New CDC Overdose Study Reduces Role of Pain Meds

[WhiteTara]

https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2016/12/26/new-cdc-overdose-study-reduces-role-of-pain-meds

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has quietly released a new report showing that illegal drugs like heroin, cocaine and fentanyl are responsible for more drug overdose deaths in the United States than opioid pain medication.

The report not only underscores the changing nature of the nation’s overdose epidemic, but undermines some of the rationale behind federal efforts to limit the prescribing of pain medication.

In 2010, for example, the study found that oxycodone was the top drug involved in overdose deaths. But by 2014, the painkiller was ranked third, behind heroin and cocaine.

The anti-anxiety drug alprazolam, more widely known by the brand name Xanax, was ranked as the nation’s fourth deadliest drug; while the synthetic opioid fentanyl -- most of it probably illicit -- was ranked fifth and fast gaining ground.

Deaths linked to oxycodone and other prescription pain medications – although still significant, at about 16,000 a year -- remained relatively stable, even as the total number of drug overdoses increased by 23 percent, from 38,329 deaths in 2010 to 47,055 in 2014.


Meanwhile people in pain are hindered from getting the relief they need.

[Warpy]

1. Finally, a more honest study

Abusing stolen or counterfeit prescription opiates is just as lethal as any other opiate. The key word is "abusing."

That has nothing to do with people in pain who have legitimate prescriptions and adhere to the dosage and schedule prescribed.

Jesus, people, is this so hard to understand?

[Historic NY]

2. They have been responsible in cases which a Driver on them was in an accident......

which resulted in a fatality or serious injuries to themselves of others. "Drivers today are more likely to test positive for drugs than drivers 20 years ago, and drugged drivers are now likely to be older than 50."

Where I live we have had some gruesome accidents accident involving drivers operating vehicle under the influence of prescription drugs.

https://healthimpactnews.com/2014/prescription-drugs-now-factor-in-higher-percentage-of-fatal-car-crashes-than-alcohol-or-marijuana/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/10/16/prescription-drugs-car-crash.aspx

[Archae]

3. Even if what these two web sites is factual...

They are both medical woo web sites, especially the second one.

If a Mercola article said the sky was green I'd go outside and look for myself.

[gulliver]

4. I wouldn't trust the Pain News Network

...after reading this article. They left out a huge part of the story. Just because Oxycontin isn't directly involved in an overdose, that doesn't mean it isn't "linked" to one. People start on Oxycontin, licit or illicit, and end up on heroin.

If you have a kid, be absolutely sure to tell them not to take pills of any kind. It's not like it was in the 1970s. Opioids are all over the place. They might be smoking some plain old never-killed-anyone weed and someone will say, "Here, try this pill." That opens the door to Hell.