Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Americans consume 80 percent of the world's pain pills as prescription drug abuse epidemic explodes
UK Daily Mail ^ | 10 May 2012 | Michael Zennie

Posted on 05/10/2012 9:49:03 PM PDT by iowamark

Americans consume 80 percent of the world's supply of painkillers -- more than 110 tons of pure, addictive opiates every year -- as the country's prescription drug abuse epidemic explodes.

That's enough drugs to give every single American 64 Percocets or Vicodin. And pain pill prescriptions continue to surge, up 600 percent in ten year, thanks to doctors who are more and more willing to hand out drugs to patients who are suffering.

As more people get their hands on these potentially-dangerous drugs, more are taking them to get high. Their drug abuse leads to 14,800 deaths a year -- more than from heroin and cocaine combined.

'We've become a society of wusses,' Long Island, New York, pharmacist Howard Levine told the BBC.

Mr Levine stopped carrying all of the major addictive prescription drugs after he was robbed twice by addicts looking to get high.

Nationwide, police are reporting increases in robberies and other crimes by people who are addicted to oxycodone and hydrocodone, the key ingredient in most prescription pain pills...

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: drugs; drugwar; pain; painkillers; painmedicine; painpills; percocet; vicodin; warondrugs; wod; wodlist; wosd
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-87 last
To: iowamark

Actually, this is completely explained by the sudden ‘gayness’ of the US, taking it in the a.. since 2008.

Who DOESN’t need pain pills for that?


81 posted on 05/12/2012 6:48:04 PM PDT by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah c<meth. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HerrBlucher

It was causing quite a bit of pain in her arms and legs. Some kind of fibromyalgia. Had to look it up. I think this was it: Polymyalgia Rheumatica. I’m not sure how long she took them, but it was for some time. She had to take prednisone for the pain. Then when they would wean her off that, the pain would come back. She had to get back on the prednisone a few times for relief. I don’t believe she has it now—if she did, I would be hearing about it, that’s for sure.


82 posted on 05/15/2012 5:27:57 PM PDT by beaversmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: iowamark

I’d want to know where they’re getting thier numbers from. If it from the RWJF or SAMSHA there’s definitely an agenda behind everything they publish, and it’s always for more federal government control.


83 posted on 05/15/2012 5:36:40 PM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tacticalogic; Slings and Arrows
As far as I can tell the numbers came from a study by the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians.

I can not locate the actual study and every time I try to track down exactly what this group stands for I run into what my civics teacher would have called "Glittering Generalities"

84 posted on 05/15/2012 6:44:30 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Migrating elephant herds react badly to flaming motor homes and dry ice doesn't repel killer bees)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear; tacticalogic

Oh, one of those studies.

If I wasn’t so lazy I’d be posting the “Smells like b*llsh*t” graphic.


85 posted on 05/15/2012 7:10:52 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows (You can't have Ingsoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: cherry

“why is America taking 80% of the worlds’ painkillers?...”

Because they’re free- the government pays for them and pays the doctor to prescribe them.
There’s a whole prescription drug-based economy in poor areas of the country that’s as big as the dollar-based one.

And no jobs.

Sure, other countries do the same but their populace is used to being serfs. We just can’t seem to get the hang of it.


86 posted on 05/15/2012 7:23:18 PM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear
I can not locate the actual study and every time I try to track down exactly what this group stands for I run into what my civics teacher would have called "Glittering Generalities"

That's probably what's commonly referred to as a "clue".

87 posted on 05/15/2012 7:37:43 PM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-87 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson