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Suicide and the 'Opioid Crisis'
American Council on Science and Health ^ | 10/03/9 | Red Lawhern PHD

Posted on 10/08/2019 6:33:33 AM PDT by grumpygresh

The continuing exodus of healthcare providers out of pain management is especially obnoxious in light of the fact that no less an authority than the American Medical Association has repudiated the central logic of the 2016 CDC Guidelines, used widely as an excuse for restricting patient access. We must also recognize that America’s opioid and suicide crises are much larger than just prescribing or even street drugs. The factors which cause people to be increasingly vulnerable to addiction and suicide are largely socio-economic.

(Excerpt) Read more at acsh.org ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: addiction; dea; mentalillness; opioids; suicide; wod
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As usual, federal government almost universally makes things worse. This repeated malfeasance argues for the stripping of federal authority to the States. At least at the State level, the people have a chance of dealing with issues instead of decisions being made by uncontrolled actors.
1 posted on 10/08/2019 6:33:33 AM PDT by grumpygresh
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To: grumpygresh

If you’re putting opioid crisis in scare-quotes when they’re killing 50,000 people a year, you’re an asshole.


2 posted on 10/08/2019 6:36:24 AM PDT by babble-on
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To: babble-on

“If you’re putting opioid crisis in scare-quotes when they’re killing 50,000 people a year, you’re an asshole.”

I’m scratching my head wondering why you gave such a hostile reply that doesn’t seem even remotely related to what the poster said.


3 posted on 10/08/2019 6:41:44 AM PDT by be-baw
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To: babble-on

The headline has it that way.


4 posted on 10/08/2019 6:48:08 AM PDT by Borges
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To: babble-on

“you’re an asshole.”

Do you know who “they” are? The quotes were put in by the author. You would have known that if you bothered to read the article instead of closing your mind.

You know, sometimes the government and the media are wrong. The characterization of opioid crisis by the government and media has been very misleading. It is not a simple case of demonizing doctors. I don’t think that the author would have used the quotes if he believed that the government and media were honest brokers on this issue. I would like to remind you that governments have demonized groups in the past in an effort to give themselves more credibility and power.

Go back to sleep. And when you get up stay on your knees. That’s the position the government wants you in.


5 posted on 10/08/2019 6:48:37 AM PDT by grumpygresh
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To: grumpygresh
I just finished reading Robert B. Parker's/Reed Farrel Copeland's The Bitterest Pill a very scary look at opioid addiction and the black market for pain killers. The characters in this novel are very real and very addicted in a pretty short time. I have no idea how we will ever get a handle on this problem.
6 posted on 10/08/2019 6:56:02 AM PDT by dblshot (I am John Galt.)
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To: grumpygresh
addiction is not a predictable outcome of prescribing and addiction in medical patients is rare

Rare? my doctors told me right up front in 1978 that I was going to become addicted to opiates, but I would be in the Hospital for 3 weeks after surgery to go through a managed withdrawl.

Obviously the First Step to stopping this Crisis is to make it a FELONY to Prescribe, offer to Prescribe, or administer ANY OPIATE to ANY Public Employee, Public Servant or Officer of the Court.
7 posted on 10/08/2019 6:57:18 AM PDT by eyeamok
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To: grumpygresh

Make no mistake, opioids are a gift from God.

If you’ve ever needed them, you know what I mean.

William Burroughs once said a smart thing:
“ After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn’t do it...”


8 posted on 10/08/2019 7:07:38 AM PDT by tsomer
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To: Borges

I wasn’t referring to the person who posted the article, I was referring to the person who wrote it.


9 posted on 10/08/2019 7:08:21 AM PDT by babble-on
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To: grumpygresh

“The factors which cause people to be increasingly vulnerable to addiction and suicide are largely socio-economic.”

And the country awash in opioids has nothing to do with it!


10 posted on 10/08/2019 7:11:43 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: eyeamok

“make it a FELONY to Prescribe, offer to Prescribe, or administer ANY OPIATE to ANY Public Employee, Public Servant or Officer of the Court.”

