Abuse and Addiction to Drugs such as Pain Killers, Alcohol and Food

 

 

By David H. Kerr, March 16, 2014

 

Kathleen O'Brien, writer for The Star-Ledger has summarized the National Safety Council's report on addiction and overdose stating that:

 

"Accidental poisonings — chiefly drug and alcohol overdoses — have supplanted motor vehicle crashes as the biggest cause of unintentional death in New Jersey, according to the latest report by the National Safety Council."  See her report below printed in the Ledger on March 14.^th."

With our growing "pain sensitive" culture, addictive drugs continue to be promoted as a palliative to reduce or to extinguish the pain. One problem solved and another more serious problem created.  Make sense? Not to me. 

"In looking at the history of substance abuse over thousands of years, here’s a quote that seems applicable: "It's been my experience, Langford, that the past always has a way of returning. Those who don't learn, or can't remember it, are doomed to repeat it." ―Steve Berry,The Charlemagne Pursuit

We've been here before.  Morphine was the high potency legal drug until 1898 when heroin was distilled from morphine as a more potent opiate painkiller.  With millions of Americans using these drugs, we soon noticed the harm they caused. As a result, we passed a law regulating and taxing the importation and distribution of opiates and coca products in 1914 called "The Harrison Narcotics Act."

The Harrison Narcotics Tax Act (Ch. 1, 38 Stat. 785) was a United States federal law that regulated and taxed the production, importation, and distribution of opiates and coca products. The act was proposed by Representative Francis Burton Harrison of New York and was approved on December 17, 1914.^[1][2]

"An Act to provide for the registration of, with collectors of internal revenue, and to impose a special tax on all persons who produce, import, manufacture, compound, deal in, dispense, sell, distribute, or give away opium or coca leaves, their salts, derivatives, or preparations, and for other purposes." The courts interpreted this to mean that physicians could prescribe narcotics to patients in the course of normal treatment, but not for the treatment of addiction.

Although technically illegal for purposes of distribution and use, the distribution, sale and use of cocaine was still legal for registered companies and individuals.

While heroin was first controlled in the US in 1914, it continued to be used for medicinal purposes. In 1924 though, Congress made the production and sale of heroin illegal, due to obvious harsh health consequences resulting from its continued and excessive use and abuse causing addiction and death.

Now we are in that same addiction limbo that defined our culture in the early 1900's. We now know that there are millions of people in our country born with the genetic disposition for addiction and if we flaunt legally prescribed addictive medicines in front of them day after day, it's most likely that they will succumb to their disease.  They will continually seek and take what is prescribed for their pain, regardless of the harmful consequences from their overuse prompted by their disease.  Then they will take more and more until they run out of prescription renewals and will continue their habit with illegal heroin – usually injected.  This is the definition of addiction and this is what is going on now.  It is exactly what happened in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Based just on media reports, this is a dangerous pattern with very serious consequences including addiction and death.

In my post to nj.com, September 20, 2010 below, "A Beginning Solution to the Burgeoning Problem of Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction," I spoke about

"A new online tracking system approved by State Health Regulations on August 2010.  This new system would appear to help pharmacists and physicians fight the growing problems of prescription drug abuse. The new system also should prove helpful for law enforcement agencies fighting drug dealers who obtain prescription pain killers to sell for profits."

New Jersey's Prescription Monitoring Program appears to have been implemented just recently on March 1, 2014.  Here is the summary of the law:

For too many New Jerseyans, addiction begins in the medicine cabinet.  Please be advised that beginning March 1, 2014, pharmacies will be required to report information to the NJPMP on a weekly basis using the ASAP 4.2 format. However, in order to help facilitate any software conversion that may be necessary, the NJPMP will continue to accept submissions using the ASAP 4.0, 4.1/2009 format until September 1, 2014

The New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP) is an important component of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs' initiative to halt the abuse and diversion of prescription drugs.

Established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 45:1-45 et. seq., the NJPMP is a statewide database that collects prescription data on Controlled Dangerous Substances (CDS) and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) dispensed in outpatient settings in New Jersey, and by out-of-state pharmacies dispensing into New Jersey. Pharmacies are required to submit this data at least twice per month.

In a recent report in the Ledger – see below:

"Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, says it has completed testing of an abuse-resistant version of the painkiller hydrocodone, a surprise development that could derail sales of the recently introduced Zohydro, a powerful pain medication that has been heavily criticized for lacking such safeguards."  Zohydro is an addictive medicine.

Time will tell if Purdue's new "abuse-resistant" and non-addictive painkiller will work but it would be a real achievement if we could develop a non-addictive painkiller.  However, as long as there are addictive painkiller's available that will "get the patient high," most people will likely stick with the product that makes them happy, gets them feeling "high" as well as reducing their pain.

Here's what will happen if history is a predictor: People in pain or not in pain will pursue the legal "painkiller" that gets them high and that continues to make them feel good. Heroin use and abuse will accelerate since it fills the bill, and it will become a major problem for our society. It has the best track record for getting people mellow or stoned and out of pain as well as seriously addicted.

Our culture seems to be in a pleasure seeking mode and people tend to get uppity when you try to tell them what they shouldn't put into their bodies.  "I'll take what I want and no law can stop me.  It's my right as a citizen of this free US of A."  That sounds fine until someone shows that he or she doesn't have the judgment to know "when to say when."  This is not so uncommon considering the millions of Americans who have ignored their disease and become out of control alcoholics and addicts.  Now someone's innocent child is killed in an auto accident as a result of an over drugged driver.  My mom would use this phrase: "Your liberty ends where my nose begins."  A person over medicated and driving erratically down the highway has no right to hurt or kill others.  If the excessive medication, or drugs or alcohol puts others at risk, the law must step in to clarify the boundaries.  Unfortunately the disease of addiction knows no such boundaries and the disease can and has hurt self and others.

We all must be alert to the signs of the disease of alcohol, drug and food addiction and we can keep it simple: increasing use and overuse and abuse of these substances plus the genetic disposition for addiction will define your potential as an addict – food, drink or drugs.  Awareness, control and moderation are three watchwords for preventing this slow creeping disease that often won't show its destructive face for years and even decades but when it does, it may be too late.

Never mind what's your “right.”  This is the rationalization I've heard from many an addict.  Take a look at your own substance use over time.  Is it increasing, little by little?  Awareness, moderation or total abstinence may set a safe path for you to remain functional and reasonably happy and safe living with your disease.