’Heroin: Cape Cod, USA’ screening in DC: Officials say more education, funding, treatment needed to fight opioid crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. — With President Obama planning to bring up the escalating heroin crisis in his State of the Union Address and the continuing increase in heroin overdose deaths in Western Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal decided to bring more attention to the spiraling problem.
On Monday night, he and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., hosted a screening of the HBO documentary “Heroin: Cape Cod, USA,” which follows the lives of Falmouth heroin users, for those who may have a say in making changes, including Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Michael Botticelli, director of the president’s national drug control policy, and any interested members of Congress.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey also traveled to the capital for the screening and to discuss her efforts to curb the opioid crisis. She will also attend Tuesday’s State of the Union Address as Neal’s guest.
“This has to be treated as an addiction now, not just as a felony,” Neal said. “It is a disease of the brain as much as a felony.”
Per the other thread in world news; this heroin problem does indeed need to be addressed and the news is full of headlines of small stories of persons being arrested with quantities of the product but all of those “little stories” start to add up to a lot.
Heroin documentary is a start
The recently aired HBO documentary, “Heroin: Cape Cod USA,” focuses attention on how heroin has ripped a swath of destruction in one of America’s iconic communities, but it could easily be a story of thousands of other communities throughout America. It is a movie that should be seen by everyone. That said, my reaction to it is mixed.
On the one hand, heroin addiction affects people of all ages, from every walk of life, from coast to coast. It’s great to see an evocative and emotional television documentary focusing attention on the horrific problem. Denying that we have an epidemic will not solve the problem. Calling attention to heroin addiction might help us find solutions and prevent deaths.
On the other hand, I am bothered by the implication in the movie that heroin addiction is due to prescription drugs. It’s not as if prescription drugs are floating around and jumping into the mouths of innocent people who are just minding their own business in the same way as a virus inoculates a passenger on a subway.
Prescription opioids are supposed to be used for pain. When people choose to use them for other reasons, that’s when the disease of addiction begins to own the person’s soul. People addicted to heroin also choose to use the drug, at least initially. There are no physicians who prescribe heroin. Of course, just because people choose to use heroin doesn’t lessen the tragic effects of the devastating disease of opioid addiction.
Connecting the prescribing of painkillers to heroin use may be valid for a limited number of cases, but the implication of cause and effect is flawed. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that there were 250 million prescriptions of painkillers in 2012. Yet a recent study shows that only 0.022% of exposures to an opioid are associated with overdose deaths. It is impossible to know how many people are misusing opioids prescribed for pain. Understanding the reasons for misuse is more important than knowing the prevalence of misuse. This is where our lance should tilt.
I recently spent 6 weeks in my old home state ConnecticutPer the other thread in world news; this heroin problem does indeed need to be addressed and the news is full of headlines of small stories of persons being arrested with quantities of the product but all of those “little stories” start to add up to a lot.
I’m sure it wasn’t your intent but I hate seeing comments like “gee, it’s happening in good neighborhoods” as if it’s okay in poorer areas. There is an implied classism/racism in this attitude.I recently spent 6 weeks in my old home state Connecticut
I was shocked at the amount of overdose deaths specifically in suburban areas.
It was pretty much unknown when I retired to Arizona a few years ago.
Crack was the scourge of the cities with cocaine being prevalent in the suburbs.
Kids are dieing, in what seems to be epidemic proportion.
Quite so.There have been several large busts in a somewhat tony section of my county, but I have not heard the epidemic affecting kids. It’s a narrow segment of adults. And sadly, this issue is handcuffing doctors in treatment people with legitimate, diagnosed pain issues. I am fortunate to not be affected (yet) because I have documented and imaged back and neck issues. However, I worry that some day soon I might be forced off my very mild painkiller because the DEA needs a culprit (over prescribing doctors) in the same way the autism community needed a culprit (childhood vaccines). In the latter case, childhood diseases are now reemerging and causing severe illness and death. For those in chronic pain, I also fear the death toll will increase, but not from an overdose of painkillers. I hope you catch my drift.
Busts in tony areas are a more sensational story, sad to say. My dad broke his leg and then had knee replacement. Both times he was prescribed strong opioids. He took them for a minimal amount of time then disposed of them. Sadly, the people I have see who abuse opioids seem to use it to enhance another addiction, like alcohol. I can’t see my 86 year old aunt who needs a double knee replacement looking for heroin. She’s looking for pain relief. It breaks my heart seeing her cry in pain. I wish I could help her, but she lives two hours away, and I am needed by my parents (and my Aspergers son). Sometimes I wish I could clone myself.I’m sure it wasn’t your intent but I hate seeing comments like “gee, it’s happening in good neighborhoods” as if it’s okay in poorer areas. There is an implied classism/racism in this attitude.
Quite so.
Pharmacies are required in many states to sell birth control but are harassed to the point that some chains have stopped filling pain Rx’s forcing people to go to other pharmacies that do not accept their insurance.
The ultimate was a few years ago when a physician specializing in pain management was actually prosecuted a a drug dealer for writing to many prescriptions
I was prescribed Oxy- something (I forget) after surgery and my brother has been been prescribe the same for chronic back pain. If you need it, you aren’t going to get high.
Wilmington DE (where my brother lives) just celebrated a drug war victory in their crackdown on opioid abuse. Some victory, addicts just switched to heroin.
Your aunt and many others like her are suffering due to the DEA and their strict regulations on opiates. In 2012, they put tough new prescription painkiller laws in place, and as a result many former pill addicts had no choice but to switch to Heroin, surprisingly, suddenly became very easy to get and plentiful ( sounds like a strange coincidence to me).Busts in tony areas are a more sensational story, sad to say. My dad broke his leg and then had knee replacement. Both times he was prescribed strong opioids. He took them for a minimal amount of time then disposed of them. Sadly, the people I have see who abuse opioids seem to use it to enhance another addiction, like alcohol. I can’t see my 86 year old aunt who needs a double knee replacement looking for heroin. She’s looking for pain relief. It breaks my heart seeing her cry in pain. I wish I could help her, but she lives two hours away, and I am needed by my parents (and my Aspergers son). Sometimes I wish I could clone myself.