Obama signs into law opioid addiction bill to protect newborns

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law a measure that pledges greater efforts to protect drug-dependent newborns and assist their parents.

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act also stresses drug treatment and overdose prevention to help stanch the nation’s heroin and opioid drug epidemic.

Obama said in a statement that 78 Americans die from opioid overdose every day, and noted that the legislation included only modest steps to address the epidemic.

"I am deeply disappointed that Republicans failed to provide any real resources for those seeking addiction treatment to get the care that they need," Obama said. "In fact, they blocked efforts by Democrats to include $920 million in treatment funding."

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-congress-opioids-obama-idUSKCN1022KW

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Politics | Fri Jul 22, 2016 7:31pm EDT
WASHINGTON | BY DUFF WILSON

[progree]

1. Funding

Stephen Patrick, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University and leading researcher on the condition, said the new law is "good news" but added: "Wish there was funding that came with it."

[Archae]

2. Money for the F-35 hangar queen? Sure!

Money to save lives? Hell no!

GOP "pro-life" stance.

[uppityperson]

3. This will help so many infants. There was a short vid in one of the earlier segments of this series

showing an addicted infant shaking. There needs to be some way for pregnant women to get help without fear of being penalized or losing their baby.

[Akoto]

4. These kinds of things make me feel shamefully conflicted.

Last edited Sat Jul 23, 2016, 12:55 PM - Edit history (1)

On the one hand, of course I want babies to be protected, and for their parents to be helped if they are addicted to some form of narcotic substance.

On the other hand (this being the selfish part), I am a patient with an incurable chronic pain condition under treatment at a University-based pain management center. I've seen how the medications which give some of us the means to continue living, rather than any kind of high, are taken down a notch whenever a widespread anti-opioid measure is launched on the state or Federal level. It makes them harder and harder to get, even under treatment at respected institutions.

There's a line between dependency and addiction. The former patient is taking their medication as directed by their doctor and under that physician's supervision. They do not abuse it, do not take it in ways other than directed, and do not get a high from the medication due to the way that true chronic pain works. On the other hand, an addict does abuse the medication, taking it in ways other than directed and possibly seeking out more from illegal sources.

So, I guess the shame comes in saying this in a thread about protecting babies, but I've seen so many of these laws which cast pain medications in a bad light bent to serve ends which harm so many helpless people. So, I admit wariness. It's in my own interests to be, I guess. I hope the law was well considered so that everyone is protected, the babies, the parents, and patients legitimately using these medications.

[jtuck004]

5. Try being black and asking for pain meds. rofl. It's easier just to get a cop to shoot you. n/t

[SkyDaddy7]

6. I totally understand!

I too fall into the same situation...I suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury at C-4 high in my neck & have extreme neuropathic pain down my left side including in the most sensitive areas of my body. I've been under the care of doctors at one of the nations top ranked spinal rehab hospitals & their pain institute for over a decade now & it has been really depressing to see how even they have been forced into doing things. I'm now drug tested literally more than someone on intense probation & of course I've never had any issues but it does make you feel like a criminal just for being in pain. I'm on a very low dose of narcotic pain meds now after having been on much higher doses that were not helping. However, those with chronic pain know that pain changes with time & now I could probably benefit from going up just a little bit on my dose but that simply is not going to happen in this climate. The state of Georgia is really cracking down & people are super paranoid. NUTS!

There is so much more to my story but I'm headed out the door...My doctors trust me 100% they're hands are tied in many ways plus they're also covering their ass while those of us in pain suffer. And then there is the whole issue with getting RX filled especially if your family pharmacy is out of the RX & you have to go somewhere else...Everyone thinks you're an addict looking for a fix!!!

[SansACause]

7. Not a penny to do any of this.

This was entirely an authorization bill. We'll see if any money is appropriated for it in September. I am skeptical.