The next bureaucratic made epidemic ?

Since the passage of The Harrison Narcotic Act 1914 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Narcotics_Tax_Act  when medications such as Heroin , Morphine and others were no longer sold OTC… we have had 1%-2% of the population who were serious substance abusers. Of course, in 1914 the USA’s population was abt 100,000,000.. abt 30% of what our population is today.

We have had an equilibrium of new people becoming substance abuser/addicts and those who have been abusing substances for a period of time… and dying off.

We have all heard of addicts who have supposedly went thru a rehab process only to revert back to their old substance abuse habits..  I have heard of certain people going thru rehab a dozen or more times.

I have read statements from ER nurses of being accosted when they give a catatonic pt from a opiate overdose and they are “snapped” out of their “high” and immediately thrown into cold turkey withdrawal.

From what I have read.. it would appear that bureaucrats seem to believe that Naloxone is going to be a “miracle cure” of opiate OD’s. What happens when all of this Naloxone nearly in every pocket… saves untold number of lives that continue on their substance abuse path.. and we end up with 3%-4% of the population as serious substance abusers..

How much increased criminal activity is this going to cause… these addicts seeking funds to continue their habit.. From house break-ins, pharmacy robberies, forged prescriptions and what ever else they can do to get their next fix.

These “addicts” are suffering from the mental health issue of addictive personality disorder… If you threw a drunk out of a bar when they had had too much.. would you expect them to stop drinking because you had stopped them drinking that one time ?

Another bureaucratic action without forethought of unintended consequences ?

 

2 Responses

  1. Steve I agree with you at a certain level. However when an addict is “resuscitated” with the locks own they will go through agony. They will never allow anyone to steal their high again. They will simply make sure that the next time they use no one can get anywhere near them. Another unintended consequence:
    This drug will create increased isolation.
    All these miracle saves that are claimed by families in law-enforcement that are trained in medicine are simply
    Awakening of an intoxicated person.

    It’s a money game for the pharmaceuticals.
    Naloxone has been around for years.

    We rarely use it in ER, because it makes life harder for everyone. People are combative when they wake.

    • You hit the nail on the head when you said….”Another bureaucratic action without forethought of unintended consequences”. When I was on the FB FDA site I brought the fact up about being accosted after giving Narcan /Nalaxone and to duck to a poster. The FDA site ever so helpful put a nice little note to the gentleman I was conversing with, then a nice bit and link on the nasal Narcan…. unfortunately, they are all in for a big surprise. I really hope they are giving a huge amount of teaching with the administrating of this….my fear is if the person they are administrating it too is family, they will not dial 911 for fear of stigma, arrest etc….but think all they have to do is put this in their nose! Sometimes this is true, but usually it takes two doses and a little oxygen and suctioning before they are fully awake and swinging. I fear disaster without the right education. And who knows placing it in the nasal passageway…it may take 3 doses???

      Mark, I was wondering what in your state are they giving in replace of Narcan?

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