Soaring Overdose Deaths, and the Failed ‘War on Drugs’

https://www.thetrumpet.com/article/12293.19.0.0/society/soaring-overdose-deaths-and-the-failed-war-on-drugs ^ | 12-18-2014

[Thistooshallpass9]

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention made headlines this month after reporting that from 1999 to 2012, the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States more than doubled.

That is a sobering statistic, but it doesn’t reveal the true scope of the rising number of drug deaths or the true extent of America’s failure in the war on drugs...

[Darksheare]

I kinda figured.
But you’d be surprised at how many people are absolutely shocked that there really are guidelines for bloggers!

[Veto!]

Opiode analgesics, mostly pharmaceutical drugs, account for half of this increase. I don’t see how the war on drugs has all that much to do with doctors over-prescribing drugs like codeine, morphine. methadone, meperidine (Demerol), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), and oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet). Details here:
http://www.drugabuse.ca/opioid-analgesics

We hear horror stories of teens from good families and nice neighborhoods dying from these things. A drug counselor told me about a high school kid who regularly broke into neighbors homes to steal their pills…and in an upscale neighborhood. I asked what he would advise the parents and he said, “Take out an insurance policy on the boy’s life.” Because the kid was beyond help. My friend the counselor was very distressed about these kids. I know another family, quite prominent, with the same problem…spend hundreds of thousands on rehab after rehab since their son was 12, but it’s only a matter of time.

Doctors in places like Miami have “pain clinics” where they indiscriminately prescribe these drugs to anyone who walks through the door. Should they be prosecuted? A resounding YES from me.

[A CA Guy]

Than on the heads of the recreational drug users belong all the deaths, torture, mutilations and unstable countries that drug lords have caused because of recreational drug users.

[DiogenesLamp]

the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States more than doubled.

Well obviously if we just make the stuff legal, overdose deaths will go way down to nothing. Right?

[Thistooshallpass9]

I tried to reply once a few months ago, and received a message saying my account was too new to post a reply or something, so I never established the habit. It looks like it is allowing me to now, though.

[Darksheare]

Yeah.
That’s why you haven’t posted any responses ever except for that one I linked, right?
And what causes you to excerpt your blog?
Broken fingers?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2636843/posts?page=552#552

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2711802/posts?page=139#139

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2722423/posts

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2776537/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2548666/posts?page=38#38

[WayneS]

And don’t give me that sh1t heavy drugs are the same as alcohol, nobody’s buying that lie either.

Yeah, right.

Apart from the "years of misery and death and damaged family and corroded society" drug abuse and alcohol abuse follow COMPLETELY different pathways. That's probably why Narcotics Anonymous uses the EXACT same model as Alcoholics Anonymous in helping people who want to stop using.

PS - What the hell are "heavy drugs" anyway? Do you actually know ANYTHING about pharmaceuticals and their effects on the human body and mind?

[Responsibility2nd]

.....the same way we took alcohol profits away from criminals: legalization.

_____________________________________

Last time I checked alcohol profits were in the tens of billions thanks to legalization.

But that’s your libertardian answer to every problem. Just legalize the stuff and no more worries.

[DiogenesLamp]

The War on Drugs has had the same effect on drugs as the War on Poverty has had on poverty.

No it hasn't, the war on drugs has actually been pretty successful. The problem is that people don't understand what success actually looks like.

How is the war on murder going? Is it a failure because we still have murders? Should we legalize murder because we can't stop all murders?

I would say the war on murder is going pretty well. We would have far more murders if we made it legal than we do now. That we still have some murders does not make it a failure, the fact that it is kept to a relatively low level of murders, actually makes it fairly successful.

Exact same thing with the War on Drugs. Do you want to see what not having a war on drugs looks like? It looks like this:

By 1900 50% of the adult male population of Manchuria was addicted to opium. China thereafter went through one upheaval after another with Japan eventually invading and taking control of the much larger nation.

That's what not having, or in the case of China, losing a war on drugs looks like.

[Thistooshallpass9]

Bad link? It works for me. This is the site I work for, and I just like to share our work more broadly. It’s not really a blog, but it is small as compared to some other news sites. Google News still recognizes it though. ... No dopertarianism here! :)

[ConservingFreedom]

the same way we took alcohol profits away from criminals: legalization.

Last time I checked alcohol profits were in the tens of billions thanks to legalization.

Which part of "criminals" did you not understand?

[Responsibility2nd]

Maybe my firewall at work won't allow untrusted sites. Please post the entire artile. Thanks.

 

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[riri]

It's the heroin coming in by the ton. Cheap, pure and readily available. It's turning Norman Rockwell small NE towns into crime and death wards hitting all ages, demographics, etc.The Pacific Northwest has always had a problem and it's only intensifying. It's hitting all four corners of the country.

[ConservingFreedom]

How is the war on murder going?

Glad you asked - according to the FBI, two-thirds of murder cases get solved. What percentage of drug 'crimes' do you reckon even get detected ... 2 in 3000 maybe?

[ConservingFreedom]

I just like to share our work more broadly.

So post the entire article.

[WayneS]

...the fact that it is kept to a relatively low level of murders, actually makes it fairly successful.

Thank you for making my argument for me. The article is about the INCREASE in drug deaths during the "War on Drugs".

War on Murder = Lower murder rates = Success

War on Drugs = INCREASE in drug overdoses = Failure.

[Responsibility2nd]

So your idea of dealing with criminals is to make that criminal action legal.

Illegal drugs are bad? Oh-kay then. Make ‘em legal.

I normally stay within the rules of FR postings, but since you have been outed as a retread troll that’s been zotted before I can say with all confidence...

You are one effed up POS.

[DiogenesLamp]

True - but drug users going away is a utopian fantasy like those beloved of the left.

It's a reality for the left. Mao Tse Tung executed anyone caught with drugs when he came to power. He didn't want that crap destabilizing the country in the manner that had previously brought him into power.

Singapore routinely executes anyone caught with drugs, and this policy has worked out pretty well for them.

There is a realistically do-able way to take drug profits away from criminals - the same way we took alcohol profits away from criminals: legalization.

We did not take profits away from criminals, we made them respectable.

Look up the History of the Kennedy family.

[ConservingFreedom]

True - but drug users going away is a utopian fantasy like those beloved of the left. There is a realistically do-able way to take drug profits away from criminals - the same way we took alcohol profits away from criminals: legalization.

Than on the heads of the recreational drug users belong all the deaths, torture, mutilations and unstable countries that drug lords have caused because of recreational drug users.

No less on the heads of those who support drug criminalization.

[truth_seeker]

As a recovered alcoholic (nearly 21 years), listening to stories from addicts, I don’t doubt the overdose stats.

People who drink and/or drug themselves to death deserve little sympathy beyond the first offer of help.

But when the “victim” repeatedly refuses help, they are on their own, and hopefully they do the minimum damage to others.