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Comment by DoodleBuggy | Hacker News Reader

Hard to believe there is really an "epidemic" beyond typical fearmongering and political noise. People have always used drugs, this is nothing new. Unfortunately all the hype and noise is having significantly negative consequences to the medical community, doctors, and patients who actually need these things.

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I offer links to an engaging blog post [0] and a scholarly paper [1] that both suggest there is more to the epidemic than 'fearmongering and political noise'. Could you elaborate on the evidence for your beliefs?

[0] https://morecrows.wordpress.com/2016/05/10/unnecessariat/

[1] http://www.pnas.org/content/112/49/15078.abstract

It's a "national health crisis" because of the ethnicity and locations of the people it's affecting. Today, politicians are proposing more treatments and going after the pharmaceutical companies[1]. Back in the 80's and 90's, the response to the crack epidemic was harsher prison sentences for users and sellers because it was largely minorities who were affected[2].

Not arguing that treatments shouldn't be made available but it's important to keep all this in mind if someone ever suggests that all are equal in the eyes of the law when it comes to drug offenses.

1 - https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/31/us/heroin-war-on-drugs-pa...

2 -http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2016/02/heroin_vs_cr...

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html

Epidemic may be a strong word, but the rate of opiate overdose deaths certainly does seem to be increasing, and it's likely that cracking down on the supply of pain pills is a contributing factor to this.

'People have always done x' is the stupidest response possible to this sort of problem. Of course people have always done drugs, but the RATIO of people doing them to not fluctuates. There is a huge difference between 1% of the people doing opiates and 100% of the people, and to act like there isn't is disingenuous and dangerous.

That is like 10 or 20 times the death rate as in Western Europe. I know you guys love your bodycounts, but still...

Here are some alternative facts. Red means bad: https://www.brighthearthealth.com/wp-content/uploads/OpioidA...

Wonder why the northern great plains are so resistant to this problem?

I'm from those plains and my guess is folks there refuse such drugs, even when they may need them (like after surgery), because:

1. They're tough people. A little pain means you're still alive!

2. They don't want to get hooked - too many people/animals rely on them.

3. Social stigma associated with such drugs.

I had foot surgery a couple of years ago and the Dr. tried to prescribe me opioids but I refused. I've seen the damage getting hooked on those can cause (in Dallas) and don't want that junk anywhere near my life.

population density? Maybe the pill mills only located in certain areas.

It's too cold, your veins just disappear.

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