I think at this time we have the de facto law here. I don’t know any pain management provider that would even think of helping any of those creatures you have listed above.

But, these folks should also experience the Medicare for all or any other draconian law foisted on the public.

Read abut Stalin’s death. Doctors just stayed away.


11 posted on 10/08/2019 7:13:58 AM PDT by grumpygresh
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To: grumpygresh

Face it. A significant percentage of the American population has embraced decadence and hedonism. Historically this is nothing new. Rome rotted from within as its middle and upper classes embraced crass epicureanism. Post Christian, vile neo paganism is eroding the American nation. Simply look at the Democratic Party and realize that it does not exist in a social or cultural vacuum.


12 posted on 10/08/2019 7:18:28 AM PDT by allendale (.)
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To: grumpygresh

being addicted to opiates for 3 months wasn’t really a big deal, withdrawls sucked for a few days, but hey, the All the Percodan You can Eat treatment saved my life, and I’m sure many many more.


13 posted on 10/08/2019 7:24:53 AM PDT by eyeamok
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To: babble-on; be-baw

I have to agree with babble-on

The quotes make it seem like there’s no there, there.

If I got my hands on a 5 dollar co pay script for 160 roxys, i could sell it for 10k if i made 2 hours’ effort.

I DONT take pain meds and DONT get them and NEVER would sell them.

But that statement about the 10k, or at least 5k if i wanted to dump them quickly is absolutely true.

The feds shouldn’t be involved in many things.

But they are.

And states that made it easy to get a script would see abuse (and folks lying about where they live) skyrocket.


14 posted on 10/08/2019 7:25:00 AM PDT by dp0622 (Bad, bad company Till the day I die.)
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To: Mariner

“The factors which cause people to be increasingly vulnerable to addiction and suicide are largely socio-economic.”

Not sure I agree with this!

What I am going to relate is NOT a scientific survey but an interesting set of personal observation.

In every case (I have kept count! - over 100 now!) of people who have an addiction story to tell me, its either personal or family\friend related not one is a “socio-economic” story. Every one is a recreational drug use story. We have had two generations where drug for recreational purposes is the norm for dating, music listening, hanging with friends, etc. In every “story” it was one of looking for that better improved “high” that led to opioids. I was actually quite surprised I was expecting to hear some pain victim stories where someone is looking for better relief. Not one story so far!


15 posted on 10/08/2019 7:30:15 AM PDT by Reily
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To: dp0622

Maybe I mistook who he was calling an asshole.

Regarding the issue, there are some people who need pain meds. I think they’ve cracked down so hard on it, the people who truly need it can’t get it. I don’t know how or if this issue ever gets reasonably resolved but, as often happens, the government has overreacted.

My personal experience with pain meds was getting tramadol for a while, which started 3 yr ago. It helped me enormously. My doctor who prescribed it retired, and his successor refuses to prescribe it. She referred me to a pain specialist who wanted to give me regular shots of a corticosteroid. There are reasons I can’t take a corticosteroid, so I’m stuck sitting on my butt all day with a heating pad.

Last November I had major dental surgery. The surgeon prescribed an opiate and it worked very well. It scared me though, because it made me so wonderfully euphoric. I ran out and was still having problems. I asked the surgeon to prescribe tramadol instead of the opiate. He gave me 3 days worth and it was exactly what I needed to get through.


16 posted on 10/08/2019 7:35:53 AM PDT by be-baw
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To: grumpygresh

Nice smackdown! Some people just want to argue.


17 posted on 10/08/2019 7:38:35 AM PDT by JerseyDvl ("If you're going through hell, keep going.")
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To: grumpygresh

“America’s opioid and suicide crises”

They took away my pain pills because the might harm me.
Now they tell me I can take a death pill because of terminal pain.


18 posted on 10/08/2019 7:48:58 AM PDT by fproy2222
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To: Reily

My statement was sarcasm.


19 posted on 10/08/2019 7:53:57 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner

ok


20 posted on 10/08/2019 7:59:03 AM PDT by Reily
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