Congressman Collins helps combat opioid epidemic

Yep, more insanity from Mr Government. The opioid epidemic is a result of people who chose to 'abuse' these drugs, whether legal prescriptions or illegal street drugs. And what's the politician's fix? More government! More legislation, more intervention, more [taxpayer] money spent, tens of thousands of man-hours expended on a diminishing return. But by-God Congressman Collins is sure to point out that all this new government control is "bi-partisan", so I guess that means, "everyone agrees". And therein lies the real problem.

The headline should read: "Congressman flaps lips then takes credit for doing essentially nothing." Politifact finds this statement Mostly True.

Brian, I'm going to be a bit lazy here and not look for links to back up what I'm about to say, but it's all confirmable, I'm sure, for anyone willing to do a few Google searches.

I'm not taking any position on what Mr. Collins is or is not doing.

Your statement, "The opioid epidemic is a result of people who chose to 'abuse' these drugs, whether legal prescriptions or illegal street drugs" is simply too simplistic for what really going on here.

1) Prescriptions of opioid-based painkillers has skyrocketed in the past decade. What was originally designed to deal with severe and chronic pain has been widely handed out by doctors for much less serious issues.

2) This has happened largely because pharmaceutical companies have relied on one questionable study to promote the idea, we now know is false, that these pain meds really are not addictive.

3) Opioids deplete dopamine and serotonin. This is why withdrawal is so difficult and literally painful. That's where it becomes really simplistic to say addicts "choose" to use and what makes treatment so difficult.

As a society, we're never going to come to grips with this issue unless we fully understand it.

It takes Oxytocin to overcome Opioid addiction.
https://youtu.be/qhpCyBSp4MA

Drug addiction costs society in general,education and rehabilitation are a better value than more cops and more jails.

Howard, it's most interesting that when I did a Google search on 'Opioids' the first result that topped the list said "MISUSE OF NARCOTIC PAIN MEDICATION CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH". Notice the operative word here, MISUSE... a synonym is ABUSE. In our society where more and more of the people are content, and even wanting for government to take care of them from the cradle to the grave, it's no surprise that personal responsibility has also been surrendered to the government. And the government is now expected to fix this problem.

During the past 4 1/2 years I have had 5 different physical conditions that were at times very painful and ultimately required surgery. During that time I have been prescribed hydrocodone, morphine, oxycodone, and dilaudid. Do these drugs kill the pain? You better believe they do, and for some strange reason they also come with directions of how and how much to use. Did I ever take more than I was supposed to? No. Why not? I'd say it was because I was being responsible and careful to not ABUSE these powerful drugs.

I'm sure there are some irresponsible doctors who over-prescribe, but I believe that is rare. The doctors I've dealt with have been extremely cautious about prescribing and especially renewing prescriptions for these medicines. I also know there are some extremely painful and debilitating conditions [Severe Burns, Shrapnel, Peripheral Neuropathy, Cancers] that can only be managed with large, increasing, addicting, doses of opioids, in which case I say it's the lesser of two evils.

Yea, I've read the reports about Purdue Pharma being the sole instigator of the opioid epidemic. That's bogus, I don't buy it for one minute. How about all the other pharmaceutical manufacturers who weren't making any similar claim about the opioids they produced being non-addicting? That is about as rational as saying the reason we have an alcoholics epidemic is because Jack Daniels told the marketplace that drinking JD actually gave one a buzz without making them intoxicated. BTW, the CDC reported that between 1999 and 2014, 165,000 people died from prescription opiates. The CDC also reported that excessive alcohol use accounted for approximately 88,000 deaths per year! So should the government create new laws that limit and regulate the amount of alcohol that an individual can drink? Wait... didn't that effort [Temperance] already fail once before?

Many folks decide they can self-prescribe and use more [sometime much more] than the Dr directs. And now we have a national epidemic of MISUSE/ABUSE, and the government to whom the people have abdicated their personal responsibility to, is moving to fix the problem. And as usual that government is moving in the wrong direction... rather than target the cause, the ABUSER who takes too much, it is going after the Doctors who don't hold the patient's hand 24/7 to make sure that the drug is not MISUSED. Such is the case with Dr Eugene Gosy in the Buffalo area. This misguided government over-reach has now sent terror thru the medical profession to the extent to where many/most doctors now won't prescribe opioid pain meds, and many of the patients who can no longer get the meds they need, or are addicted to, are turning to the street, or become suicidal. So tell me how well the government's approach is working.

Another report I read hit the nail right on the head... this problem isn't new, Opioid use/misuse/abuse has been happening for over 5,000 years... and now we are going to control it??? The only thing the government is going to control is the medical profession. One more step toward it's end game... Socialism.

I'd say a close review of the US's 45 year old War on Drugs would be relevant here.

Eleven pieces of legislation added to the mountain of rules, regulations, taxes, etc... our government has tossed upon the simple level playing field of equally protecting every citizen's inalienable rights.

What has Senator Collins done to help combat the Legislation Epidemic? Nothing.

Big Government has to have its grubby fingers in every aspect of our lives. Never mind the price tag and the negative impact on our society, including the economic turmoil that fuels substance abuse.

Of course education is important. Do we really need legislation for it? Do we not already understand the perils? Do we not already have local programs to help? Locally, try @ct Genesee for one at www.facebook.com/ActGenesee

Recently John McAfee pointed out that addicts will only fight and beat their addictions when they want to do so. How about we work on eliminating some of the root socio-economic motivators for substance abuse. That includes reeling in the government. Maybe that's the real addiction - falling prey to the myth that government is the ultimate panacea...