Editorial: Plague of opioids

The Boston Herald ^ | 03-20-18 | Tom Shattuck

[calvincaspian]

The opioid crisis is a sinister scourge, racking up casualties across every demographic. The harrowing stories of families who’ve watched their children deteriorate and die are far too common.

Opioids took the lives of more than 42,000 people in the U.S. in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “On average, 115 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.” A full decade of losses at that level would exceed the number of American soldiers killed in World War II.

[calvincaspian]

his president and our politicians in Washington are serious about opioids. Congress has already appropriated $6 billion to fight the good fight.

As awful as it is to lose Americans at wartime levels, it is heartening to see that we have also come together as if it were wartime to combat this evil.

[cherry]

we as a people must stop demanding drugs for everything...

our kids seeing us popping and they'll do the same...

we leave our pain pills in the cupboard and surprised that "some" are missing....

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I hate to raise it - but, based on the folks I have encountered who are compelled to abuse opioids - is it possible that the right people are overdosing?

[thesharkboy]

I hate to raise it - but, based on the folks I have encountered who are compelled to abuse opioids - is it possible that the right people are overdosing?

Uh-oh. Better get ready for the onslaught of the perpetual virtue-signalers here.

[drunknsage]

Fentanyl is the leading killer and it’s produced legally along with a host of other drugs that kill even more people every year through Adverse Drug Reactions. Is big daddy Gov going to go after their pimps in big Pharma? Don’t hold your breath.

[txnativegop]

the workings of Social Darwinism. ain’t it grand

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[DiogenesLamp]

Editorial: Plague of opioids

I no longer recall how many pro-drug-legalization people I have spoken to regarding the natural progression of drugs in a society.

[NEMDF]

Or what about those of us who have lost a niece or nephew, a friend of the family, a veteran who served with our sons?

Is this one of those subjects for which some feel like the “victims” deserve their fates? If so, then maybe we should withdraw all health are for “opioid abusers”, and just let them kill themselves off. Good idea?

Or does that put me in with perpetual virtue-signalers?

[NEMDF]

Or what about those of us who have lost a niece or nephew, a friend of the family, a veteran who served with our sons?

Is this one of those subjects for which some feel like the “victims” deserve their fates? If so, then maybe we should withdraw all health care for “opioid abusers”, and just let them kill themselves off. Good idea?

Or does that put me in with perpetual virtue-signalers?

[Obadiah]

Here we go... again. The great opioid hysteria.

So we lump most drugs as opioids and then rail against this “scourge”. No distinction is made in the hysteria data between legitimate opioids used to control or manage pain, and all the garbage that is manufactured on the street, or in China, Mexico, or elsewhere and brought into this country.

When most casual readers think of opioids they think of OxyContin or similar derivatives. What is actually tied up in these scare statistics is Fentanyl, Carfentanil, etc.

But, yeah, let’s all just go nuts and get hysterical, that way the politicians can, “do something”.

[Hildy]

How about alcohol? This is nothing compared to that.

[ichabod1]

I don’t know. I have my doubts. It would be more reassuring that they were spending 5 bill to combat this if I were confident that they weren’t using other funds to promote drug growing and smuggling. Like the Bush War on Terror, they may be fighting them “over there” and ignoring them “over here.”

[papertyger]

Or does that put me in with perpetual virtue-signalers?

Sure does!

You would make the innocent suffer for the sake of the debauched.

[papertyger]

. Or what about those of us who have lost a niece or nephew, a friend of the family, a veteran who served with our sons?

You have my sympathies, but not at the expense of my ability to support my family.

Have YOU suffered the debilitating pain leading up to a double hip replacement?

[thesharkboy]

If the shoe fits. You know the rest.

What about those of us who have lost a relative due to his daily, chronic, 24/7 pain, and the fact that he couldn't get the pain pills that are legal and effective for his pain, he couldn't take the pain anymore and killed himself?

There is another side to this, and one answer, which may have eluded you, is personal responsibility. Let's be adults and take responsibility for our choices. If you have chronic, severe, pain, then you have a choice. You can refuse effective medicine that is available for your pain, or you can choose to take the medicine, with the knowledge that there is a risk of addiction if you do. Sometimes, that risk is worth it if the pain is bad enough. What I don't want to see is nanny-state do-gooders restricting my choices. I am an adult. I take responsibility for my choices.

That's not to say that maybe research should be done into alternative medicine or even better medicine that has a lower probability of addiction. However, given the medicine that we have now, there are times when the risk of addiction is worth the reduction in pain that is possible.

[papertyger]

we leave our pain pills in the cupboard and surprised that "some" are missing....

What pain were you suffering that required opioid treatment?

[papertyger]

. Is big daddy Gov going to go after their pimps in big Pharma?

Big Pharma indeed!

I recently crossed paths with a FReeper who tried to tell me how many untold millions the drug companies make off opioids. I was frankly perplexed as I KNOW they are cheaper than ASPRIN!

[tuffydoodle]

“How about alcohol? This is nothing compared to that.”

I always ask that question to the gun grabbers. Thousands more people are killed every year by drunk drivers, much more than random gunman. But ain’t nobody gonna do anything about that, too many boozehounds that gotta get their drunk on.

[zeugma]

But, yeah, let’s all just go nuts and get hysterical, that way the politicians can, “do something”.

Indeed. By all means. Harumph!Harumph!Harumph!

It's a manufactured "crisis" to keep our eyes on the evils of drugs. There is a legitimate use for these drugs, and I shouldn't have to fight the government when I need them.