Misinformation in mainstream media articles on drugs

[Halif]

The number of mistakes contained in almost every article I read published in mainstream media about drugs is seriously concerning, as is the tone and content of most articles, which are often alarmist and misinformed.
Today I saw an article talking about people overusing oxycodone. But in the article it says “his doctor prescribed MS Contin, a brand of oxycodone.” Then in the article there’s an account of someone who was prescribed oxycodone and apparently had some problems with it. He says: "It's evil, I call it that. It's a strong word, but I would call it that. It's that dangerous. It can kill you, you take too much it can kill you,"
How can a substance be evil? And stating that taking too much can kill you seems fairly obvious. I think articles like this highlight the dangerous lack of awareness which exists among the people who are taking these substances and the media which reports on them.
There seems to be a serious deficit in both awareness and personal accountability in many people’s attitude towards drugs. I think it’s time for a big shift in the way we as a society think about drugs, whether legal or illegal.
I know I’m preaching to the converted here, but I was wondering if anyone has any good ideas about how to increase awareness.
Also, what interesting, funny, or downright frustrating misinformation have you seen published recently?

There are fears Australia is on the cusp of a deadly drug epidemic that is driving a record number of overdoses.

The painkiller oxycodone, also known as oxycontin or more colloquially as hillbilly heroin, has overtaken heroin as the drug of choice among injecting users, but the bulk of its victims are middle-aged pain sufferers.

The drug was once used specifically for cancer patients, but several years ago it began being regularly prescribed to anyone suffering chronic pain and its use soared.

While prescription rates for morphine dropped, oxycodone's rose 152 per cent in six years.

Trevor Gerrand used to work with disabled children until repeated heavy lifting caused a chronic neck injury. He now suffers from debilitating pain.

When regular painkillers were no longer effective, his doctor prescribed MS Contin, a brand of oxycodone.

Mr Gerrand says the drug left him in a haze.

"I was stoned, to put it simply. I had trouble concentrating, I was always wandering around in this half-awake half-asleep sort of daze. I really don't know how I managed to keep working at the time," he said.

After three years of daily reliance, Mr Gerrand made the decision to stop. He managed to cut his use in half and then after some months eliminate it completely.

But Mr Gerrand says he still worries about the addictive nature of oxycodone.

"It's evil, I call it that. It's a strong word, but I would call it that. It's that dangerous. It can kill you, you take too much it can kill you," he said.

"You can get hooked on it very easily like you can any other illicit substance. The difference between MS Contin and heroin and other opiates - one's classified as illegal, the other one's a prescription drug but they do the same thing to you."

Maryanne Jauncey works at the medically supervised injecting room in Sydney's King's Cross. She says two-thirds of the 225 people who visit the room each day use prescription opiates.

"So for every injection of heroin, there's at least two injections of prescription opiates and broadly speaking that's mostly oxycontin," she said.
Injecting centre at Kings Cross Photo: Most visitors to the King's Cross injecting room use oxycodone. (Paul Miller, file photo: AAP)

The drug is commonly abused by crushing the tablets and injecting them, and there is an active black market.

It is a lucrative business - one 80mg tablet of oxycontin can sell on the street for $50, meaning a box would be worth $1,400.

Dr Jeremy Hayllar says oxy often reaches the black market by sellers who go doctor shopping.

"The weekly Centrelink allowance of about $245, [so] there's a huge discrepancy so there are large incentives on some people to cash in on these prescriptions which may have been provided with the best of intentions but have been misused," he said.

Dr Hayllar works in one of Queensland Health's largest rehabilitation clinics.

He says many people do not understand the potency of oxycodone.

It is one-and-a-half times stronger than heroin, it reduces respiration, making it potentially deadly, and its effects are exacerbated by other depressants like alcohol and Valium.

"People don't realise that Valium, for example, has a very long half-life, so you may have taken a big dose of Valium the day before and you may relatively have recovered, however there will be at least half of that dose in your system," he said.

"So if you then add to that some opioids, it's not difficult to see how you can overdose."

 

[opi8]

All of it is all of the above.

 

[junkie skumbag]

reading the article about DMT in the local news paper really pissed me off." a dangerous yellow powder that brings on horrific experiences"

 

[Captain Brewster]

I read one the other day, it was about the people overdosing on fent.

A daughter was talking about her mother, explaining that she had such a high tollerance to opiate painkillers that "she could take 5 Valium and not die". WTF?!

I don't really know what people can do to change people's conception of what is the truth. Alot don't really care because it doesent play a big role I their life.
Whenever friends or family talk to me about these things I definetly give them my version of what I think, and explain how full of shit the media is.

