Calmare Therapeutics Inc (fka CTTC)

[powderbum]

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/10/05/us-opioid-addiction.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20161005Z1&et_cid=DM122747&et_rid=169604

Drug addiction has reached unprecedented levels in the United States. Each year, the U.S. spends more than $51 billion on the war on drugs and, in 2014, more than 1.5 million arrests for drug-related violations were made.1 Of those arrests, 83 percent were for possession only.

The vast majority of drug-related arrests are for marijuana, and 88 percent of those are for possession only. Amazingly, 1 in every 111 adults in the U.S. is incarcerated (the highest incarceration rate in the world).

DEA Is Biased in Its War On Drugs

So in Rosenberg's (and the DEA's) view, marijuana users are criminals whom they have no qualms about prosecuting and jailing, but when a person is abusing opioid painkillers — from which drug companies profit handsomely — the answer is not criminalization but education. As reported by Cleveland.com:6

"Rosenberg was in Cleveland as his agency is working in tandem with the U.S. Justice Department in launching a multi-faceted effort in treating the overdose epidemic by partnering with local hospitals, rehabilitation clinics and educators to try and inform the public about cutting down on the use of prescription painkillers.

Rosenberg said the agency is also urging doctors across the country to cut down on prescribing unnecessary painkillers to patients, who sometimes end up addicted to the drugs or turn to more dangerous forms of opioids, such as heroin, once their prescriptions end."

I do not support criminalizing opioid addiction, but it is hypocritical in the extreme to fill for-profit jail cells with marijuana users while saying the same "cannot" work for prescription drug addicts. As noted by Opensecrets.org:7

"The revenue from waging the war on drugs has become a significant source of financial support for local law enforcement.

Federal and state funding of the drug war — as well as the property police forces seize as a part of drug raids — have become significant financial supplements to local forces' budgets …

One of the largest for-profit prison companies, Corrections Corporation of America [CCA], even stated in a regulatory filing that keeping the drug war alive is essential to its success as a business …

Opioid Epidemic Is an Undeclared Public Health Emergency

As noted in a recent STAT News article,12 the opioid epidemic really should be declared a public health emergency in order to mobilize the needed resources to address the situation.

"Congress took a first step toward responding to this expanding epidemic by passing, nearly unanimously, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act13 this summer. This $181 million act was designed to fund a wide range of activities essential to turning the tide on opioid addiction, including expansion of overdose reversal, recovery and prevention programs …

But since the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act became the law of the land, Congress hasn't made any money available to turn it into real treatments for real people. Lawmakers looked good by approving the act, but … they never appropriated the money to fund it, rendering the bill and its good intentions effectively useless

Treating Pain Without Drugs

Considering the risks, I would urge you to consider other options before resorting to an opioid painkiller. It's especially important to avoid opioids when trying to address long-term chronic pain, as your body builds a tolerance to the drug. Over time, you'll require greater doses at more frequent intervals to achieve the same pain relief, which is a recipe for disaster and could have lethal consequences.

Together with addiction and tolerance, opioids have not lived up to the promises manufacturers have made. There are many non-drug and dietary alternatives that may help manage your pain. You can learn more about these non-drug options in my previous articles, "Astounding Amounts: Opioid Epidemic Filling up Morgues" and "Prescription Painkillers Lack Evidence of Safety and Effectiveness for Long-Term Use."