Greed and big pharma are responsible for addition

To The Daily Sun,

The image of the drug-addicted individual, the addict or junkie, is back again to where it seems to always land — at the bottom rung of the social ladder. Now that opioid addicts have been compelled to feed their addictions to the morphine molecule by using fentanyl and heroin off the street, the pharmaceutical as well as medical professions no longer have to look like the main guilty culprits behind the most horrific surge in drug addiction yet. Three out of four of my opioid addicted clients in treatment have had at least some experience with using legally prescribed, highly potent, oxycodone-based pain medicine. 

I am still shocked and very distressed at the way people judge those who suffer from addiction. Many self-righteous people from all over society speak with disdain and condescension about those who have difficulty getting clean and sober! 

Here are some facts: If big pharma was stopped in their rampant high-pressure forced marketing in or around 2006, as should have been the case, we would have far less addicts today! If the FDA did not drag their feet for several years and if the DEA was not reluctant to investigate that small percentage of medical doctors who ran illegitimate pain clinics motivated by greed, then there would be a much smaller drug problem currently. If enough money would be appropriated to the U.S. Postal Service under the supervision of appropriate specialized law enforcement to at least be able to cease a larger portion of the tons of fentanyl and other deadly drugs that flow from China into the U.S. like water, then there would be more hope for those who desperately try to stay drug-free. Yes, the agencies of our government need more help and money.

So many people say that addicts are just a bunch of “druggie-criminals” on illegal drugs who should be incarcerated if treatment doesn’t work. Well, for those who have who lack compassion for the sick and suffering, they may get their wish because active addicts are dying or going to jails and prison in record numbers. But we must not forget that this scourge, this horrendous disease that has killed more Americans than the Vietnam war, was propagated to a large degree by U.S. businesses and government officials. If the streets were not inundated with high-potency, cheap illegal drugs, there would be more recovering addicts staying clean a lot longer.

Even so, there are a lot of addicts achieving success because they help and support one another. There is virtually NO WAIT list at A&D.

Michael Tensel-MLADC 

A&D Recovery Counseling

Laconia