325.7 million people in the USA in 2016. – 42,249 (Henry Kaiser Statistics )died in 2016 from overdoses of opioid = Leaving 325,657,751million people. (REMEMBER: statistics vary from website to website. I am using, as a base, those numbers most websites reported.
A pittance.. Meaning no disrespect! Of course not, individually…those lives are precious to those whose friends and family have been lost.
Because of media coverage results of current actions to reduce deaths should be noted:
“Someone” is recommending opioid training on “how to prescribe”; a course doctors must take. I do not know cost, time involved, or if it will be mandatory.
The Surgeon General is recommending that more pens of Naloxone be produced and sold so that some of those who overdose might be saved. The average cost at a discount, almost $100.00. Often two or three pens are needed. Someone will see a big profit! Pharmacies? Sale of pens to medical facilities. Cost to citizens.
FYI: highest death rates are age group 45-64. Most illicit users range from 18 to mid-twenties.
Over a period of weeks I have found that the age group most affected are the elderly. Affected in the way that their ability to be prescribed the medication for the drugs REALLY needed, has been curtailed…A choice of pain medication / or sleeping aid such as Ambien.
Doctors are encouraged to promote exercise and behavioral treatments to help patients cope with pain. REALLY? One would have to have experienced a vast majority of “pain” throughout the body to really know if a behavior treatment would help. Of course, mind over matter does help, but are most people really mentally ready to manage chronic pain using that methodology?
Is there really a healthful choice for those will permanent pain from injuries? Sleep or pain relief?
Common Opioids bind to receptors in brain and spinal cord. They disrupt pain signals and activate reward areas of brain by releasing dopamine – which creates a feeling of euphoria (a high). Opioids such as morphine and codeine are derived from poppy plants. Heroine is an illegal drug synthesized from morphine. Most opioids are grown in Asia, Central and South America.
Hydrocodone and oxycodone are manufactured in labs with natural and synthetic ingredients.
Between 2007 and 2016 the most widely prescribed drug (hydrocodone ), was prescribed and 6.2 BILLION pills were distributed. In 2016, 5 BiLLION oxycodone tablets were prescribed. These were all in the USA….. 99.7 of the worlds hydrocodone was prescribed in the USA.
NY Times
“Most of the time, it’s sold on the street as heroin, or drug traffickers use it to make cheap counterfeit prescription opioids. Fentanyls are showing up in cocaine as well, contributing to an increase in cocaine-related overdoses. Fentanyl was originally developed as an anesthetic for surgery. Carfentanil – a unit is 100 times stronger than fentanyl, and 10,000 as a unit of morphine. The most deadly of the fentanyl analogues Carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer, 5,000 times stronger than heroin. An amount smaller than a few grains of salt can be a lethal dose.” It already has commercial availability…
For anyone who would like to read a few names of what citizens have been given for various ailments and injuries, I copied a fairly comprehensive list and will post it soon.
The point of this post, I am not sure. I just found it extremely interesting that as citizens we were given the okay for many of these to curb pain. The government is concerned about “citizens” when I believe the citizens who are using these drugs “to death” are illegal in their usage-either bought on the street, shared with relatives, or stolen!
Granted, I have seen and met some fakers here in California, and there are many throughout the states, but the majority of people I’ve seen who use these drugs are in dire need of some help to manage his or her life.
It s just sickening to have those really in need managed so poorly – Many doctors are now pulling back on writing these prescriptions so they won’t “get in trouble.”
We can also blame “money people” on the fact cigarettes and alcohol are still legal.
Haven’t even mentioned the huge problem with Adderall addiction, or the ridiculous use of Ritalin in children. – For God’s sake, let them be children….
What is the answer? I don’t know. It’s certainly NOT taking pain meds or sleeping aids away from those who ACTUALLY manage lives with the help- the elderly, critical pain patients, and those will lifelong major pain afflictions; many of which are our combat soldiers – men and women!
Relax, it's just Life! 