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You're ignoring the fact that the current situation has been created by prescription pill misuse (in proscribing and taking) and the death toll has exceed that

You're ignoring the fact that the current situation has been created by prescription pill misuse (in proscribing and taking) and the death toll has exceed that of automobiles largely because of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Of course, a lot of the attention being paid is not because of the relative scope but because the affected population is whiter and less poor. But synthetic vs. plant-based doesn't mean shit, plenty of plants can kill you. I'm all for treatment over criminalization but you sound more like you're advocating for legalization of heroin. > No hyperbole is enough to warn about the dangers of this FDA-approved substance. Sure, if you're willing to ignore all the other information on that Wikipedia page. Every patient should be well-informed about possible side effects before starting a medication. The injection form is longer lasting so it may take longer for bad effects to subside but loss of libido for a few months is not the end of the world. The worst thing about chemical castration of sex offenders is it's forced.

tcj_phx 9y ago
> You're ignoring the fact that the current situation has been created by prescription pill misuse (in proscribing and taking) and the death toll has exceed that of automobiles largely because of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. My friend did not transfer her addiction from pills, she was a good old-fashioned heroin addict. The present body count stems from the synthetics. Many fewer people died when the street pharmacy's products were purer. > I'm all for treatment over criminalization but you sound more like you're advocating for legalization of heroin. I don't think legalization is necessary, just an acknowledgement that present policy is actually a make-work program for organized crime. As for your comments about Provera, I say that doctors should not play Russian Roulette with women's health.
Clubber 9y ago
From what I understand, the current state of the epidemic was exacerbated by the crackdown on pills and the current deaths is from heroin more than anything. Heroin used by people who can no longer get pills of which they know the dosage of.
- extra88 9y ago
  Yes, restrictions on prescriptions, meant to stop people from getting hooked and cut down on illegal distribution, plus some crackdowns on pill mills have driven people already addicted to cheaper, more available opioids. "Heroin-related deaths more than tripled between 2010 and 2015, with 12,989 heroin deaths in 2015. The largest increase in overdose deaths from 2014 to 2015 was for those involving synthetic opioids (other than methadone), which rose from 5,544 deaths in 2014 to 9,580 deaths in 2015. One of these synthetic opioids, illegally-made fentanyl, drove the increase. It was often mixed with heroin and/or cocaine as a combination product—with or without the user’s knowledge." [0] But the rate of increase for death by prescription opioid has been greater than non-prescription so they are nearly half of all deaths. [0] https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html

tcj_phx 9y ago

> You're ignoring the fact that the current situation has been created by prescription pill misuse (in proscribing and taking) and the death toll has exceed that of automobiles largely because of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. My friend did not transfer her addiction from pills, she was a good old-fashioned heroin addict. The present body count stems from the synthetics. Many fewer people died when the street pharmacy's products were purer. > I'm all for treatment over criminalization but you sound more like you're advocating for legalization of heroin. I don't think legalization is necessary, just an acknowledgement that present policy is actually a make-work program for organized crime. As for your comments about Provera, I say that doctors should not play Russian Roulette with women's health.

Clubber 9y ago

From what I understand, the current state of the epidemic was exacerbated by the crackdown on pills and the current deaths is from heroin more than anything. Heroin used by people who can no longer get pills of which they know the dosage of.

extra88 9y ago
Yes, restrictions on prescriptions, meant to stop people from getting hooked and cut down on illegal distribution, plus some crackdowns on pill mills have driven people already addicted to cheaper, more available opioids. "Heroin-related deaths more than tripled between 2010 and 2015, with 12,989 heroin deaths in 2015. The largest increase in overdose deaths from 2014 to 2015 was for those involving synthetic opioids (other than methadone), which rose from 5,544 deaths in 2014 to 9,580 deaths in 2015. One of these synthetic opioids, illegally-made fentanyl, drove the increase. It was often mixed with heroin and/or cocaine as a combination product—with or without the user’s knowledge." [0] But the rate of increase for death by prescription opioid has been greater than non-prescription so they are nearly half of all deaths. [0] https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html