Quite eye-opening. This doc traces the origins and analyses the effects of the opioid crisis. There was a time when these powerful painkillers would only be prescribed for people who needed them the most, such as cancer patients and accident victims. Then Big Pharma conspired with the FDA and politicians to significantly lower the pain threshold. It got to a point where the drugs would be prescribed for slight discomfort.
The most amazing part is how pharmaceutical companies offer doctors incentives for prescribing them to their patients. So you could have a simple headache and your “trusted” doc writes down a prescription for Oxycontin, Oxycodone, or any of the other alternatives in the market, even though you don’t need it. They no longer care about their patients’ wellbeing but the commissions they stand to earn from pharmaceutical companies.
These companies also fervently deny that opioids cause addiction.
They coined the term “pseudo-addiction” for that purpose.
Pseudo-addiction is when a patient shows all the classic symptoms of drug addiction, but isn’t actually addicted :D:D:D
It also shows the symbiotic relationship between Big Pharma and the illegal drug dealers. Once you get addicted to prescription pills, it becomes a very expensive habit, so some patients end up substituting with heroin, fentanyl, and other illegal drugs. The only difference is El Chapo Guzman gets a life sentence while The Sacklers (the family that revolutionized the pain prescription market) earn billions of dollars which they use to live a billionaire lifestyle while bribing senators.
I hope you kids are paying attention. If you want to profit from the drug trade, go to medical school and afterwards join a duly licensed pharmaceutical company. Then find loopholes to increase the supply of tightly controlled prescription drugs and laugh all the way to the bank.