 

[Standup]

Ive accidently ODed on my own prescribed oxy after the hospital gave me 10mg valium the day before. The biggest problem is that there is so much dishonesty with doctor client relationships and no talk about safety with these things. Its like doctors are worried if they talk about abuse potential and safety youll be more likely to abuse it. I find antidepressants the most dangerous casually handed out medication, but you cant really get a high from it so the issue is ignored completely. Im pretty honest and up front with doctors and ive been politely told to get the fuck out of the consult rooms for expressing an opinion. Plenty of doctors that still feed BS information

 

[Halif]

Excellent comments so far. Keep 'em coming!

Captain B: you've been speaking all kinds of sense recently. Your comment in the 'banning drug paraphernalia" thread about 'smoking weed because you had weed, not because you had a pipe' was fucking spot on. And this:

I don't really know what people can do to change people's conception of what is the truth. Alot don't really care because it doesent play a big role I their life.
Whenever friends or family talk to me about these things I definetly give them my version of what I think, and explain how full of shit the media is.

- I understand, too.

Pointing out that the media isn't reliable and giving an example or two can definitely help people become more aware. As for people not caring because it doesn't play a role in their life: The thing is, I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who isn't affected in some way by legal/illegal drugs. Even if they don't use them themselves, the chances are high that they have someone close to them who does - be it prescription anti-depressants, blood-pressure medication, or smack bought off the street. It's all drugs/medicine, and all of it has the power to bring you undone if it's not understood and respected.

That's why I took issue with the statement in the article I posted about oxy being "evil". I find it kind of ridiculous to pass the buck like that. Oxycodone is not a living being with malicious intent, it's a valuable substance which needs to be understood and used correctly with full awareness and responsibility. Same goes for paracetamol, diacetylmorphine, atenolol, sertraline, or any other thing you can think of. They all have their place. None of them should be banned or labelled as evil. They just need to be understood and respected. It's time for personal choice and personal accountability to become the standard, in place of laws which make us ignorant victims.

 

[Portillo]

All the media do is use scare tactics and portray drugs as an evil scourge.

 

[Busty St Clare]

If your eyes are open to the inaccuracies of a subject that you know personally, imagine the other shit they spout off about that you just to take as gospel. It could be worse, you could be working as a climate scientist or economist for a job.

 

[Halif]

It could be worse

It could be better also. Let's make it so.

opi8: You've made some great posts over the months/years, and I know you have a wealth of personal experience to draw on. I'm not sure what you meant by this, though:

All of it is all of the above.

 

[opi8]

Yeah that makes no sense, I blame the alcohol.

I was trying to agree with the post above mine, in particular the thread title.

 

[laugh]

if you say it enough and scream it the loudest its got to be true.

obamas latest idea, get on top of the polls by voting early and the lemmings will follow...

 

[Foreigner]

I'm convinced that a major reason why drugs are illegal is to suppress the advancement of human consciousness, even more so than profit motives. The government has to keep people from thinking critically and in ways that threatens their power. Their blatant lying works well on the ignorant masses.

 

[Crankinit]

You just have to remember that the media's goal has nothing to do with accuracy, but with invoking an emotional response to ensure that the reader will feel that they need to stay subscribed and continue reading. Most news and media is kind of like those 'based on a true story' movies which are described as such because they use a few people's real names and set it where something vaguely similar to the plot might have once happened.

 

[ugly]

I can't understand how it's possible that the culture is so fundamentally conservative at it's core. If you expect to be successful in 2000teen you have to appear to accept the 12 step, random drug test, DEA warriors against drugs. The core leadership all want to make it CLEAR to us that they don't take drugs, never have, never inhaled anyway. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Either they are lying and on drugs but just hiding it, that's one thing. But what if there is a bunch of truly sober fanatics who are hell bent on sobering everyone? They look to me like sober freaks speading sobriety just like mormons.

 

[nin015]

If your eyes are open to the inaccuracies of a subject that you know personally, imagine the other shit they spout off about that you just to take as gospel. It could be worse, you could be working as a climate scientist or economist for a job.

This comment is exactly why we need a like button on BL!

 

[thestudent14]

I'm convinced that a major reason why drugs are illegal is to suppress the advancement of human consciousness, even more so than profit motives. The government has to keep people from thinking critically and in ways that threatens their power. Their blatant lying works well on the ignorant masses.

I respect your opinion, and I know people who feel the same. I whole heartedy disagree though. I think fundamentally people go into politics because they want to help shape the country for the better not for power. Sometimes these lines cross over though, when a government thinks it's in the majority's best interest that people stick to the mainstream often means people who stray from the mainstream get caught up in the middle.

