Drug deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in U.S., data show

reply to post by Erongaricuaro


Star and flag for bringing this up!

I always think it is disingenuous to pretend to care about human life if you ignore the number one and two causes of death. One is saying it is OK to have these necessary losses and to me that is unacceptable in a civilized society. It works in this "dog eat dog" world though.

Originally posted by TupacShakur
reply to post by Erongaricuaro

 

Funny how the legal drugs kill the most people; alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs.

The seeds of the problem were planted more than a decade ago by well-meaning efforts by doctors to mitigate suffering, as well as aggressive sales campaigns by pharmaceutical manufacturers. In hindsight, the liberalized prescription of pain drugs "may in fact be the cause of the epidemic we're now facing," said Linda Rosenstock, dean of the UCLA School of Public Health.

I know a simple solution to lots of these painkiller deaths, but unfortunately the T&C doesn't allow me to say what...

I found this to be really screwed up:

"They said they will have parties where the kids will throw a bunch of pills in a bowl and the kids take them without knowing what they are," Lori said.

Who would do that?

I think of all the natural God given substances prohibited while chemical companies prosper and people die and our modern day "prohibition" when I watch this.
Prohibition..."turned citizens into criminals and criminals into kings."




Time to change the very nature of our democracy again...imo

"You cannot legislate morality. In attempting to legislate morality you create opportunity for people who do not follow the law" Jack Clarke - Chicago

For example..present day prohibition is resulting in this activity (too gruesome to embed)
Mexico Drug War: 4 Decapitated Men Found Hanging From A Bridge
www.youtube.com...

Two Bodies Found Dead Hanging From Mexico Bridge
www.youtube.com...

People are being brutally slaughtered. You think we would learn from the past is all I am trying to say.
It was not so long ago.

reply to post by newcovenant


Thanks for that. That must be some good video. Unfortuantely a message comes up telling me that it is not available to view in my country, something I have never seen come up with a YouTube video before. Must be powerful stuff. I tried the video's link to bring it up in a separate window with the same results but I did manage to play another video that was riding along with that one. Strange. I would like to have watched it.

From its inception the concept of a new world order may have been a good idea as it was really about a new order of democracy and self-rule apart from the old systems of monarchs and kings. There is still a major faction working for a new global order but it seems to be a New World Corporate Tyranny with control of substances, medicines and what have you. There are and have been some new wonder drugs but the controls now being put on medicines and minerals just doesn't seem to be being done for our benefit. I am fortunate to have moved to live in the different world of Latin America and to have seen a different system of medicine. What this perspective has provided me is a pure mind-blow. I know we can do better, America. I just don't know that we ever will again. Thanks for your posts.

reply to post by Erongaricuaro


I will see if I can find another source....Give me a few minutes...

edit: Strange because it works for me. will try a bunch of links:

www.youtube.com...

video.pbs.org...

This one is REALLY GOOD if you can get it
video.pbs.org...

This isn't exactly it, but related to that PBS program:

reply to post by newcovenant



That one worked, thanks. Very unusual the last one, first time a YouTube video ever told me it wasn't available to me here in Mexico. I doubt it was so highly inflammatory, any more so than any other video on these touchy topics. Medicines, substances, drugs, they are all controlled. That is the purpose of the Drug War, control drug traffic. Pharmaceuticals are no different, really. It is all controlled for maximum profits and obvious quality-control is secondary. Not being facetious saying that, just how often do meds get pulled for having dangerous side-effects? And that usually happens close to the end of that drug's patented run just before going generic.

I was most surprised by the OP article to hear "hillbilly heroin" as it is often called can be twice as expensive as the illicitly produced heroin sold on the streets. I was shocked! I know such substances really cost only pennies to produce and their controlled markets are what keep the prices up. That is really aside from the main topic but now part of this discussion.

What is happening in the world of medical practice is what is disturbing. Drugs are given like bandaids now and they do little good than to cover the symptoms. They become problems in themselves. A person seeking madical aid now ends up like the illicit drug user, he finds himself in a nowhere land of desperation with little escape and a huge monkey on his back. Physician, heal thyself!

"a heavy OxyContin habit can run twice as much as a heroin addiction, authorities say. "

Of course they don't mention an opiate addict can be pacified for $40.00 per month.. XX times cheaper than a heroin addiction..

I also like how being addicted to Oxycontin is coined as just a "habit".. meanwhile heroin causes "addiction".. lol.. bias fail. Of course they totally fail to name the real culprit: prohibition aka war on fun, er.. drugs..lol

If there was a war on traffic fatalities..fought like the war on drugs.. they'd ban the wheel!!.. "war on the wheel", "Dont take the wheel, you'll kill yourself".. "This is your brain... (splat) this is your brain after being crushed by the wheel!!", "Little Jonhy though he'd be cool, be a big shot.. now hes a rah-tard kids call icky pants.. as his mother cries 'why did you ride that wheel!!'"

reply to post by Erongaricuaro


far be it from me to stand up for pharma corporations and their legal peddling, but when you ask "Whose fault is it?" there's only one real answer, and thats the person taking the drugs.

