REPORTED BY
youarewithinthenorms.com
NORMAN J CLEMENT RPH., DDS, NORMAN L. CLEMENT PHARM-TECH, MALACHI F. MACKANDAL PHARMD, BELINDA BROWN-PARKER, IN THE SPIRIT OF JOSEPH SOLVO ESQ., INC.T. SPIRIT OF REV. IN THE SPIRIT OF WALTER R. CLEMENT BS., MS, MBA. HARVEY JENKINS MD, PH.D., C.T. VIVIAN, JELANI ZIMBABWE CLEMENT, BS., MBA., IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HON. PATRICE LUMUMBA, IN THE SPIRIT OF ERLIN CLEMENT SR., WALTER F. WRENN III., MD., JULIE KILLINGWORTH, LESLY POMPY MD., CHRISTOPHER RUSSO, MD., NANCY SEEFELDT, WILLIE GUINYARD BS., JOSEPH WEBSTER MD., MBA, BEVERLY C. PRINCE MD., FACS., NEIL ARNAND, MD., RICHARD KAUL, MD., LEROY BAYLOR, JAY K. JOSHI MD., MBA, ADRIENNE EDMUNDSON, ESTER HYATT PH.D., WALTER L. SMITH BS., IN THE SPIRIT OF BRAHM FISHER ESQ., MICHELE ALEXANDER MD., CUDJOE WILDING BS, MARTIN NJOKU, BS., RPH., IN THE SPIRIT OF DEBRA LYNN SHEPHERD, BERES E. MUSCHETT, STRATEGIC ADVISORS
BY
WALTER F. WRENN MD
THE CDC FAILED TO SEPARATE DEATHS FROM ILLICIT FENTANYL AND PRESCRIPTIONS
When we read about addiction and overdose deaths, Heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opiates are mentioned in the same breath. But are they equal? Heroin and fentanyl are not standardized.
Opiate pain medication has gone through a long process and is approved by the FDA. I personally believe that very few individuals actually die from prescription opiates. We have never determined the mechanisms involved in opiate drug overdose deaths, whether with prescription opiates or illicit opiates.
What is clear, however, is that since the government started compiling data on opiate overdose deaths, illicit drug use has been the leading cause of death. The problem with compiling data is that no one knows the drug dose that causes death. In addition, the CDC failed to separate deaths from illicit fentanyl and prescription fentanyl.
Unfortunately, determining the cause of death is a complicated process. Even in the cases of suspected prescription opiate overdose deaths, data such as prescription bottles at the scene is seldom mentioned.
IS ADDICTION A PERSONAL CHOICE OR AN accidental occurrence
Is addiction a personal choice or the result of an accidental occurrence? We know that addiction doesn’t happen to everyone who abuses drugs. Some individuals are “weekend” drug abusers. Some are “every once in a while” drug abusers. Some are ” recurrent drug abusers.”
No individual I know of intended to die due to drug abuse. So every overdose death is “Accidental”. The average age of drug abuse and overdose deaths is above 20 years of age.
I return to my original question, is drug abuse and the negative consequence, overdose deaths, a choice or the result of an accidental occurrence?
Both are right. Individuals make choices and are victims of those choices. Criminalization of addiction places the blame for overdose deaths on someone or something other than the choices made by the drug abuser. This thinking is a recipe for failure when it comes to reducing drug abuse and drug overdose deaths.
Walter F. Wrenn III,M.D
FOR NOW, YOU ARE WITHIN
THE NORMS
