Discussion of heroin is unavoidable for candidates because, in Manchester, New Hampshire, one hundred have OD'ed from heroin in the last week and ten have died. The city only has 100,000 people in it and yet so many overdoses. Manchester looks like it is one of those beautiful, innocent, New England places where it's slower and nothing much happens. (The Guardian: Jeb Bush alludes to daughter's drug problems in New Hampshire meeting)
Manchester, NH, doesn't much look like a place for one hundred overdoses per week
In mentioning his daughter, Jeb Bush was not playing on that fact but rather making it clear he has some personal understanding of how it goes.
Here is where Bush was shining:
At the event, Bush particularly touted Florida’s use of a mandatory prescription drug database to crack down on “pill mills” and drug courts, and expressed his dismay that the FDA would allow opiates to be prescribed to children.
These suggestions are not a solution but they work toward one and they are effective steps. One of the ongoing rants on this blog has been the widespread abuse of prescription medication and Bush addresses that specifically.
Note: we do not know how effective the program has been in Florida.
In mentioning his daughter, Jeb Bush was not playing on that fact but rather making it clear he has some personal understanding of how it goes.
Here is where Bush was shining:
At the event, Bush particularly touted Florida’s use of a mandatory prescription drug database to crack down on “pill mills” and drug courts, and expressed his dismay that the FDA would allow opiates to be prescribed to children.
These suggestions are not a solution but they work toward one and they are effective steps. One of the ongoing rants on this blog has been the widespread abuse of prescription medication and Bush addresses that specifically.
Note: we do not know how effective the program has been in Florida.
It's not clear what a 'drug court' means as to whether that's the legal process and punishment for offenders or some other type of process. The existing legal process around drugs couldn't be more ineffective if it were planned that way.
Prescribing opiates to children may not even happen and I've never heard of it but, sure as hell, if anyone is doing it then that person should be in jail.
It's possible he refers to Vicodin for pain relief since it contains codeine which is classified as a narcotic. It's highly-questionable whether this drug shows any efficacy toward actually reducing pain. My experience with it and as one who really loves a good reefer buzz, has been the stuff is a horror. It may well be that over-prescription of Vicodin for children by dentists is the prelude to full-fledged addiction in adulthood.
These measures won't do much to reduce heroin abuse but they can be effective in managing an equally pernicious and deadly problem in prescription drugs. Insofar as that addiction is reduced, it may reduce the percentage of them who escalate to even harder narcotics. Reefer doesn't lead you to other drugs but rather it's more likely they will be available within your tribe. Narcotics, however, are for turning your mind off back than on and they invariably call for more self-destructive power. If this one isn't strong enough then get another one as there's one of them out there which will turn your mind into a ghost town. It sounds abhorrent but they want that. Many of you have seen how it goes with addicts. If you have not then I hope you never do but understand fully this needs immediate action.
While I still would not vote for Bush, he is not entirely without value.
8 comments:
Tennessee leads the nation in pill mills. And yes you can prescribe opiates to minors.
The heroin epidemic starts with these pill mills. Then the kids find out that heroin is 20 cents on the dollar compared to the pills they are buying. And more effective
PS vicodin is like aspirin to things like fentanyl
Which is what is cut with heroin and causing most of these ODs
I can go into a pain clinic tomorrow and walk out with a perscription for oxycontin. And my insurance will cover the co pays.
I have no pain that requires any medication but they dont care
I disagree with weed is an gateway. But it is not a predetermined outcome
I was not aware of Tennessee's lead in pill mills and wasn't even aware such a thing existed because I thought the drug companies are making massive over-supplies knowing much would end up on the black market. Neither was I aware of what people are doing with them.
Fortunately, Oxycontin was never prescribed for me and I only took some a few times, out of need after surgery rather than to abuse. It's not likely all this research from idle curiosity and I'm sorry for that. I know I didn't do it but I'm sorry any cause did.
Disagree as you will about the reefer gateway but rebellion and curiosity bring you into that world. From there, the whole supermarket is available to you. The ones motivated for self-destruction go straight for the meth and the crack but reefer wasn't a gateway to that and, as likely you know, most reefer smokers absolutely loathe people who do that.
Nobody wakes up one day and says
Hell meth sounds good.
Most addicts are escaping whats in thier head. And it maybe drinks weed Drs pills or whatever and keep on climbing
Classifying it all as addiction is an arbitrary judgment. I agree cigarettes are an addiction but not with reefer as for the former I have little ability (i.e. weakness, call it what you like) to stop.
No-one seeks addiction but rebellion is motivated for multiple reasons. You likely know well many, many people smoked reefer and maybe ate some LSD but they never went beyond that and many, maybe most, didn't continue doing it. I do insist there is no addictive drive behind as the vast majority of people were experimenting. Only a few were trying to kill themselves and you can see anywhere they will find a way if it's not drugs.
I agree most dabbled and quit. Others used thier entire life. You are a prime example. You could no more quit smoking weed than quit breathing.
You found your level and stayed. Many keep looking
Actually I can as I didn't smoke reefer for almost ten years in Rhode Island. It's fine if it looks like addiction and I don't at all deny searching for something. There was something you mentioned previously about pain meds being the gateway to heroin and that I don't find difficult to believe at all. I have met very few stoners I thought were trying to destroy themselves and that goes all the way back to the start. There was one in the neighborhood and we were horrified at how wasted he would get at concerts because we thought he would kill himself. I have high confidence he did not although I have not managed to reach him.
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