U.S. drug overdoses top 100,000 in pandemic year

Taking prescription drugs without a prescription is a choice.

If the drugs are prescribed and bought from reputable sources, then sue those sources. If they are bought from the darkweb or "Joe's Facebook Cheapo-Drugs on the DL", perhaps that's a bad choice? Go after Joe and FB, if you can, but don't expect to find them liable.

At some point, every adult is responsible for their choices.

U.S. drug overdoses top 100,000 in pandemic year

And yet Biden in his fake progressive agenda fails to take the measures proven to reduce this abhorrent number, one of which he promised.

Legalize, tax, regulate these commonly available substances.

Provide hospitalization and treatment for those afflicted .

And prosecute the Sackler family, vulture capitalists supporting conservative causes with their blood stained cash and largely responsible for the American opioid criss.

Everyone looks for a scape goat, yet in my opinion, it's not a "Republican" or "Democrat" problem, but everyone's problem.

@kentarogaijin

it does come to my memory how Mexico lost half of its territory and how China suffered from the opium trade imposed by the Brits and the US..

Taking the moral high ground as a Japan patriot, eh? You may want to study the history of "Golden Bat" cigarettes. The Japanese military and a MItsui subsidiary conspired to hide opium and heroin the cigarettes' mouthpieces in China in the 1940s. Millions of unsuspecting Chinese consumers got addicted, while creating huge profits for the Japanese. The main aim was to more easily conquer a drug addled population. The damage done by the Japanese was much worse than that by Britain's opium trade.

Golden Bat is sold today by Japan Tobacco. I wonder how many Japanese, who are well versed in the Opium Wars, know their own horrific history?

Aside from the obvious reasons why people would turn to drugs during the pandemic, recovering addicts needed to be able to go to meetings every day, and the pandemic shut that completely down. And meetings over zoom aren't even comparable or even available for a lot of people.

The War on Drugs is probably the biggest of all of America's many war failures. This article just tells us more about that failure.

The government didn't seem to have a problem with doctors prescribing opioids willy-nilly, but goes after doctors who prescribe cheap, effective and LEGAL life-saving drugs to COVID-19 patients with great gusto.

Something doesn't seem right here. Not to mention government lockdown/restriction policies have been a big contributor to the drug problem over the past 18 months or so due to the stress it has caused.

Americans should have the freedom to overdose and the government shouldn't mandate any programs to stem it.

Opioids have been an increasing crisis for years in every state of the US.

Recent spikes in overdoses can be attributed to the increased availability and popularity of fentanyl, not stress from lockdowns.

I find the idea that in a lockdown when you can't go out, you got to take drugs very strange! Isn't there something else one can do? Like read or learn a new skill with all that free time that you now have! What is wrong with people? Behaving like complete morons!

I find the idea that in a lockdown when you can't go out, you got to take drugs very strange!

The primary motivation for doing drugs is boredom and a lack of stimulus. Covid was a perfect storm for that.

San Francisco in the U.S. had as many deaths from drug overdoses than you know last year.

The "war on drugs" = sixty years of American carnage: most victims have been minorities and the poor and the overwhelming majority of these million plus victims can be ascribed to racist/classist "law enforcement", legal drugs and corrupt politicians who have invariably used this modern, devasting form of "Prohibition" to further their careers.

Drug addicts are not exactly the kind of people we should be worrying about too much, Many more deserving cases for our attention.

We all die from anything, they only made another choice and have personally accelerated it on their own.

At the same time, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has warned Americans about prescription pills available online that are made to look...

Buying prescription-only drugs over the internet at a suspicious price is not a privilege, it is a choice.

And if someone argues that addiction is to blame, then maybe it's worth using your brain a bit and thinking about what caused the addiction. Or, who caused it.

Ban Big Pharma TV ads

I believe that the US and Australia are the only countries that allow it.

Ban Big Pharma TV ads. Ban doctors who illegally or over-prescript.

Provide free clinics for addiction therapies.

"Addiction, or a substance use disorder (SUD), is a chronic mental health condition. Because it affects the brain’s normal functions, an SUD compels someone to repeatedly use substances or engage in behaviors even though they have harmful consequences. Addictions can destroy marriages, friendships, and careers and threaten a person’s basic health and safety."

"Almost 21 million Americans have at least one addiction, yet only 10% of them receive treatment."

Break free from addiction.

You have options. Talk about them with a treatment provider today.

