17. Opioids
There is a growing opioid problem in the United States, with tragic costs to lives, families and society. How would your administration enlist researchers, medical doctors and pharmaceutical companies in addressing this issue?
Hillary Clinton (D): Our country is in the grips of a quiet epidemic of drug and alcohol addiction. Twenty-three million Americans suffer from addiction, and 52 million Americans over the age of 12 have misused prescription drugs, including one in four teenagers. We must work with medical doctors and nurses across the country to treat this issue on the ground, from how patients are accessing these medications to how we are supporting them in recovery.
To combat America’s deadly epidemic of drug and alcohol addiction, I have proposed a $10 billion initiative, and laid out a series of goals to help communities across the country. We need to expand the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment block grant and support new federal-state partnerships targeting prevention, treatment, recovery, and other areas of reform. We must empower communities to implement preventive programming for teenagers; help individuals suffering from addiction receive ongoing, comprehensive treatment; and provide first responders with naloxone, which prevents overdoses from becoming fatal. We must also work with those individuals prescribing controlled medications, and ensure they are getting the proper training in providing these prescriptions.
Finally, we must prioritize rehabilitation and treatment over prison for low-level and non-violent offenders. Currently, 65 percent of inmates in our prison system meet medical criteria for substance use disorders and over half of inmates suffer from a mental health problem. Jail time should not be a substitute for treatment. Working together, we can combat this epidemic and ensure that people across the country are getting the care they need to live long and healthy lives.
Donald Trump: We first should stop the inflow of opioids into the United States. We can do that and we will in the Trump administration. As this is a national problem that costs America billions of dollars in productivity, we should apply the resources necessary to mitigate this problem. Dollars invested in taking care of this problem will be more than paid for with recovered lives and productivity that adds to the wealth and health of the nation.
Gary Johnson (L): Opioid addiction is, indeed, a crisis, and one that can largely be attributed to the insanity of our drug laws. A major reason opioids are overprescribed is that patients don’t have access to other safer pain management alternatives – such as cannabis. It is absurd that thousands of people are dying each year from ‘legal’ opioids, while the Federal Government still treats medical cannabis as criminal. One of my first acts as President would be to direct the rescheduling of cannabis to allow more research and prescription.
And in all due respect, with regard to doctors and pharmaceutical companies, the reality is that opioid prescription and subsequent abuse is a product of crony capitalism. In state after state, legislation to allow the prescription of medical cannabis and related products has been stymied largely by doctors, pharmacists and those who profit from the sale of legal opioids.
Jill Stein (G): We will end the “war on drugs” and redirect funds presently budgeted for the “war on drugs” toward expanded research, education, counseling and treatment.
Filed under: General Problems
Why? -oh why? Is it the truth more painful than the illness that cripples our lives on so many levels.That truth being the politicians,talking heads, and other media outlets have their fingers crammed into their ears and if they hum loud enough – they will be able to drown out our pleas, cries, and suicides. Then they can continue to pretend there is NOT an elephant in the middle of the room!
It seems that all of the candidates have accepted the basic premise that there is a war on drugs and an epidemic of opioids as well. I find it astonishing that there is no mention of at least acknowledging the distinction between addiction and people who suffer with chronic pain who may have a “dependency” which is not the same as “addiction” but apparently, now that is also being reclassified. I’m have not read this but have heard that anyone who takes over a certain amount of opioids on a regular basis is now considered to have “opioid use disorder. ” and this is wrong and just adds to the stigma; you wouldn’t tell someone who takes HBP or insulin for their illness they have a disorder.
I think it is sad that it all seems to be lumped together and little distinction between those who take pain meds responsibly under supervision of their doctor and those who are obtaining them illegally where too often now, it seems to be a pathway to heroin (often laced with fentanyl) and because it has infiltrated all levels of society, it is a gaining recognition; we do need solutions other than jail as certainly people should be able to get help. It’s just unfortunate that apparently many doctor’s are not wanting to use opioids to treat pain and many veterans are not able to get their medication every 30 days; I assume many are being treated like addicts. I would have thought the politicians would have heard more from the chronic pain community by now.
Why can’t anyone see that the “opioid drug abuse problem” has little or nothing to do with people who have legal and medically necessary prescriptions and everything to do with the illegal drug trade that pushes things like elephant tranquilizer, methamphetamines and drugs made from drain cleaners and the like? Addicts will find a way to get high while those of us in real pain suffer because as law abiding citizens we are sitting ducks! It’s much easier to target us than those who ignore the law!