How do we solve the opioid crisis?

Great Debates
1

I live in Maine, where opioid addiction is becoming an epidemic, and our governor’s ideas are not helping. We now have at least one fatal OD every day in our state. Here are my solutions:

  1. Legalize marijuana
  2. Supply all first responders with Narcan.
  3. Make Narcan available OTC
  4. Severly limit prescriptions of opioids as most addiction starts from medical use.
    5.Treat all drug addiction as a medical issue instead of a criminal one
2

Develop alternative painkillers. I hear many addicts start with a legit prescription, although I don’t know how many. That makes your 4 easier.

3

Your #4 will IMHO increase the number of overdoses. When people who have severe, debilitating pain are denied legal pain relief because of prescription limits they will turn to illegal drugs to relieve their pain. A better plan is to legalize all drugs.

4

Many people start taking opiates because of severe pain, but still end up addicted and turn to heroin after the prescription runs out. The first dose of any opiate, even if it is for legitimate medical use, can put someone into a destructive cycle. Its in the news all the time here that someone will take these drugs for an injury, and eventually end up desperate for the next pill or fix. Some even end up fatally ODing.

5

Some reason this could be answered in this thread:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=799587&highlight=opiods

Dated 7/27/16

Or this one?

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738332&highlight=opiods

Dated 10/23/14

I know you like to be a threadstarter and I encourage that. But starting the same one - or variations on one - is not a good thing. Do it again and it’ll be Warning City, population you.

Closed.