Found this :

 

https://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pdf

 

" Of the 20.5 million Americans 12 or older that had a substance use disorder in 2015, 2 million had a substance use disorder involving prescription pain relievers and 591,000 had a substance use disorder involving heroin.

• It is estimated that 23% of individuals who use heroin develop opioid addiction."

 

I would be interested to see how those numbers came about. The vast majority of heroin users were previously addicted to pain killers. So did they maintain that status in these figures after becoming a heroin addict because the pain killer addiction was their original disorder?

As opposed to opioid withdrawal, which is a piece of cake?

 

Taking any opioid doesn't mean instant addiction or withdrawal symptoms. Provided that usage is supervised and the patient takes it as directed when the drug is actually needed is perfectly safe. This isn't like the anti-drug PSAs of the 80s.

As opposed to opioid withdrawal, which is a piece of cake?

 

I didn't say it was.

 

So let's say you get in a serious car wreck, and let's suppose you have spinal fractures in several locations. You have to have your spinal column rebuilt, and it's a MAJOR surgery involving screws, bolts, and pins ALL OVER in your back. Are you going to refuse any kind of morphine, dilauded, demerol, oxycodone, percocet, vicodin, and codiene...take a few aspirins instead?

I didn't say it was.

 

So let's say you get in a serious car wreck, and let's suppose you have spinal fractures in several locations. You have to have your spinal column rebuilt, and it's a MAJOR surgery involving screws, bolts, and pins ALL OVER in your back. Are you going to refuse any kind of morphine, dilauded, demerol, oxycodone, percocet, vicodin, and codiene...take a few aspirins instead?

 

There are no less addictive alternatives?

There are no less addictive alternatives?

 

Tylenol, aspirin, advil, and aleve. That's pretty much it.

There are no less addictive alternatives?

 

Not if you want the pain to stop.

There are no less addictive alternatives?

 

There are a few options involving nerve-blocks and corticosteroids, which aren't guaranteed to work, and flat out won't work for certain types of moderate to major pain...but more or less, it's opioids, or you're looking at your basic over-the-counter aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, and Aleve.

There are no less addictive alternatives?

 

Management of severe pain pretty much requires the use of opioids, no other way around it until a medical discovery is made which provides alternate pain management. It just requires careful supervision to avoid addition. The public's ignorance of this results in the ignorant comment earlier where the poster stated they have no sympathy opioid addicts. Some heroin addicts because addicts due to either poor supervision or not able to follow direction. Not saying there is no fault in their addiction but to have no sympathy for someone in that instance is beyond me.

Tylenol, aspirin, advil, and aleve. That's pretty much it.

 

How about Cannabis? If I had to deal with chronic pain that's the medicine I would be taking.

How about Cannabis? If I had to deal with chronic pain that's the medicine I would be taking.

 

It might help, but it doesn't offer the same level of pain relief of an opioid.

 

Furthermore THC is still Schedule I so you would need congressional involvement to get it moved from there to II or III. Given the current congressional climate I would not expect it to happen.

It might help, but it doesn't offer the same level of pain relief of an opioid.

 

Furthermore THC is still Schedule I so you would need congressional involvement to get it moved from there to II or III. Given the current congressional climate I would not expect it to happen.

 

Or move to a state where it's legal.

Another drug that is abused is adderall.

Or move to a state where it's legal.

 

It's only "legal" in those states because the DOJ hasn't enforced anything on it. If our current AG does what he'd like to do he would enforce the federal laws. Strictly speaking if the DOJ wanted to thet could arrest everyone involved in its manufacturer and distribution then try them in federal courts for a violation of the controlled substances act.

Another drug that is abused is adderall.

 

That would be all amphetamines, not just that one.

It's only "legal" in those states because the DOJ hasn't enforced anything on it. If our current AG does what he'd like to do he would enforce the federal laws. Strictly speaking if the DOJ wanted to thet could arrest everyone involved in its manufacturer and distribution then try them in federal courts for a violation of the controlled substances act.

 

I don't know that I see that happening. At least not any time soon.