4 ms·

It's just classic puritanical morality run amok, as usual. They'd rather that some people died from paracetamol overdoses than be allowed to live as "sinners".

maccard 12y ago
Not really. Opiates are terrifyingly addictive, especially compared to paracetamol, and inhibit your senses and abilities far more than paracetamol. Their side effects when mixed with other commonly (ab)used products such as alcohol, diazepam are far more dangerous than the interactions those other drugs have with paracetamol. There is definitely a reason to be concerned when companies are pushing out more variations on existing products. I'm NOT saying that the appropriate reaction is to get up in arms about companies pushing opiates, but some care should be taken. I don't know what the correct solution is, but I'd hazard a guess that freeing the sale of opiates to anyone over the counter tomorrow will result in more problems than we have currenty. Especially as there are other less drastic alternatives available for various pain sources.
- kranner 12y ago
  In the context of pain relief, there are also issues like building a tolerance and developing increased pain sensitivity due to long-term use of opiates.
  - maccard 12y ago
    I've definitely noticed a massively increased tolerance for opiates, but not an increase in pain sensitivity.
    - bfuller 12y ago
      You wouldn't notice the sensitivity unless you are completely off the drug
- reality_czech 12y ago
  Did you read the post you're replying to? I didn't see anything in there about "freeing the sale of opiates to anyone over the counter tomorrow." I did see a reasonable concern that adding paracetemol to prescription opiates can lead to liver failure and death. And you don't have to be an evil drug addict hippie scum to be bothered by this. People who take multiple medications prescribed by multiple doctors might be damaging their livers without even knowing it. There is no logical reason, besides the "drug war", to add paracetemol to prescription opiates. Is your argument really that because opiates might have "side effects when mixed with other commonly abused products such as alcohol"... that therefore we should stuff them with paracetemol? It's safer to kill people who overdose or get addicted than let them experience a possible bad drug interaction with alcohol? I don't think you thought this through.

maccard 12y ago

Not really. Opiates are terrifyingly addictive, especially compared to paracetamol, and inhibit your senses and abilities far more than paracetamol. Their side effects when mixed with other commonly (ab)used products such as alcohol, diazepam are far more dangerous than the interactions those other drugs have with paracetamol. There is definitely a reason to be concerned when companies are pushing out more variations on existing products. I'm NOT saying that the appropriate reaction is to get up in arms about companies pushing opiates, but some care should be taken. I don't know what the correct solution is, but I'd hazard a guess that freeing the sale of opiates to anyone over the counter tomorrow will result in more problems than we have currenty. Especially as there are other less drastic alternatives available for various pain sources.

kranner 12y ago
In the context of pain relief, there are also issues like building a tolerance and developing increased pain sensitivity due to long-term use of opiates.
- maccard 12y ago
  I've definitely noticed a massively increased tolerance for opiates, but not an increase in pain sensitivity.
  - bfuller 12y ago
    You wouldn't notice the sensitivity unless you are completely off the drug
reality_czech 12y ago
Did you read the post you're replying to? I didn't see anything in there about "freeing the sale of opiates to anyone over the counter tomorrow." I did see a reasonable concern that adding paracetemol to prescription opiates can lead to liver failure and death. And you don't have to be an evil drug addict hippie scum to be bothered by this. People who take multiple medications prescribed by multiple doctors might be damaging their livers without even knowing it. There is no logical reason, besides the "drug war", to add paracetemol to prescription opiates. Is your argument really that because opiates might have "side effects when mixed with other commonly abused products such as alcohol"... that therefore we should stuff them with paracetemol? It's safer to kill people who overdose or get addicted than let them experience a possible bad drug interaction with alcohol? I don't think you thought this through.