I will just say this once, because I know there are many many Free Republic people here on opioids. Whenever anyone steps in and suggests that they “might” be addicted to these opioids you create a firestorm of response from them.
I see many many many people who have been taking opioids for chronic pain upwards for years. Many taking 3 and 4 tabs a day.
They go thru various FAA and DOT exams and sometimes don’t disclose their usage fearing that they won’t get a license.
Many states allow the MD to access the records on medications use, still many slip thru.
I don’t doubt that there is wide spread illegal usage going on, but there is also wide spread usage of prescription opioids, that also impact on the quality of life.
Are prescription opiods 100% to blame? No. Clearly the problem predates that. But it’s clear they do play a role.
Here we go...
They will circle the wagons just the same at the slightest criticism of legalizing pot in any way.
There are two reasons to take mind altering substances
First is pain relief this is the only reason for the opiate class of drugs
The second reason is pleasure. I will not pontificate on this subject as there are many different opinions to be had on cannabis alcohol and other legal or quasilegal pleasure inducing substances
There is no good reason to take the opiate class of drugs Unless you’re in severe pain
The only deaths from opiate class drugs are those that have no doctor involved
That makes at least 99% of the opiate class deaths caused by pleasure seeking individuals
This is accidental suicide
The call needs to go out far and wide that this is not the 1970s and those jUNKIES and heroin types you’re dealing with a much scarier and DEADLY dragon and then the old Dragon now
Fentanyl did not exist until about five years ago
Fentanyl is a very scary and effective enantiomer of the opiate class
So in my view the major focus needs to be on those that are using opiates class drugs for pleasure
My wife is a social worker in the city of San Francisco in the tenderloin and has seen all this up close for 20 years now
There is no toxicity to cannabis. None. That makes the cannabinoid class unique in all of classes of drugs on the planet
I take Tramadol. And yes I’ve taken it for 10 years. It doesn’t kill the pain from my spine falling apart but allows me to function normally for awhile. Thanks to the ‘opioid crisis’ I was told the other day by my doc he can no longer prescribe them for me. I have to go see a pain doc. For Tramadol! Ridiculous.