Op-Ed Congress: To prevent addiction, empower physicians and patients to choose non-opioids

[thegreenhand]

Congress: To prevent addiction, empower physicians and patients to choose non-opioids​

Henry I. Miller
The Hill
18 Jul 2022

Excerpt:

Every month, it seems, the United States smashes another unenviable record when it comes to drug addiction and overdose statistics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the latest data show a jaw-dropping 108,000 overdose deaths in 2021. America’s families and communities are reeling — and the federal government needs to help.

As part of a broader strategy to save lives, Congress and the Biden administration must embrace efforts to prevent addiction before it can begin. This means reducing the overprescribing of opioid-based medications, preventing the illicit use and diversion of these powerful drugs, and expanding access to a wide array of drugs and devices that can often manage pain without the risks of addiction.

 

[S.J.B.]

A little late, no? It's exactly this attitude that transformed the OxyContin pseudo-crisis into the fentanyl death crisis.

 

[Soulscreame]

What are 'non opiods' and why just non opiods?
If this is about addiction, there are many non 'opiods' that are quite addictive.
I thought this was a thing already.
Theres a push for a while toward so called 'nonopiods' but only cuz opiods=addictive=bad
Nevermind that some people legit medically need them and theres few alternatives.
I dont see this helping at all.

This focus of banning of all opiod drugs will only drive more to black market, destroying harm minimilisation and just get people addicted to orher drugs.
This doctor and people like him obviously do not understand addiction at all.
Anything that makes you feel better or good or has stoppage side effects inevitably will make you addicted as your unable to stop.

But no, insteaf of addressing addiction as a whole and trying to help people manage and quit these substances, lets blame the opiates only and get people addicted to something else.
Im sure that'll work