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A Good Start: President Trump and the Opioid Abuse Crisis

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In late October 2017, President Donald J. Trump declared the opioid abuse problem in America a national emergency. In his announcement, he expressed concern for the thousands of addicts and their plight. Trump also discussed increased federal enforcement and referenced a recent indictment of Chinese citizens who are allegedly involved in the production and trafficking of fentanyl, which makes its way to the United States and kills our citizens.

As could be predicted when any president of either party makes a major announcement, there were detractors. Some criticized Trump for mentioning the crisis 2 months ago but just now deciding to declare an emergency; in other words, what took so long? Others thought that he didn’t go far enough and that the declaration was useless because it did not mandate any funding to fight the crisis. In addition, no mention was made of the use of naloxone, a lifesaving medication, or the expanded use of controlled medication to treat addiction. [Read more…]

Who Is to Blame for the Opioid Crisis?

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I find it interesting that many people pin the blame for the opioid crisis on pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors.

States, cities, and even small municipalities have jumped on board to sue the manufacturers and/or wholesalers of prescription drugs.

The lure of no-cost attorneys who only take a portion if a suit is successful has drawn many governmental entities into the legal arena. Of course, some of the politicians initiating the suits are up for re-election soon, which is probably not a coincidence.

One thing I have learned is that complex and difficult problems seldom have quick and easy solutions. The opioid crisis came about for multiple reasons, and identifying one cause as the primary or only culprit is wrong and counterproductive. [Read more…]

The War on Drug Abuse A 3-Pronged Approach

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I have been in the business of fighting drug abuse for many years, just retiring for the final time from government after 49 years so I have seen the ebbs and flows. In the late 1960s, the heroin epidemic was raging in the inner cities, primarily affecting African-Americans. The heroin was 9% pure, compared with 50%-plus pure today, but the devastation was no different. Deaths due to overdose, violence in the form of robberies, and dealer wars were commonplace in some cities.

Along the way, the “War on Drugs” was announced. Ever since then, many of us have been asked if we are winning that war, with others deciding that we have performed dismally and that new efforts need to be initiated as the old ones aren’t working. Many think we lost the war on drugs some time ago. [Read more…]

Substance Abuse in Rural America

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I have always lived in rural America, even when working in a city. I prefer rural areas because of their friendly folks with core values and the landscape—open fields, woods, and livestock, mainly beef cattle!

Since April 2016, I’ve had a part-time job commanding the Brown County, Ohio, drug and major crimes taskforce, which needed to be reenergized and expanded. I live just 15 minutes away and was eager to assist. For the past 2 years, Brown County (population: 45,000) has led Ohio in unintentional overdose deaths per capita. With Ohio appearing to lead the country in the number of these deaths, Brown County is a top contending overall leader in this tragedy. At first, I found this almost unbelievable, but then I began to receive almost daily texts regarding overdoses and related deaths in the county. Life squads and emergency medical technicians seem to be constantly busy trying to save individuals with naloxone, whether it be 1 dose or multiple doses. [Read more…]

Why Not Legalize All Drugs?

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We are undoubtedly in the midst of one of the most devastating drug abuse eras the United States has ever seen. Heroin by itself or, more likely, laced with fentanyl or carfentanil, along with pharmaceutical opioids, is causing thousands of overdoses across our country each year. Nasal naloxone has saved an incredible number of these overdose victims.

When drug problems intensify, the cry goes out that we have lost the war on drugs and our best way out to stop all of the death and destruction is to legalize drugs and let the government reap the profits in the form of taxes. It sounds simple: legalize all drugs, the prices will drop, the associated killing and violence will go away, and we will all live happily ever after. We can use the increase in tax revenues to build highways and roads or to fund other important projects. [Read more…]

How BIG is the problem?

Year after year, state and local law enforcement statistics indicate that pharmaceuticals are almost 30% of the overall drug problem in the United States, running a close second only marijuana abuse. However, until recently, law enforcement, health care professionals, and the general public have placed little emphasis on this huge problem.

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Pharmaceutical Diversion Education (PDE) is designed to assist a wide range of the population in understanding the potential abuse and addiction that can be associated with prescription medication.

Drug Diversion:
Any Criminal Act Involving a Prescription Drug.

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