Opioid Policymakers Keep Tilting at Windmills, Striking Patients in the Process

Jeffrey A. SingerThe American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychologydefines“denial” as “adefense mechanism in which unpleasant thoughts, feelings, wishes, or events are ignored or excluded from conscious awareness. It may take such forms as refusal to acknowledge the reality of a terminal illness, a financial problem, an addiction, or a partner ’s infidelity…”Many policymakers, including many in Congress, remain in a state of denial about the true cause of the overdose crisis:drug prohibition.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’s October 4, 2020provisional report on overdose deaths for the 12 ‐​month period ending March 2020 shows a total overdose death rate of 73,860 (up from 67,726 a year earlier), of which 52,488 are opioid ‐​related. 39,535 (75 percent) of the opioid ‐​related deaths involved illicit fentanyl and 13,793 (26 percent) involved heroin. Prescription‐​type opioids were found among 12,002 of opioid‐​related deaths (23 percent). Methamphetamine and psycho‐​stimulants were found in 17,435 (33 percent), and cocaine was found in 16,970 (32 percent) of total overdose deaths, also up dramatically over the past year.Despite these glaring numbers, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representative Katherine Clark (D-MA) joined with other House and Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration urging the agency to finalize new regulat...

Source: Cato-at-liberty - October 15, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Jeffrey A. Singer Source Type: blogs