dog. It never gets walked and lives in literal squalor.
So your problem is with the animal abuse and not the heroin addiction? Heroin isn't helping, but for all you know she treats the dog that way when she's sober.
Definitely keep complaining to animal control about the dog, and report illegal activity, but other than that it sounds like you should mind your own business.
She creates a wake of police calls, fire department dispatches, defenestration on a regular basis, getting her lock drilled out at 3AM because she lost her keys on a bender, etc. Her behavior makes it my business (and everyone else around her).
But to the OP's point, if heroin was sold at clinics or pharmacies there'd be an opportunity for nurses and pharmacists to intervene and offer alternatives before a person's a full blown addict. Even if it's just, "Hey, you're hitting it a bit hard lately, maybe try this meetup group instead."