Study puts standard narrative
on opioid crisis in doubt
Power Line,
by
Paul Mirengoff
Original Article
Posted By: Hazymac,
10/26/2019 3:39:18 PM
Pharmaceutical companies are taking the blame for the opioid epidemic in America. We’ve all heard the narrative: Americans become addicted to pills prescribed by irresponsible doctors and peddled by unscrupulous drug companies. Many die of an overdose.
There’s no denying that this occurs. However, a new study from Massachusetts strongly suggests that it is not the main reason for the opioid epidemic.
The study found:
"Prescription opioids were detected in postmortem toxicology reports of fewer than half of the decedents; when opioids were prescribed at the time of death, they were commonly not detected in postmortem toxicology reports. . .The major proximal contributors to opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Jethro bo 10/26/2019 3:51:04 PM (No. 218369)
This is sad. Blame the companies and doctors cause they have the money. Can't sue a drug dealer that easily. And if you did, there isn't that much money. I know several doctors that no longer prescribe pain medicines to people that need them. Not surgery patients but patients with cancer. The problem is the paper work and liability of losing their license to practice medicine. So docotros will protect their livelihood (imagine that) while under prescribing medications. And who gets hurt (both literally and figuratively)? Us! Yes, our goobernment found a way to not only make life as miserable as possible, but now literally painful. But the law says cancer is an exception. True, but the reporting and prescription monitiering doesn't know its for cancer. That HIPPA thingy. So the doctors that prescribe too much narcotics has to defend it. Andthat takes time and could possibly lead to an audience with the state Medical Board. All cost doctors time and money, But by golly the goobernment sure nipped that opoid crises in the bud didn't it!
6 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
lakerman1 10/26/2019 3:55:07 PM (No. 218376)
I have been making the same argument right here, since the 'crisis' began.
The trial lawyers are making a ton of money suing drug manufacturers, when they should be suing China. That's the source of fentanyl.
One more thing - my youngest son, a Chemistry pre Med major, tells me that the vaping crisis is fake, to the extent that vapers are purchasing narcotics/drugs on the black market, adding to vaping stuff, and that is why there is a 'crisis.' Regular, legal vaping stuff will not do much damage.
10 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
davew 10/26/2019 3:56:34 PM (No. 218380)
Shhh! Don't let any potential jurors in opiod drug cases read this stuff or they'll stop awarding those huge judgments to the families of the victims. How will the plaintiff's lawyers afford their 4 houses and private jets on their meager 40% contingency fees if they don't win these cases. They'll have to go chase Roundup victims and women who use baby powder just to cover their mortgages.
7 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
earlybird 10/26/2019 4:03:16 PM (No. 218390)
Leftover drugs, prescribed for family members, later filched by other family members, are a great part of the problem. So much so that my orthopedic surgeon’s office has graphic posters in the examining rooms cautioning patients to lock away any opiods.
2 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
bythegates 10/26/2019 4:05:35 PM (No. 218393)
Uhh. No, this is not how I understand the standard narrative. The standard narrative, and what was happening before people like Trump called them out in it, was that people would get hooked on narcotics by the pharmas, which would lead to many becoming illegal users of street narcotics once they would no longer have a medical condition that would get them a regular prescription. OF COURSE doctors were never (or at least extremely rarely) PRESCRIBING people narcotic doses to kill them. How ridiculous! I expect much better from Power Line. WOW they've written a dumb article here.
1 person likes this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Gnana1 10/26/2019 4:20:08 PM (No. 218405)
I live right in NW Arkansas where all sorts of drugs and mixes of drugs is rampant. While I have found some of the people who are addicted became that way due to over prescribed pain medication by DOCTORS, most were already hooked on any number of other drugs from pot to meth to cocaine to heroine and whatever, plus alcohol. Come on folks...the manufacturers are not the sole responsibility for this problem. First is the person who becomes hooked! And frankly our culture....we are enablers and co dependents. We don't do anything to intervene. We simply "don't talk about it". Turn our eyes away. A lot of the addicted people use a complaint of pain in order to get pain meds at the ER, doctors, or now they get some meds from vets....the doctors who threat animals. Give me a break. We always want to put the blame for addiction, death, on the wrong source of the problem! Yes, manufacturers need to be more forth coming, doctors should be more aware and care, and the addicted need to own up to it and seek treatment. Families need to stop hiding from problems. And by the way it would be a bad idea to return to the greatest Healer of all, God Almighty.
3 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Rumblehog 10/26/2019 4:46:16 PM (No. 218423)
I don't know where all these unscrupulous medical Doctors are, but every Surgeon or Pain Doctor I've ever seen has never been inclined to prescribe opioids. Not that I'd take them, but for more than a year I lived with level 8 to 9 pain getting no more than 3 hours of sleep a night, while my broken back went misdiagnosed. Nerve pain cannot be explained to someone who has never experienced it. I popped Ibuprofen like it was jelly beans and developed 3 Ulcers to go along with the pain. Pain meds and eight spine surgeries have reduced the pain. What I take is non-narcotic, but very expensive. It's the only thing that works for me. Some people are desperate enough to try anything and then slide down the addiction spiral.
1 person likes this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Lawsy0 10/26/2019 6:37:38 PM (No. 218481)
I wouldn't have read the article had they not put the words ''standard narrative'' in the title. That caught my attention right away. Hell's Bells, it looks like we might have to discover the REAL
1 person likes this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Lawsy0 10/26/2019 6:39:31 PM (No. 218483)
CAUSE of the opioid crisis as soon as we get over our need to take down Big Pharma as the root of all evil.
(sometimes, the enter key has a mind of its own!)
3 people like this.
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Comments:
So it now seems that many if not most apparent opioid caused deaths were actually caused by non-prescription use of drug store painkillers, or by heroin-fentanyl. Some greedy lawyers will get rich from this, same as with tobacco companies two decades ago, but Big Pharma doesn't deserve all the opprobrium they have received. Some people legitimately need prescription painkillers.