Pubdate: Thu, 07 Nov 2013
Source: Reno News & Review (NV)
Column: Let Freedom Ring
Copyright: 2013, Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.newsreview.com/issues/reno/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2524
Author: Brendan Trainor

THE REAL PROBLEM IS PROHIBITION

The Food and Drug Administration seeks to reschedule hydrocodone as a 
Schedule II Drug instead of Schedule III.

This means those suffering chronic pain will have to pay for more 
doctor visits to get a written prescription. Phone-in renewals will 
be banned. The reason given is that hydrocodone is "abused" by those 
who want to enjoy synthetic codeine. Scamming scripts and buying on 
the street enable some to party on the pills.

In 2006, Nevadans were the No. 1 users in America per capita of 
hydrocodone, sold combined with other drugs in brand names like 
Vicodin or Lortab. Nevada is still within the top five states for 
illicit pill use.

Many who "abuse" Vicodin do so because oral intake is safer than 
injecting heroin. Vicodin is actually a harm reduction tool to help 
them avoid AIDS and hepatitis. Most Vicodin "abusers" are in fact 
middle class whites who have a job, family and home. Some young 
Nevadans also use the pills at dances and parties. A small percentage 
become addicted.

The drug scolds will tell you in 2000 there were almost 20,000 
hospital admissions due to Vicodin. They also tell you that in the 
same year there were 86 million new prescriptions written. But they 
don't seem to do the math that suggests that fewer than .0003 percent 
of hydrocodone users wind up visiting a hospital.

That is not to say that Vicodin is as safe as marijuana or 
psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, which cannot be linked to a single 
overdose. Yes, people die from recklessly using Vicodin, just as they 
die from recklessly using alcohol. Most Vicodin overdoses occur from 
mixing many pills with alcohol.

The state has done a terrible job of educating on the use and dangers 
of drugs. For too long it has followed the zero tolerance, DARE model 
that provides no helpful medical information by promoting the idea 
that all drugs are equally bad and all illegal drug use is abuse. 
More enlightened countries police raves only by making sure that 
there is plenty of water and a quiet place to calm down.

Physicians who prescribe pain medications are already heavily 
regulated. Many people are forced to live, even die, with severe pain 
due to their doctor's fear of being seen as "over prescribing" 
narcotic-based pain medication. A few doctors undoubtably do operate 
"pill mills." While the recreational use of marijuana is becoming 
politically acceptable, recreational pill use is not. But if the 
numbers are rising for this drug use, punishing those truly in pain 
is not an acceptable response. It is like the gym teacher who makes 
everyone in the class drop down and do 50 push-ups because the fat 
kids can't run laps. It is collectivism pure and simple.

Some Nevada politicians have indicated support for changing state law 
to allow police to search confidential medical records without 
probable cause, looking for over-prescribing doctors. Prescription 
prohibition is crossing the line between protecting the public 
against harms done by others and harms done only to oneself. 
Addiction can bring emotional harm to loved ones but that is also not 
a reason for government intervention.

Like Beth Green said in a recent episode of The Walking Dead, "When 
you love someone, hurt kinda comes with the territory." Harming the 
ones you love is part of the human condition. The state should only 
intervene against violence and fraud perpetrated with criminal 
intent, not against human failings and vices. Prohibition, not drugs, 
is the worst problem. Keep Nevada police from fishing expeditions in 
medical records!
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom