I'm calling bullshit on those statistics. Not doubting you believe them.

Call away.  The numbers are from the CDC.  

I'd suggest your error on calling BS potentially includes mistakenly assuming that my reference to Rx pain meds/opiods means lawful use of those prescription meds.  

Pain meds were easier to get decades ago, why wasn't it a problem then?  


While they may or may not have been easier to get in some past period, the numbers of prescriptions have sky rocketed in the modern era.  

Its compounded by the wide spread availability in the modern era of extremely potent medications.

I'd further suggest that the data on abuse rates in prior periods tends to understate abuse rates, relative to the modern era.   This is, in part, a result of the greater social stigma regarding drug abuse in prior eras.

That's very good, responsible advice from an obvious professional who put some thought into the care that he gives.

60 minutes is a fake news sensationalist show. 

They've done several expose's concerning the medical field that was pure unadulterated bullshit.

I won't state them all, the one that pops out at the moment was when they tried to smear labs but putting drugs in urine and sending them off for testing to prove how bad labs were.


Drugs screens test metabolites, not substances, and depending on the drug and methodology they might target different metabolites.

Pure bullshit.

When 60 minutes does a show about comey being corrupt,  or hilliary then let me know. 

They are not a real news show.

I haven't watched 60 Minutes in at least 10 years. Just like I haven't watched national nightly news in at least that long either. All a bunch of propaganda and bullshit spun by hard lefties to brainwash the masses.

And constipation. Can't forget the constipation.

Healthy skepticism is a good thing.  So is recognizing the truth when you see it.  Do a little research and get back with us.

I have seen quite a few people here locally that have become junkies when our state laws cut off their pain pill prescription.
Narcan is being used way to much here in Kentucky.

My intuition on a significant root cause is the loss of freedom of initiative and removal of consequences that results from socialism or social welfare.  The US is a socialist country in many ways, even a "soft fascist" one if one considers that fascism is a form of socialism.  Take a look at how many social benefits are delivered to the population via the workplace.  The workplace has been co-opted by the government via corporate tax deductibility of things like medical coverage or outright administrative rule.  Individuals are squeezed out of the picture and must rely on their association with an employer or just directly by dependency on government.

I believe this creates a malaise of spirit.  Not something a person can really comprehend directly but it creates a tendency to dependency in all aspects of life.

I've responded to more opiate related overdoses than I can think of. In my experience, you are correct.

The vast majority get hooked on it culturally. Their friends party, they start with weed, they do xanax and other benzos at parties, progress to oxys and percs. It goes downhill from there as those are the people they hang out with, thats what they do when they hang out.

Eventually pill shopping gets expensive and they start off snorting heroin. When the high isn't good enough there, they progress to shooting it.

Many people have addictive personalities and cannot handle it. Many people have zero desire to change. I've seen people OD in the morning, get treated and released, and OD later that day again.

Not sure... but after 3 separate surgeries, I took my pain meds for only one day after the procedures and dealt with the horrific pain because I wanted nothing to do with that shit.  It hurt like a motherfucker but knew the risks. But when I'm on my deathbed from cancer or some shit... I'll be taking morphine like a champ. Made my dad's transition to the other side appear far more comfortable from my perspective.

And BTW, I know at least ten guys from my hometown of Akron, Ohio who have died from this shit, and not one surprises me... not a single "he's going somewhere" among them.

Its higher than that.