the pusher
Earlier today I popped over to see a cycling buddy who had taken a tumble and broken his collarbone in a couple of places. Whilst not in too bad a shape, he was in some considerable pain and, having taken a couple of the (analgesic) painkillers he had been given at the hospital, complained that they didn’t seem to make that much a difference and he would love some that had a little more kick. Mind, he needs to be careful for what he wishes and if our NHS ever needed a cautionary tale about the perils of painkillers, it need only look across the pond.
It may come as a major surprise that the leading cause of death in US under-50s is not homicide, suicide, road-traffic accident, cancer or heart disease, it’s drug overdose. Even more surprising is it’s not an overdose caused by crack-cocaine, crystal-meth or heroin, it’s one caused by legally-permitted, prescription pain medication. Since 1999, opioids have killed an estimated 350,000 Americans – more than all US citizens in the Vietnam War. And it’s the American Dream of free enterprise that made it all possible.
During the late 70s, palliative-care doctors, believing they needed something strong to treat the terminally ill, turned to opium-based substances. Immediately recognising the opportunity, Big Pharma, using deeply flawed, privately-sponsored studies, highlighted the fact that, ‘technically’, less than 1% of those treated became addicted and complicity lobbied for the previously independent FDA (Food & Drug Administration) to be able to accept fees and payments from firms requiring drug approved. WTF. Notwithstanding the truth that the target group all died shortly thereafter before developing any dependency (they were after all, terminal!), and that this now represented an unbelievably corrupt conflict of interest, super-strength opium-based painkillers were released upon an unknowing yet all too eager population.
An even greater coup came when these massively addictive drugs were approved for ‘chronic’ pain, as opposed to merely ‘acute, palliative or post-operative’ and made legally permissible to anyone with an ingrowing toenail, sprained wrist or pain in the neck. Subsequently, billions of dollars has flowed into the coffers of Big Pharma, millions into the FDA, and hundreds of thousands have perished in shocking circumstances: a very clear warning of what to expect from any creeping privatisation or commercialisation of our national health service. Sorry Dave, suck it up!