Blatant lying is becoming less and less common. It's much more common to use what I like to call half facts. This is to highlight all the potential dangers and health issues of drug use, without providing any statistics about how common or risky these substances really are.


I think a fundamental flaw in your logic is that it implies that all current and former prime minister for the past 40 years are on some level corrupt for power, and not just in Australis but nearly every government anywhere (apart from a select few such) otherwise the moment one wasn't they would lift the ban on drugs as soon as possible. The issue is far too complex then pinning it on something as simple as the government wanting to control us from expanding our consciousness. After 40+ years of miss information, it is not the current government that is trying to miss inform civilians, it's that they themselves have such a skewed view and stigma against drug use. Over the next 20 years as our gen Y plays a bigger role in politics these stigma's will start to decrease along with the support from the success of more evolved drug laws that we are seeing all over the world.


I don't expect my post to change your beliefs foreigner as I've had these discussion with friends before, but I'd love you to do some soul searching, think about the points I have raised and reassess your thoughts, I think you've had these thoughts for a long time and maybe they should change. If they don't, so be it, and I'd love to hear your reasons why. As I said whilst I whole heartedly disagree, I am still intrigued.

 

[laugh]

id have to agree with Foreigner on this one. food for thought/reasons, our education system going to shit, analgesic alcohol being legal, media dumbing down content, threat of censorship, to name a few.

i like your positivity thestudent and you seem to be in a pretty good/healthy frame of mind atm which is great, however i just don't see society around me progressing all that much, if at all. how can you say blatant lying is becoming less common, i would argue the opposite. take mitt romney as an example, or our government with the super trawler issue...

id hate to come across on this board as being a negative little son of a bitch as i consider myself a realist and no doubt a pessimist...with optimistic tendencies haha. iv spent time with the filthy rich in sydney and from my experience the rich dont get their by being nice considerate people, if they got to tel a fib or a white lie to bring in that profit thats what they'll do. money gets the better of most. and its so easy to just go and confess your sins say your hail marys and wipe your hands clean with your pockets lined. and then wonder why everyone else doesnt do the same thing.

packer does sydney a favour by buiding another casino for uber rich asians...one of the benefits is there will be no slot machines...

 

[Cartesia]

Sometimes I wonder if it's all on purpose. But it probably is just stupidity.

Here's the thing though:

The numbers are in for cost to society in terms of crime/etc.
The science is in for health risks.
We have a real life test case with alcohol prohibition that most people against drugs know of.


Why does it continue?

The main reason given is usually that in politics its something that you simply do not mention. Every candidate is tough on drugs/etc.

Then sometimes people will say alcohol and tobacco industries are using their power.. they may be, but I tend to feel the tobacco is perfectly placed to benefit from a legalisation..

Some people say it is to maintain order in society, because wed all go crazy and quit our jobs/become addicts if we started taking drugs.. Wouldnt really happen. People wanting to get addicted can find a way now, whether it is through alcohol or through an illegal substance. People get wasted all weekend then go to work.

I feel that there is definitely some fear as to what will happen to society if masses of people start having eye-opening psychedelic experiences, but in general I think it's really just politics that is holding us back.. which is really sad, and reflects terribly upon us as human beings.
Alot of people take a negative view toward capitalism, because we're taught that that's what this system is that we live under (in the west at least). But the trick is this is NOT a free market capitalist society.

I would love to be in a truly free market system.. drugs would get along finely with it
(and no, this doesnt mean no aid for the disabled/elderly/poor/etc.. it just means people have to choose to help, rather than complain about being robbed by the taxman. and history has shown us that people DO choose to help - and as for health etc, a competitive health industry is alot more cost effective and affordable than a beureaucratic nightmare like public health)

 

[laugh]

a truly free market system

haha a truly free market system...

hear romney talking about a free market with china...hes happy to have a free market so long as its on his terms...hes talking of dictating to china, pakistan, afghanistan.

back in the 60's romney was a bit of a rebel you know...he was out there protesting and stuff...protesting against the protesters that were anti vietnam, romney was pro vietnam!..he didnt go to war though.

 

[Cartesia]

haha a truly free market system...

hear romney talking about a free market with china...hes happy to have a free market so long as its on his terms...hes talking of dictating to china, pakistan, afghanistan.

back in the 60's romney was a bit of a rebel you know...he was out there protesting and stuff...protesting against the protesters that were anti vietnam, romney was pro vietnam!..he didnt go to war though.

Yeah, haha indeed - I know that the nature of the people of this world would never allow for a truely free market, but in theory, it is an excellent possibility