….and most importantly close the border completely, finish the war, fortify the war, no more catch release, arrest and detain anyone that breaks the law, imprisoned them and then upon release deport them increase penalty fines and put them on the blacklist, Make it as painful for the cartels as on the same level illegal as lawbreakers, Become as aggressive as possible, increase and hire more border patrol agents double them, use as much of the resources that we have available to guard the border and you will start to see a drop in these drug cases, it’s a start.

finish the war, fortify the war, no more catch release, arrest and detain anyone that breaks the law, imprisoned them

Since Nixon the drug wars success means let's repeat the same strategy.

The cartels are overjoyed at every step away from legalization.

What is is with some people and doubling down on their failed strategies?

It will not change anything.

Yeah, it Will change a lot, will it stop the flow of drugs going into United States no, will it slow down, yes, will it make it more difficult for them, yes

Opioids are manufactured in America by American Pharma.

But fentanyl is And by the way this president is doing exactly what now to try and stop this? Pass this monstrosity bill that will curb the drug appetite?

So Basically buying is leaving Americans again, why would you care?

But fentanyl is And by the way this president is doing exactly what now to try and stop this? Pass this monstrosity bill that will curb the drug appetite?

The states are suing but with limited success. The Tokelahoma Supreme Court (highest per capita "medical" marijuana use in the US) just ruled against that state's opoid lawsuit. A separate lawsuit in California was also tossed out by a court there.

[T]here is no evidence supporting a causal connection between the alleged conduct and ... medically inappropriate prescriptions," ruled California Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson.

"The court allowed public nuisance claims to address discrete, localized problems, not policy problems," the Oklahoma justices ruled. 

"Erasing the traditional limits on nuisance liability leaves Oklahoma's statute impermissibly vague." 

It seems the courts are not allowing states to sue on the matter and there are not grounds in Federal law to sue. This is a matter for Congress to address with care as the courts seem to be siding with the pharmeceutical industry.

It will not change anything.

I disagree, it will

Did you miss the point the majority of drugs are smuggled into America via sea on ships, boats, and narc subs?

no, that has always been the case, but if you seal the border and tightly can control the border, it can be done and patrol the sea with more vessels you can’t put a dent in the operation, will it stop it, no, but it will surely slow them down

Drugs are also smuggled into America from the Canadian border. Shut that one too?

Likewise, you can patrol the border more and inspect what is coming into the country more, but they’re not doing that, so if I were a drug dealer I would try that route as well.

Opioids are manufactured in America by American Pharma.

And Biden is doing what to stop this?

Fentanyl is also smuggled in from China and North Korea.

Yes and again more cargo Inspections, so with this new $8.5 trillion socialist package, there is more than enough money to hire more people to patrol into inspect and keep our borders safe as well as stop the flow or slow it down from coming into the country

China remains the primary country of origin for illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States:

Biden should have a serious talk with his friend Xi about this.

The point is if this administration Really wanted to take the initiative to aggressively go after the cartel and big Pharma, he could do that, he has the power, but he won’t and that’s the problem, 2022 can’t come soon enough

Drugs are also smuggled into America from the Canadian border. Shut that one too?

Go back to what I wrote.

Slowing down of cross-border trade always has a negative effect.

Either you’re serious about eradicating the drug problem or not you can’t have it both ways

Opioids are manufactured in America by American Pharma.

Check what I wrote

What did Trump do in 48 months that Biden should do in 9?

Trump is not the current President. Again what is Biden’s plan? Instead of bankrupting America with more socialist programming and wasteful spending, why not do something good and tackle this serious drug problem, we all agree it’s serious.

Fentanyl is also smuggled in from China and North Korea.

Go back and read what I wrote

Yes and again more cargo Inspections, so with this new $8.5 trillion socialist package, there is more than enough money to hire more people to patrol into inspect and keep our borders safe as well as stop the flow or slow it down from coming into the country

You already know the ports are unable to deal with the massive amounts of containers. You are not very practical. You want the kids to get their Christmas toys but want to slow it all down with inspections.

China remains the primary country of origin for illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States:

go back and read what I wrote

> How do you know he didn't?

If he did, he would’ve mentioned some thing about it, because right now Biden needs all the wins he can get, he needs to pull his poll numbers up, and that would help him immensely, so no I don’t think he did at all, I believe he wax more scolded at and just had to listen.

No president, republican, or democrat has the power to go after Big Pharma, Big Oil, or Big Weapons.

Yes, they can. They have the complete power to do so if they want.

