Opiates and Politics

In the last decade opiate use has risen significantly. Overdoses and deaths from opiate use are increasing at a frightening rate. Whether it’s opiates like heroin or morphine or synthetic opioids like Percocet or Oxycodone, there’s no difference when considering the consequences of addiction and misuse and possible solutions. When a person develops tolerance and addiction, the body doesn’t know the difference from heroin bought off the street or Oxycodone that comes from a pharmacy.

I’ll just use the term opiate for the sake of simplicity. Opiates like heroin and morphine are nothing new. This is from Wikipedia:

The Mediterranean region contains the earliest archeological evidence of human use; the oldest known seeds date back to more than 5000 BCE in the Neolithic age^[8] with purposes such as food, anaesthetics, and ritual. Evidence from ancient Greece indicate that opium was consumed in several ways, including inhalation of vapors, suppositories, medical poultices, and as a combination with hemlock for suicide.^[9] The Sumerian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Indian, Minoan, Greek, Roman, Persian and Arab Empires all made widespread use of opium, which was the most potent form of pain relief then available, allowing ancient surgeons to perform prolonged surgical procedures.^{[citation needed]} Opium is mentioned in the most important medical texts of the ancient world, including the Ebers Papyrus and the writings of Dioscorides, Galen, and Avicenna. Widespread medical use of unprocessed opium continued through the American Civil War before giving way to morphine and its successors, which could be injected at a precisely controlled dosage.

Countries like China have had wars over opium, and the U.S. declared a War on Drugs in the 60s, when opiates were referred to mostly as narcotics. Opiate and politics are a big concern now, although the mindset of making war against opiates still prevails. All attempts to eradicate opiates have failed. Just recently government ordered a reduction in the production of synthetic opioids. Government, to its favor, has also called for treatment of opiate addiction, and government supports the use of Buprenorphine as a regulated replacement drug that allows addicts to get into treatment without overwhelming withdrawal symptoms — however, treatment resources and access to resources are sadly insufficient.

Our society seems to favor  symptomatic law and order solutions over long term, fundamental solutions like education, prevention,  treatment and ongoing support. Waging war against drugs has created drug cartels and deadly battles for domination. Addiction, drug misuse and the demand for illicit drugs are the fundamental problems. All efforts so far to change minds and hearts about drug use have come up short. As a society we’re confused about drugs. Thinking clearly and objectively about drugs would be a great first step. If we can remove the fear and stigma, maybe we’ll find fundamental solutions.

If all the resources wasted on waging war against drugs were channeled into education, prevention, treatment and ongoing support, we’d gradually experience a change. Fearing drugs and fighting drugs with weapons have not changed our relationship with drugs. I know it’s a huge problem with no easy solutions, but I have to believe that understanding the problem through real, comprehensive education and prevention efforts will lead us in the right direction.