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The discussion around opiate abuse isn't about the extreme cases. Yes, if I get 3rd degree burns then I want to be as out of it as possible until the pain goes

The discussion around opiate abuse isn't about the extreme cases. Yes, if I get 3rd degree burns then I want to be as out of it as possible until the pain goes away. The problem isn't the extreme cases, it's the every day ones. Opiates are being massively over-prescribed in cases where OTC medicine or a shot of whiskey would suffice, and this over-prescription is a driving force behind the addiction epidemic.

randlet 9y ago
> or a shot of whiskey would suffice Not sure if you said it in jest or not but alcohol is also highly addictive, prone to abuse, and harmful to your health and IMO would really not be a step in the right direction. edit: I almost added to my comment "It's almost taboo in our society to mention this fact" but didn't. I was almost immediately down voted so I guess maybe I'm not wrong...
- sliverstorm 9y ago
  Yeah, but what is it, 1/8 Americans are already alcoholics, so 12% of the time you're not making things any worse!
  - walshemj 9y ago
    As on expat UK-> USA said if you have a pint for lunch people start leaving AA leaflets on your desk. A while back I was talking to a course tutor who in the UK gave the "dealing with staff with serious addiction problems" course - he commented its when you find 3 or 4 stashes of vodka hidden in the office that you know you have a problem
- illegalsmile 9y ago
  I'd say it's extremely taboo to mention anything negative or even the possibility that alcohol is one of the most abused and disruptive drugs in our society.
  - graphitezepp 9y ago
    People don't even like to call it a drug, which severely bothers me to be honest. I've tried some things and alcohol, from my perspective, is one of the more dangerous drugs around
- stouset 9y ago
  You’re not wrong, but the likelihood of addiction from two weeks of drinking vs. two weeks of opioids is, I suspect, not really comparable.
jschwartzi 9y ago
Like that time I was given two weeks of Vicodin for a scrape on my elbow.

randlet 9y ago

> or a shot of whiskey would suffice Not sure if you said it in jest or not but alcohol is also highly addictive, prone to abuse, and harmful to your health and IMO would really not be a step in the right direction. edit: I almost added to my comment "It's almost taboo in our society to mention this fact" but didn't. I was almost immediately down voted so I guess maybe I'm not wrong...

sliverstorm 9y ago
Yeah, but what is it, 1/8 Americans are already alcoholics, so 12% of the time you're not making things any worse!
- walshemj 9y ago
  As on expat UK-> USA said if you have a pint for lunch people start leaving AA leaflets on your desk. A while back I was talking to a course tutor who in the UK gave the "dealing with staff with serious addiction problems" course - he commented its when you find 3 or 4 stashes of vodka hidden in the office that you know you have a problem
illegalsmile 9y ago
I'd say it's extremely taboo to mention anything negative or even the possibility that alcohol is one of the most abused and disruptive drugs in our society.
- graphitezepp 9y ago
  People don't even like to call it a drug, which severely bothers me to be honest. I've tried some things and alcohol, from my perspective, is one of the more dangerous drugs around
stouset 9y ago
You’re not wrong, but the likelihood of addiction from two weeks of drinking vs. two weeks of opioids is, I suspect, not really comparable.

jschwartzi 9y ago

Like that time I was given two weeks of Vicodin for a scrape on my elbow.