Why are the courts throwing out the opioid cases?

You keep trying, you keep filing.

Trump didn't have the power and the next president won't.

Trump is not the President Biden is, keep the conversation current.

That is the nature of capitalism

No, that is the nature of appeasement and capitulation

No president, republican, or democrat has the power to go after Big Pharma, Big Oil, or Big Weapons.

Whether it’s lack of power or will, no president has truly gone after them.

Sensible people like yourself see this. Partisans just see things as point-scoring.

Anyway, seeing as Bass believes a wall on the southern border is necessary, who would a self-described non-partisan blame for not fulfilling an election pledge?

No president, republican, or democrat has the power to go after Big Pharma, Big Oil, or Big Weapons.

Yes, he does and this president especially so either Joe Biden wants a serious tackle the situation, or he doesn’t it’s just that simple, he has the means he has the resources, of course he can do that if you wanted to he could get it under control with a very strict iron grip, but he’s not going to do that, he would rather put the entire nation into unsustainable debt.

It’s not that hard. Joe Biden has the power to keep the country locked down, has the power to keep tabs on anyone who is and is not vaccinated and where they go, he has a tight grip and close connection with the teachers union, he could snuff out civil liberties in a second, don’t give me that he cannot do this, he can if you wants to, and the point is he doesn’t and he won’t

JimizoToday  02:00 pm JST 

Whether it’s lack of power or will, no president has truly gone after them. 

Sensible people like yourself see this. Partisans just see things as point-scoring. 

Anyway, seeing as Bass believes a wall on the southern border is necessary, who would a self-described non-partisan blame for not fulfilling an election pledge?

A bit of a hysterical response concerning border walls. Especially when this article is about drug overdoses, and large amounts of illegal drugs that result in these overdoses enter the US via Mexico; the article itself reads:

Experts say people with substance use disorders have been hit hard by daily life disruptions, while authorities are seizing record numbers of counterfeit and sometimes deadly medicines from Mexico.

Maybe the next step is to keep pharmacies unlocked so drug users have easier access to legally prescribed drugs.

Here is the problem. You cannot bring yourself to criticise a president you like for not fulfilling a central pledge, and one you personally regard as critical. 

Partisanship rots the brain. It becomes cultism.

Yeah, as usual you’re only getting half of the information in the UK. It’s kind of hard to get anything done if you have one party trying to put roadblocks and to try and stop you at every point.

But again, this might not be a bad thing, because it helps the Republicans and this time they might get super majorities, no wonder the Democrats are bailing as fast as they can like rats from a sinking ship, if Biden wants to win, he should tackle this drug problem that would help, maybe not save him, but it would help nonetheless

Americans think they need a pill for everything under the sun and unfortunately the legal and illegal drug pushers are very happy to oblige.

Americans think they need a pill for everything under the sun and unfortunately the legal and illegal drug pushers are very happy to oblige

Its not just an American problem

A bit of a hysterical response concerning border walls

Not in the slightest, CP.

It was in response to Bass talking about the need for stricter security at the border. Completely relevant and rational.

Talking about walls, I think the walls have closed in here.

JimizoToday  02:22 pm JST

Not in the slightest, CP. 

It was in response to Bass talking about the need for stricter security at the border. Completely relevant and rational. 

CP, did you read my comment? It refers directly to the need for stricter border control, as the article describes:

authorities are seizing record numbers of counterfeit and sometimes deadly medicines from Mexico.

Bass makes a valid point why walls on the southern border are needed.

CP - RegBilk

Sorry, I got mixed up. Genuinely confused you with another poster.

Won’t happen again.

JimizoToday  02:27 pm JST

CP - RegBilk

Sorry, I got mixed up. Genuinely confused you with another poster. 

Won’t happen again.

Regardless, an enormous amount of illegal drugs come into the US via Mexico. I do not see any valid argument against building the wall further, if only top prevent those drugs from entering the US.

Personally, I would like to see a bipartisan solution to focus on keeping out those drugs. A president has limited powers to stop this, short of declaring a "national emergency".

close the border

Ladders? Tunnels? Boats? Narco submarines? Drug delivery drones?

nishikatToday  02:41 pm JST

close the border

Ladders? Tunnels? Boats? Narco submarines? Drug delivery drones?

Nah. The DEA has even said that drones, for example, is not profitable method.

Obviously a wall makes drug transport more difficult.

I mean, what else should we do? Provide room and board, medical assistance, and food and water to drug transporters?