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Is the US still in an opiate/opioid epidemic or has it just been swept under the rug because of COVID-19?

From what I can tell from the city I live in, absolutely. Fentanyl hasn't missed a beat, and overdose deaths have skyrocketed. Cocaine got hit hard, though. I've been looking at recent seizure levels with Operation Legend and recent border seizures and cocaine is minuscule compared to fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine. It's actually surprising how little media attention the gigantic spike in overdose deaths has recieved.
 
More than ever before. So many overdoses reaching a new record of epidemic. We just pretend that nobody does drugs here though so who cares about junkies? There's only like one in every family (sarcasm). Oh by the way, hard liquor is totally fine but weed is the devil #teamUSA

Our country profits from the epidemic too much to do anything about it. We know that suboxone is probably the best way out and yet... they'd never have a commercial for it. Despite us making booze look like any dude can get hot bikini babes if you drink miller lite. I wonder how many lives would be saved if we didn't condemn opiate addiction like someone is a straight up retard for being stuck in the game. If you tell people you're struggling they look at you like you have two heads. So frustrating... on the bright side of the epidemic though at least people are having a good time out there. Not a good way to go out though :(

Opiate addiction is clearly not an uncommon problem. Clearly. Would you tell someone with lupus or something that they should be ashamed of their condition? lol. Because the USA thinks that addiction is a disease. I wonder when the country will wake up and stop shaming people for an epidemic they created. Or scratching their heads wondering why so many abuse an incredible sensation. They're still trying to ban kratom SMH.
 
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GetMeOutOfThisCRAP said:
More than ever before. So many overdoses reaching a new record of epidemic. We just pretend that nobody does drugs here though so who cares about junkies? There's only like one in every family (sarcasm). Oh by the way, hard liquor is totally fine but weed is the devil #teamUSA

Our country profits from the epidemic too much to do anything about it. We know that suboxone is probably the best way out and yet... they'd never have a commercial for it. Despite us making booze look like any dude can get hot bikini babes if you drink miller lite. I wonder how many lives would be saved if we didn't condemn opiate addiction like someone is a straight up retard for being stuck in the game. If you tell people you're struggling they look at you like you have two heads. So frustrating... on the bright side of the epidemic though at least people are having a good time out there. Not a good way to go out though :(

Opiate addiction is clearly not an uncommon problem. Clearly. Would you tell someone with lupus or something that they should be ashamed of their condition? lol. Because the USA thinks that addiction is a disease. I wonder when the country will wake up and stop shaming people for an epidemic they created. Or scratching their heads wondering why so many abuse an incredible sensation. They're still trying to ban kratom SMH.
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I agree with everything you said, though as a bartender i can't help but feel a tad guilty for feeding people's alcohol addiction. Anytime I feel bad about it I just tell myself "its their choice. Its not like I'm holding a gun to their heads". There's definitely an addiction stigma though, which is sad. But on the bright side that you mentioned, yes. It seems that since the opioid epidemic has been put on the back-burner, addicts can now score with more ease and docs have temporarily become more lenient in terms of prescribing meds. And of course distribution of black market drugs will always be a thriving business--especially if big pharma starts cracking down more on prescribing. On another note, kratom can be helpful to tackle opiate withdrawals, but it varies greatly from person to person. It didn't do a damn thing for me, but in that same breath I've also heard many a heroin addict say it practically saved their life. As a libertarian, and i know this is an unpopular opinion, I think all drugs should be legalized (or at least decriminalized) for persons 21+. Slap a warning label on them like cigarettes or booze and if people wanna ignore it, its on them.
 
