it’s kind of what I was discussing the other day… maybe with you? Later in the article they also mention some doctors in the US giving illicit fentanyl users a supply of opiate pills which in theory anyway keeps them from the worst of withdrawal symptoms, allows them to be fairly functional in society if the pills are not abused (such as taking 10 pills at a time or crushing and injecting it etc), requires them to get checkups in case other interventions are needed, and opens a path for intervention towards sobriety by helping to wean them off over time. I think this is a better idea, a saner policy than “safe injection sites” for street drugs, especially because the medications they would get are manufactured to pharmaceutical standards by licensed pharmaceutical companies each with a measured and reliable dosage. So let’s stop demonizing doctors for writing pain pill prescriptions, threatening to take away their licenses, help the addicts lower their risk of overdose, and work towards rehabilitation. I’d rather have functional pill poppers than 100,000 OD deaths and cities of homeless fentanyl zombies
Also as the article quotes one patient “he’s still an addict but he’s no longer a bank robber”. So much other crime is the result of drug abuse and drug policies - criminals killing each other over drug turf beefs and money, and addicts robbing homes and stores for money to feed their habits, even police addicted to the money they raise seizing the property of dealers and users. We can put the drug gangs and the drug cartels out of business and treat people for the disease that it is.
Fwiw, cocaine (which is habitual but not generally addictive if snorted) and morphine and even heroin was legal to buy in a pharmacy about 120 years ago. We only have these potent street syndthics like meth and fentanyl because they are cheap to make and the “plant based” drugs are expensive and have to be made in hidden places and smuggled. Doctors used laudanum to treat a large number of ailments and yes people abused them but it was not hidden from society and doctors and pharmacists were aware of their addictive or habitual nature and were able to caution and intervene. Street drug dealers not only don’t care about their customers they sometimes intentionally spike some of their supply hoping to overdose someone so that other addicts think their “product” is better than the other pusherman’s supply. It’s completely insane and while my idea here may not be perfect, I think it’s better than doing what we have been doing. We not only let all these immoral people get rich killing lots of people every year we also do nothing to help the addicts get straight.
People OD on heroin too.
Pain meds are also going on backorder - frequently. A few months ago Norco 10/325 was on backorder, and it is now again. Hydrocodone/APAP 10/300 is on backorder now, too. That was the replacement dose previously used when the 325’s weren’t available last time.
If duragesic Fentanyl goes on backorder, I know a few people who are screwed with the two main doses of Hydrocodone off the table.
This is the main reason why I don’t want casual street users being treated with legit prescriptions for opiates if they’re not in debilitating physical pain (and I don’t mean from withdrawal).
One doesn’t stop until they can’t stand to live that way for one more hour for one more day
Many don’t stop until they’re dead
“Let’s stop demonizing doctors for writing pain pill prescriptions, threatening to take away their licenses, help the addicts lower their risk of overdose, and work towards rehabilitation. I’d rather have functional pill poppers than 100,000 OD deaths and cities of homeless fentanyl zombies”.
End of story...
I say we legalize it all and let Safeway and Walmart fight it out for market share. Sell the crap in 5 pound sacks for all I care.
All the idiots will be dead in about 6 weeks. We can run some end loaders down the street, dump the bodies in a common grave and be done with it.
L
Too generalized. The cartels put out the word that death would follow if its dealers spiked their cocaine/meth with fentanyl.