"New Hampshire is in the throes of a drug epidemic driven by prescription opioids and heroin".

[riversedge]

The quote opens this article. This issue of heroin abuse was raised in Indiana during the LGTB "religious freedom' boycott. Many states are having this problem.

I hope folks take this seriously. I, for one hope all the candidates address this issue at the national level during the primaries.



http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/08/14/432154800/at-clinton-event-an-emotional-conversation-on-substance-use

At Clinton Event, An Emotional Conversation On Substance Use



August 14, 2015 5:01 AM ET

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At Hillary Clinton's event, Carl Babbitt raised his hand high until Clinton called on him to tell his story. Here, Babbitt holds two photos of himself — one from when he was 29, in prison serving time for murder.
Tamara Keith/NPR



New Hampshire is in the throes of a drug epidemic driven by prescription opioids and heroin.
.........................


In New Hampshire, a recent poll about the most important problems facing the state found drug abuse ranks second. That puts it ahead of education, taxes and the state budget. And now politicians visiting the first-in-the-nation primary state are paying attention — in part because so many voters are bringing it up.

"It's just killing people all across the state, and it's unfortunate that it's taken this to happen before a broader conversation is begun in the political space," said Rourke. "Presidential candidates, if they want to do well in New Hampshire, need to answer the question of what they are going to do to help people with substance use disorders."

When Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visited Keene, N.H., earlier this week, she wasn't there to give her stump speech. Instead she was leading a somber discussion of substance abuse. It's something Clinton said she's been hearing about since her first trip to New Hampshire as a candidate earlier this year.

"In that very first conversation, the issue of heroin and the epidemic it represented here in New Hampshire was raised with me," Clinton told the group. "I have to confess, I was surprised."

This was anything but a typical campaign event. Clinton's campaign had set up a panel of local experts to discuss the problem and possible solutions. Polly Morris, with the group Monadnock Voices for Prevention, introduced herself as someone who is in long-term recovery. Then she asked for a show of hands....................





Asked how many in the audience had been impacted by substance use — their own or someone they know — nearly every hand went up.
Tamara Keith/NPR

[cali]

1. I have to admit I resent how all this abuse effects me personally.

I recognize that it's a serious problem, but the hoops I have to jump through are tiresome.

[riversedge]

2. Here is a story about insurance and its coverage...

I am sorry to hear about your problem-personally.
I, too, know a few people who are close to me who have this problem. The families are so so so affected--jumping through hoops with insurance is one of the worst parts.



http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/08/16/430437514/when-rehab-might-help-an-addict-but-insurance-wont-cover-it

Health Inc.
When Rehab Might Help An Addict — But Insurance Won't Cover It
August 16, 2015 7:41 AM ET

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Ben Allen
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Cris and Valerie Fiore hold one of their favorite pictures of their sons Anthony (with the dark hair) and Nick. Anthony died from a heroin overdose in May 2014 at the age of 24. Cris Fiore's eulogy described his son's death as a shock, but "not a surprise." Anthony had been addicted to heroin for years.

Cris and Valerie Fiore hold one of their favorite pictures of their sons Anthony (with the dark hair) and Nick. Anthony died from a heroin overdose in May 2014 at the age of 24. Cris Fiore's eulogy described his son's death as a shock, but "not a surprise." Anthony had been addicted to heroin for years.
Ben Allen/WITF

The latest numbers show that deaths from heroin-related overdose more than tripled nationally between 2002 and 2013. Opiate addiction touches every demographic: white, black, Hispanic, rural, suburban and urban.
A user prepares drugs for injection in 2014 in St. Johnsbury, Vt.
Shots - Health News
Heroin Use Surges, Especially Among Women And Whites

Proposed solutions nationally include more government funding for treatment, tougher penalties for dealers, and proactive interventions to stop people before they start.

Now, a couple of parents who lost their son to a heroin overdose are pointing out that drug addiction doesn't tend to be treated like a disease in the United States — which means that when drug users want to get treatment, health insurance coverage often comes up short.

And until the prevailing thinking changes, these parents say, progress will only be made on the edges.

'Your Insurance Will Not Cover Any More'

[cali]

4. uh no.

I have this:


Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) formerly reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), "causalgia", or reflex neurovascular dystrophy (RND) is an amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS). It is a chronic systemic disease characterized by severe pain, swelling, and changes in the skin. CRPS often worsens over time. It may initially affect an arm or leg and spread throughout the body; 35% of people report symptoms throughout their whole body.[1] Other potential effects include: systemic autonomic dysregulation; neurogenic edema; musculoskeletal, endocrine, or dermatological manifestations; and changes in urological or gastrointestinal function.[2]

Type II, formerly known as causalgia, has evidence of obvious nerve damage. Type II CRPS tends to feature the more painful and difficult-to-control symptomes of CRPS; The Type II disease scores 47 out of 50 on the McGill pain scale[4] (however there is seemingly little or no data pertaining to Type I specifically here). In Type II the "cause" of the syndrome is a known or obvious nerve injury, although the cause of the mechanisms of CRPS Type II are as unknown as the mechanisms of Type I.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_regional_pain_syndrome

so yes, I need opiates for the pain.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. Part of the problem is the crackdown on legal

prescriptions for opioids. While cheap heroin is also fueling demand, efforts to cut back on legal access is pushing people to substitute heroin, and that comes with the standard black market risks of dosage irregularities and contaminants.

The answer, the sane answer we are still unwilling to try, is to stop criminalizing drug abuse.