The article blames over-prescribing of pain meds in the 90’s and 2000’s as the cause of the problem. What else happened in this time frame? NAFTA and an increasingly porous southern border. This allows massive quantities of heroin to get into the country (its not being produced domestically). I remember reading stories about heroin starting to become cheap and readily available during the 90’s. Right around the time the border started weakening. If the heroin wasn’t so prevalent, the OD deaths would not be happening anywhere near as often. But the PC types can’t make this connection (open border = heroin deaths) because that would be ‘Racist’. It’s easier to blame it on the doctor (easily stereotyped as an old, rich white guy) pushing pills on his unsuspecting patient.
Excellent point. I think Tyler Durden missed some really good dots to connect in his article.
Excellent analysis nhbob1. Tangent to this. One one of the business programs the other day was a Drug Company rep denoting their latest to help those with pain, a slow release steroidal injection ( that last for months ) initially for knees and then to be expanded to other joints, no mention of it working for vertebra in backs. My point being, lets get the FDA to fast track modalities / medicines that can prevent this transition from opioid to street drugs in the future. Pain is an issue, lets get the FHA aboard and I am not against real research into Marijuana utilized topically etc as a real product, not something from a new age head shop.
“What else happened in this time frame?”
Bill Clinton and George W Boosh! Two turds in this nation’s punchbowl!
“But the PC types can’t make this connection (open border = heroin deaths) because that would be ‘Racist’. It’s easier to blame it on the doctor (easily stereotyped as an old, rich white guy) pushing pills on his unsuspecting patient.”
From the research I’ve done, most heroin users got started on prescription pain killers.