They purchased it, they put it in their mouth, they swallowed it and put their faith in it.

If they are that stupid and out of their mind, then all I can say is "Nature found a way".

Illegal drug users can die by the train load for all a care. and i was a EMT for 40 years and no longer care what illegal drug users do to themselves.

Under obamacare we will have to pay for the life long medical care of many of these scum that burn themselves out with illegal drugs.

I can not get the pain meds i need for the pain of the autoimmune diseases(caused by my years as a firefighter/emt) i have because doctors are afraid to prescribe them because some DEA agent might believe that I am abusing them and the doctors are worried they will be arrested by some DEA agent with no medical training that believes i am a addict without even examining me.

reply to post by ANNED


The illegal users are perhaps half the equation discussed in the OP. The other side addresses those who are too easily prescribed the pain medications you have been deprived of. I would have thought your situation is the more likely scenario but I have not been in the US for a number of years now. I always knew of doctors that erred on the side of caution because of the DEA and controls on the substances and the likelihood of facing charges.

I do hope you are able to cope with your pain and discomforts. "The system" seems to be unfairly skewed to deprive those in need but supply those who could more easily deal with alternative treatments. That may not be a fair view of the situation but just the apparency given, at any rate it would seem there is a huge problem that needs to be resolved.

I find it interesting as mentioned in a previous post that an opium habit could be satisfied with $40 a month. Although that is in keeping with what I understand to be closer to the true value of these substances finding such prices seem unlikely. There are those truly in need of the benefits of an innexpensive relief, i.e., those who are terminal or have chronic problems, those with any resources seem typically called upon to deplete whatever security they have acquired. I would wish the eldely who have chronic pain could have a legal option to turn to the innexpensive opiates. However there are those youthful recreational users that may have gotten there when they felt their "growing pains" were too tough and should have beared-up to their problems. They are faced with a long life yet and have entered an avenue in which there is little retreat.

As for Obamacare, just after the mention of the compulsory insurance I know my own health insurance options skyrocketed. I am distrustful about such programs and feel the US healthcare situation would need a complete overhaul to be workable but feel that is unlikely to happen and any attempts to fix it will just make it worse. Still, indigents get their healthcare paid by the taxpayers expense as always, regardless whose political affiliation is attached. That is good for those truly in need, bad for those who have ruined themselves and now rely on you. Worse is the system itself. There are low-cost options but not if taxpayers are picking up the dime. Medicine is an industry in the US that will bleed us for all we are worth. I don't mean that statement to reflect on the fine healthcare workers that are down here with us in the trenches but the corporate Pharma industry and medical associations that stack the deck in their own favor, the fat-cat profiteers.

Best of luck to you and hope you find relief. Thanks for your input. Star.

Originally posted by neo96
reply to post by Erongaricuaro

 

yeah well without profit

there is no research and development for better and more effect pharamceuticals

and that isnt cheap you take that from them

millions will die.

So why do they spend 10 times more money on advertising than R& D for new drugs?

As far as that goes, why are they advertising prescription drugs anyway?

All it does is fill waiting rooms with hypochondriacs who saw the ad and think they need the drug.

It's estimated that 60-80% of the Rx drugs people take either have no benefit or actually do more harm.

Medicine is no longer treatment based in America, it's all about the pills.

Oh, so drug talk on here is OK when you don't refer to a specific drug?

Originally posted by earthdude
Oh, so drug talk on here is OK when you don't refer to a specific drug?

I don't believe there are any specific restrictions when speaking of medicines vs. illicit drug use in a larger context, especially when there is an alternative or conspiratorial aspect to it as in this discussion. I am not a mod nor do I profess to know how the Terms and Conditions here are always interpreted but my guess is that "drug-talk" per se is not an acceptable subject in and of itself. I would guess that you may be straddling close to off-topic dialog by not addressing the main topic but that's not my call.

While we're out this way, are you suggesting there may be too hazy a distinction between legitimate medicines and the recreational use factor that both doctors and pharmaceutical companies are either catering to or themselves do not recognize, how the many various individuals may make or fail to make those distinctions? That may be an excellent point if you are alluding to that being a contributing factor to this new and alarming fatal statistic. Any thoughts about how to correct this?

I myself feel that a physician should provide a recommendation but the end user should be allowed through secondary education to be able to be certified to prescribe themselves most medications once they are qualified to do so. I don't always trust the advice of any particular doctor but feel the ultimate decision belongs to the end-user. I do feel that person should have a means to become qualified to make those decisions and that it is becoming increasing important to do so as both the medical industry and pharma industry becomes more commercialized and profit-oriented.

Thanks for your input.

reply to post by Erongaricuaro


Yep, the hypocrisy is rife in terms of legal vs illegal drugs. The proof of which is more harmful is right here. My money is on not a damn thing being done about it though

This means that the poppy fields in Afghanistan have killed more soldiers than the "insurgents". Ironic that the Afghan poppy makes the drugs that they give to the guys who come back wounded.