Murder by Opioid

I thought Nick Welsh’s “How Drug Companies Committed Murder” was excellent.

“Follow the Money”: Again and again in infinite areas of modern society; especially in the United States, it’s amazing what obvious cause-and-effect chains emerge — up and down, round and round — when we follow the money.

Here’s an idea: Do you think there might be some way we can get addictive pain medication to people in need of relief, without shipping tens of thousands of doses into towns with one stoplight? Gee … perhaps a modicum of ethics within the medical and pharmaceutical corporate structure, and governing elected officials — and the public? Do ya think?

Nooooo. Never mind responsibility or ethics or supporting the intention and desire to do the right thing. Let’s continue to pass bonehead laws allowing big pharma to run rampant on the one hand and denying relief to those in dire pain on the other. After all, we all love intense pain, don’t we?

I thought Mr. Welsh made an argument that it’s a choice between banning any effective pain control med that is addictive or killing people by the thousands with opioids. I think we do have more choices, and we should insist upon them.