Scientists and doctors say the case is clear: The best way to tackle the country's opioid epidemic is to get more people on medications that have been proven in studies to reduce relapses and, ultimately, overdoses.
Yet, only a fraction of the more than 4 million people believed to abuse prescription painkillers or heroin in the U.S. are being given what's called medication-assisted treatment.
One reason is the limited availability of the treatment. But it's also the case that stigma around the addiction drugs has inhibited their use.
Methadone and buprenorphine, two of the drugs used for treatment, are themselves opioids. A phrase you often hear about medication-assisted treatment is that it's merely replacing one drug with another. While doctors and scientists strongly disagree with that characterization, it's a view that's widespread in recovery circles.
Now, the White House is pushing to change the landscape for people seeking help. In his 2017 budget, President Obama has asked Congress for $1.1 billion in new funding to address the opioid epidemic, with almost all of it geared toward expanding access to medication-assisted treatment.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
12 comments:
So the addicts run around chasing methadone et cetera, instead of heroin. That makes total sense.
We seem to be fixing everything with a pill. We seem to avoid the truth and push it away. We don't want to tackle mental health problems , which addiction is. We are now nothing more than followers since the Obama administration took over. Give him a pill , maybe he will go away.
Off topic but #NeroTrial-
State's closing was fascinating. Judge Williams grilled prosecutors on their assault theory
Willians repeatedly pressed prosecutor Bledsoe about whether it is a crime every time a cop arrests someone w/o probable cause
Bledsoe did not seem to want to be pinned down on it,but eventually said "it is a misconduct," & BaltimoreSA must decide whether to charge
"That's what happens in the city all the time. People get jacked up all the time," Bledsoe said
Bledsoe also said she believes any time an officer touches someone, it is an assault and on them to justify it
Prosecutors grudgingly conceded officers had right to pursue & stop Gray under Wardlow decision, but failed to follow next procedures
"Putting someone in a prone position when they are cooperative is excessive force," Bledsoe said
Bledsoe accused Miller of lying about Nero's role "to help his buddy." "He has immunity.." "That you gave him," Williams interjected
5 min break then defense closing
Closings in Nero case are finished. Back at 10:30 am Monday for verdict.
All together, Judge Williams asked far more questions of state, kept hitting certain points & seemed highly skeptical of case #NeroTrial
Defense closing-
Defense attorney Zayon said law was clear that officers committed no crime. "Like it or not, that's the law," he said
"They may not like it, & I don't particularly like it, but the law allows it," Zayon said of Gray's stop & detention
Zayon says though he believes officers were right,"it's not abt wrong or right. The standard is were they so wrong that it was unreasonable"
State says Miller & Nero's use of "we" in comments describing arrest show Nero made the arrest; Zayon makes sports analogy:
"If Joe Flacco says 'we had a great game,had 3 INTs,kept other team to 7 pts,' he means the team.He didnt have any INTs as offensive player"
On reckless endangerment count, he says general orders are not laws and are a "red herring" to the case
Says Nero had to have foreseeability that Gray could be badly hurt, "intervening acts" like Gray standing up & driver's driving played role
State reckless endangerment statute exempts incidents involving "use of vehicles," he says
States rebuttal-
Schatzow sought to clarify Bledsoe response to judge q's on whether arrests that lack cause are always a crime:
"Our postition is that not every
arrest that occurs without probable
cause is a crime. Our position is
that every arrest that occurs
without probable cause and for
which conduct for officers is not
objectively reasonable contains all
the elements necessary for a
crime"
Baltimore Chief Deputy State's
Attorney Michael Schatzow
"Everything they did was at the margin, the extreme, and was without justification," Schatzow says of the stop
Schatzow says officers, by not asking Lt Rice why they were pursuing Gray, did not perform a reasonable "Terry stop"
Judge Williams, skeptically: "The heart of your case is ... the failure to ask means he's committed a crime?It's not a civil issue,it's criminal?"
#NeroTrial-
Zayon said Rice was still pursuing second suspect at that time; whole encounter takes either 1 min 28 sec (def version), or 3 min (state)
Or they could have asked Gray, Schatzow says. "I don't understand the argument that it is resp for anyone to ask Mr Gray q's," Williams says
And isn't it on Rice, who called out the chase, to be the one to try to confirm the suspicion, Williams asked?
"Somebody's gotta use logic, judge, and we're counting on you," Schatzow says
Schatzow says you don't need to be a 20 yr vet to know a prisoner should be seatbelted, talks about how everyone knows that
But judge interjects, saying defense wanted to discuss law and standards in other jurisdictions but state objected & it was blocked
They spent time on issue of who has custody and control of Gray once placed in van. State says Nero never transferred to van driver
"When an individual is placed in the van, youre saying custody stays with Nero until - when?" Williams asks.Notes van left prior to 2nd stop
Nero "knows the wagon driver is not going to seatbelt him" and had obligation to step up & get it done, Schatzow said
At one point Schatzow said Rice's case will shed more light on accusations against him. "I probably don't be involved," Williams says
Presumably he's saying his verdict here, either way, will cause the losing side to ask for new judge
I was hooked on pain pills for a couple years and got tired of it. Used subutex (buprenorphine) to get off and it was easy peazy. Took about 2 months of tapering with the subutex but when I was done I hardly had any withdrawal symptoms. Hardest part was dealing with the mental withdrawals took about 2 months before I started feeling normal again but coming up on a year of freedom from that terrible addiction and loving life again. I was a very heavy abuser with a great job so money was never an issue, which was a bad thing because I could buy and use in large quantities. I believe if I could kick the habit in a short amount of time without the need of doctors/rehab/groups etc most others can too. It takes willpower and a drive to stay clean.
Yes, this drug program is a joke! Catch the users lock them up....that is the best cold turkey solution around. They go from one illegal to a state legal supported drug abuse system....simply trading one for the other, still hooked.
Big joke! We need to stop enabling these people! Especially when the rest of us are paying for it! There are old people who cannot afford the meds they need to stay alive but lets give all the junkies free drugs!
Pharmaceutical companies should be looking for an alternative to opiates and the current synthetics that will provide pain relief with NO risk of addiction and NO debilitating side effects. Is that too much to ask?
I was a very heavy abuser with a great job so money was never an issue, which was a bad thing because I could buy and use in large quantities. I believe if I could kick the habit in a short amount of time without the need of doctors/rehab/groups etc most others can too. It takes willpower and a drive to stay clean.
May 19, 2016 at 3:39 PM
You can believe that all you want, but it is simply not true. Each person is different. What works for one may not necessarily work for anyone else. Not to disparage your success at all. I think you did a great job, congratulations.
Willpower is not any way to beat an addiction. But one has to want to quit anything, even smoking cigarettes. Not everyone who uses opiates is a junky or addicted. There are some who are and those are the ones who make it hard on the people who NEED the medicine to function a somewhat 'normal' life.
I am glad you beat your addiction and wish you continued success and good health.
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