Joseph Ohler Jr.: ‘Prescription opioid epidemic’ is fake
Dear Editor: The Wisconsin Legislature patted itself on its collective backside for passing a series of measures, known as the HOPE agenda, that make it more difficult for patients in legitimate pain to acquire prescription painkillers.
As will be shown statistically by rankings compiled from Wisconsin Health Department mortality data, this is an overkill measure against a fake “epidemic” to make a dramatic statement at a high human cost of needless suffering from subtherapeutic pain treatment.
How severe is our so-called “prescription opioid epidemic”?
More lethal are homicide (15th place); Alzheimer’s disease (5th place); and unintentional injuries (3rd place). Yet we don’t see the Health Department refer to these as “epidemics.”
(A complete list of mortality, by cause, can be found by googling “16 Leading Causes of Death in Wisconsin.”)
While fighting the fake opioid “epidemic,” our lawmakers denied the preponderance of underutilized college graduates by stripping one of Gov. Scott Walker’s best ideas to date: the nonfiscal policy directive that would require the University of Wisconsin System to provide every interested student with at least one internship or work experience directly relevant to his or her field of study.
La Valle
Filed under: General Problems
Everyone knows it’s fake the media has been trying to make it seem like a big deal but the lame stream media is still butt hurt their left wing loon queen Hillary lost again and the media is targeting opioids because most older people voted for trump and most of those old people are on some type of prescription medication and their you have it folks the fake opioid epedimic .
[…] pharmacist / blogger Steve Ariens has shared my Capital Times op-ed detailing why the so-called “opioid crisis” is over-blown by the […]
It’s flattering to see my letter-to-the-editor reprinted on a webzine dedicated to disabusing “opioid madness.”
10 Facebook shares already? We’ve just begun! Anyway…
The “big money” is definitely backing “alternative pain remedies.”
Although we might not be able to trace (much of) it through direct campaign contributions by alternative practitioners — which tend to be a rather small share of funds raised for state elections — we can infer the influence of unreported “dark money” by the policies passed and laws laid by our representatives.
Just this month (May 2017), the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly approved measures that permit chiropractors to administer physical examinations and to administer acupuncture, to thereby expand the clientele of chiropractors.
The problem is: Neither chiropractice nor acupuncture is evidence-based medicine. Both are folk remedies!
Yet, we see the legislature hawk those non-solutions as “viable alternatives” to legitimate pain pills.
Furthermore, the magazine Consumer Reports has gotten-in on the act, publishing 6 types of non-pharmacological treatments for a so-called “Kinder, Gentler Treatment Plan” (in its June 2017 issue).
I fully intend to comprehensively rebuff the CR article, but first I need time to dig through medical-journal articles on EBSCOhost. Stay tuned!
I wrote thee editor at Capitol TIMES,,,{ I am 25 miles north of the Dells},What I wrote thee editior,where your article appeared,I,thank him for allowing the truth to be told,finally,,instead of censoring the truth,,,which we have been censored in EVERY PAPER IN WISCO,, i ALSO FORWARDED HIM MR.LAWHERN’S,,, article on this fake epidemic,,,,THAT IS THE MAN U NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ASAP… he is very very educated both academically and experience w/chronic physical pain,,,,,U NEED TO GET IN CONTACT WITH HIM,, as u know suicides have quadrupled because human being once functioning in lesser physical pain because the had adequate medicine,have now had their medicines forcible denied,,,NO NORMAL HUMAN BEING WOULD WANT TO LIVE A LIFE IN FORCED PHYSICAL PAIN,,, when their MEDICINE is taken away,,that lessen’s that physical pain,,,they are left w/1 option to stop that physical pain,,,,,death,,,,,,, its not that they don’t want too live life,,,thats the difference between us and suicidal people…Suicidal people want their life ended,,,,,,we,,,,,,,, just want our physical pain lessen’d!!!!!!!!!MARYW
For those who may wish to review my published work on the fake opioid “epldemic” and the misdirection of US government policy in opioid addiction, I offer an archive at http://www.face-facts.org/Lawhern .
Oh yes now this is their fake news , lol. Follow the money that’s all they want . This makes me so sick. The people have to keep fighting them. I wish some one would leak information on them and expose all their dirty little secrets. Time will tell.
Sandra,,when u have time,,,click on thee WHOLE article,,,maryw
Name the pharmaceutical company, public relations group, or consulting firm that “paid” me to write my op-ed!
Because here are the facts:
1) I’m a cheese packer with a master’s degree in public administration. (From UW-Milwaukee, to be precise — so, don’t go to school there. They’re mediocre in practically every respect! UW-Madison isn’t much better, just funded better — but still a dead-end proposition for those hoping to launch a real career.)
2) If I could convince someone to pay me to write op-eds, then I wouldn’t perform manual labor for a living, because I’d be too busy prospecting for new customers and writing on their behalf, rather than on my own.
3) I became intrinsically motivated to downplay the harm of prescription painkillers after the public hysteria over a handful of deaths from opioids persuaded lawmakers, health departments, and some doctors to vilify, restrict, and sometimes deny access to opioids for many who are in legitimate pain.
4) Thankfully, my acute pain lasted only 2 weeks: Between the time a benign tumor formed in my ear in late January 2016, and the time it was surgically removed in early February.
5) The tumor caused immense pressure in an area with many nerve endings, i.e. the ear canal. The doctor would not prescribe me pain pills, despite my protests that over-the-counter painkillers were ineffective.
6) Although the pain subsided within minutes following the tumor’s removal, my brush with persistent pain — willfully treated sub-therapeutically by an ignorant (perhaps also malicious), “UW-Madison educated” doctor — created resentment that I release by informing the public they -have the right- to get pharmaceutical pain treatment.
7) Finally, most deaths from opioid overdoses are lethal because they were ingested with alcohol. If you’re going to grieve the death of a loved one from painkillers, be sure to equally vilify — and call for (another, unsuccessful) prohibition of alcohol as well.
We all know that the “opioid epidemic” is a total FAKE! With big money backing it the question is can people in pain EVER win? For myself and untold others who are suffering now and on the future I sincerely hope so!
ditto!!!,,,maryw
ONG,OMG,OMG,OMG,,,,,,,,,ITS WORKING!!!!! for thee past month MR.LAWHERN,,,STEVE,,, i have been forwarding your writing on ,”this fake opiate epidemic,” to every editor/newspaper,,aclu,,the medical boards,,,EVERY MEDIA/MEDICAL ORGANIZATION IN WISCO,,,,,THIS IS THEE VERY 1ST TIME EVER IN WISCO,,,,,SOMEONE HAS QUOTED YOUR WORDS EXACTLY MEN,,IE STEVE,,MR.LAWHERN,,,,ITS HELPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YIPPEEEEE,,thank-u guys!!!!mayrw