Opiates vs. alcohol

[mtangelsfan]

76 thousand deaths from prescription drug overdoses per year

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/6/15743986/opioid-epidemic-overdose-deaths-2016

88 thousand alcohol related deaths per year

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm

 

Why is there an "opiate epidemic" but not an "alcohol epidemic"?

Edited August 18, 2017 by mtangelsfan

[UndertheHalo]

because we have a culture that celebrates getting wasted via alcohol.  Also, the person that highlights this inconvenient fact is gonna be getting a lot of liquor industry money coming after him/her

[Glen]

Any second now @Geoff is gonna be in here with his goddamned banjo.

[Glen]

23 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

because we have a culture that celebrates getting wasted via alcohol.  Also, the person that highlights this inconvenient fact is gonna be getting a lot of liquor industry money coming after him/her

That really is the answer. Cultural acceptance.

[Thomas]

In living in New Mexico... While at the ER a couple nights ago getting checked out after my accident I see a middle age women come into the triage area. The first question from the nurse was "So when did you last use Meth?".  I couldn't help but grimly laugh.

[krAbs]

Also, I'm pretty sure there is an exposure difference here. there are 1.3 million car related deaths per year, so this is all small chickens compared to that. But, both that and alcohol are related to exposure rather than % of deadliness.

That is not to necessarily say that that is a reason why it shouldn't be taken seriously - just probably part of why its not. By this logic, who the hell cares about terrorism? That's one of the least important issues we face in America.

[gotbeer]

Taxes.  One is a heavy tax source.

[Brandon]

after prohibition, booze is untouchable.

[Lhalo]

There are two reasons opioids are exploding across America:

• Pharma companies are producing them en masse
• The heroin trade has exploded since our invasion of Afghanistan

[gotbeer]

Don't forget about the Ozarks. 

 

 

 

Hopefully some of you will get it.

[Jason]

I'm not really good at math but, based on the numbers, it seems like doctors and the pharmacy industry kill more people than firearm manufacturers and dealers.

 https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2015/crime-in-the-u.s.-2015/tables/expanded_homicide_data_table_8_murder_victims_by_weapon_2011-2015.xls

 

I'm pretty sure people dying isn't the driving force behind political rhetoric. Just have to follow the money for answers

[Blarg]

On 8/18/2017 at 8:27 AM, mtangelsfan said:

76 thousand deaths from prescription drug overdoses per year

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/6/15743986/opioid-epidemic-overdose-deaths-2016

88 thousand alcohol related deaths per year

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm

 

Why is there an "opiate epidemic" but not an "alcohol epidemic"?

The chart tells why. Alcohol related deaths have remained on a slow increase in line with population growth over the decades while opiod related deaths have spiked. Epidemics are spike related occurances. 

 

Edited August 21, 2017 by Blarg

[Adam]

JUST SAY NO, MT

[RallyMo]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

The chart tells why. Alcohol related deaths have remained on a slow increase in line with population growth over the decades while opiod related deaths have spiked. Epidemics are spike related occurances. 

 

I think that's a fair way of looking at it.

Another thing to consider is that while alcohol has more or less remained the same product for decades (centuries), opioids have changed considerably over the years and have evolved to get us to the situation we find ourselves in now. There's no reason to believe that this increase in deaths will reverse or even slow without intervention.

With that said, this does not diminish how destructive alcohol is at all.

[krAbs]

On 8/18/2017 at 9:26 PM, LHalo said:

There are two reasons opioids are exploding across America:

• Pharma companies are producing them en masse
• The heroin trade has exploded since our invasion of Afghanistan

My understanding is that a lot of pharma companies have been advertising opoids as a non addictive pain relief for chronic pain, when in reality, 1) it is addictive, and 2) there is absolutely no evidence that shows that it helps chronic pain (in fact, evidence suggests it may make it worse). Combine that with an increase in chronic pain in a lot of regions, and you have a problem on your hands.

[RallyMo]

These MFers:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmorrell/2015/07/01/the-oxycontin-clan-the-14-billion-newcomer-to-forbes-2015-list-of-richest-u-s-families/

[Lhalo]

$14 billion? Damn.

[AngelsLongBall]

7 hours ago, RallyMo said:

These MFers:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmorrell/2015/07/01/the-oxycontin-clan-the-14-billion-newcomer-to-forbes-2015-list-of-richest-u-s-families/

Real life narcos.  Please tell me you noticed the photo credit name