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FunctionalJnkieGrl said:
I agree with everything you said, though as a bartender i can't help but feel a tad guilty for feeding people's alcohol addiction. Anytime I feel bad about it I just tell myself "its their choice. Its not like I'm holding a gun to their heads". There's definitely an addiction stigma though, which is sad. But on the bright side that you mentioned, yes. It seems that since the opioid epidemic has been put on the back-burner, addicts can now score with more ease and docs have temporarily become more lenient in terms of prescribing meds. And of course distribution of black market drugs will always be a thriving business--especially if big pharma starts cracking down more on prescribing. On another note, kratom can be helpful to tackle opiate withdrawals, but it varies greatly from person to person. It didn't do a damn thing for me, but in that same breath I've also heard many a heroin addict say it practically saved their life. As a libertarian, and i know this is an unpopular opinion, I think all drugs should be legalized (or at least decriminalized) for persons 21+. Slap a warning label on them like cigarettes or booze and if people wanna ignore it, its on them.
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You're doing them a favor. Without bartenders (especially female ones specifically) they would be drinking alone in their house with nobody to talk to and their problems would only further deteriorate them faster than ever. Alcoholics know that bars have higher rates per drinks and they could easily save money by drinking in isolation. But that would be miserable and who could they talk to about their divorcee problems :ROFLMAO:
 
GetMeOutOfThisCRAP said:
You're doing them a favor. Without bartenders (especially female ones specifically) they would be drinking alone in their house with nobody to talk to and their problems would only further deteriorate them faster than ever. Alcoholics know that bars have higher rates per drinks and they could easily save money by drinking in isolation. But that would be miserable and who could they talk to about their divorcee problems :ROFLMAO:
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You're absolutely right and as a bartender you do kinda wind up being a shrink to drunks spilling their guts about their personal lives. Its inevitable in this industry but at least they have someone to vent to. Haha.
 
FunctionalJnkieGrl said:
You're absolutely right and as a bartender you do kinda wind up being a shrink to drunks spilling their guts about their personal lives. Its inevitable in this industry but at least they have someone to vent to. Haha.
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Yup. Good ole divorcee Tom--with three kids who live far away from him would probably die in 3 weeks if he didn't have a bartender shrink hehe.
 
Unfortunately the opioid epidemic is raging and getting worse during coved.

www.statnews.com

Real-time data are essential for Covid-19. They're just as important for the opioid overdose crisis

Without real-time data on America's addiction crisis, there's no way of knowing if what we're doing to address the problem is making a difference. Without it, we're just guessing.
www.statnews.com www.statnews.com

www.delmarvanow.com

Opioid-related deaths rose in Maryland as the COVID-19 pandemic raged

New data from the second quarter of 2020 shows that drug-related fatalities in Maryland rose while the state battled COVID-19.
www.delmarvanow.com www.delmarvanow.com
 
I Am in NY, drugs more available and stronger !
Fentanyl Sucks terribly !!
 
Yeah, it's still just as bad. It's practically only Fentanyl, and also people are relapsing a lot due to the virus. The rehab industry must be making a killing because there are lots of addicts coming through.
 
It's still raging and overdoses are WAY up. Lots of locals where I live are back on opioids after being clean for years because of the stress of the pandemic.
 
Its the opposite here. If anything people are using less and OD'ing due to tolerance dropping, or shooting up a cocktail of death (which would be the junkies fault).

Nobody is going to care about a junkie having a temper tantrum during covid. Much bigger issues going on. Like the general population dying. Brink of war. Recession, etc. Real issues.

There are also 2 immediate outs for a junkie. Methadone and subs. Doctors are scripting very little pills (people aren't going to doctors), and open air markets are basically done. For the 1st time in the 4 decades I have lived in this city.

I guarantee opiate usage is at an all time low if measured across the past 20 years. The epidemic has passed. Has already been on the decline for some years.

What covid is doing, though is turning lots into alcoholics. Drinking is at an all time high. Poly drug use is also at an all time high. But opiate epidemic, I say its gone. Not even 10% of what it was 10 years ago.

There will always be users. The 1% of people that are using opiates are not very relevant when the rest of the world is dying. Even if they die...
 
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