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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 01:05 PM Jan 2018

Opioid commission member: Our work is a 'sham'

Source: CNN




By Wayne Drash and Nadia Kounang, CNN

Updated 8:49 AM ET, Tue January 23, 2018

(CNN)The Republican-led Congress has turned the work of the president's opioid commission into a "charade" and a "sham," a member of the panel told CNN.

"Everyone is willing to tolerate the intolerable -- and not do anything about it," said former Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who was one of six members appointed to the bipartisan commission in March. "I'm as cynical as I've ever been about this stuff."

President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a 90-day public health emergency in October, but did not make any new funding available. In November the president said he would donate his third quarter salary to the Department of Health and Human Services to help fight the crisis.

Critics say the declaration did virtually nothing to change the status quo and that overdose deaths have continued to mount in the months since. The public health emergency declaration was, in fact, set to expire on January 23, but as the government was headed toward a shut down on Friday, Acting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Eric Hargan renewed the national public health emergency for another 90 days.



Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/health/patrick-kennedy-opioid-commission-sham/index.html

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not fooled

(5,791 posts)
7. Plus
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 02:13 PM
Jan 2018

Soma.

If you have a significant percentage of the peasantry focused on being high and getting drugs, they aren't paying attention to the looting going on by the wealthy. Or the destruction of the government.

nycbos

(6,032 posts)
10. My point is that during the 80s with the crack epidemic affecting the African American community...
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 03:08 PM
Jan 2018

... it as considered a law enforcement issue. Everyone was like lock them all up. Now when the crisis has spread to middle class white communities we know look at addiction a public health issue.

This change is welcome.

My point is the racism of this change in outlook can't be ignored.

Orrex

(63,083 posts)
12. I agree
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 04:09 PM
Jan 2018

There's an undeniably racial undertone in the difference between the handling of the opioid crisis and the cocaine/crack crisis.

Despite the snarky rejoinder, pointing this out does not imply that the opioid crisis isn't a crisis.

I would also add that the opioid crisis is driven in large measure by "legitimate" doctors and pharmaceutical companies aggressively marketing the use of these drugs. Treating the crisis as a criminal matter would risk negative impact on wealthy corporations that have paid lots of money to purchase members of Congress.

But the cocaine and crack pushers were less likely to own legislators, so it was easier (i.e., there were fewer repercussions) to condemn them as criminals.

Dave Starsky

(5,914 posts)
8. I drive by the methadone clinic every day.
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 03:01 PM
Jan 2018

People of all colors, creeds, races, and ages are standing in that line. Old grandmas with their walkers are standing in that line. This problem affects everyone. And you're paying for it, whether you know it or not or care or not.

nycbos

(6,032 posts)
11. I do care.
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 03:10 PM
Jan 2018

My point was when the crack epidemic affecting mostly African Americans it was a law enforcement issue. People shouted LOCK THEM ALL UP.

I am glad people are now looking to addiction as public health matter.


I was just saying that there is a certain amount of racism in this change in attitude. That shouldn't be ignored which was all I was saying.

Dave Starsky

(5,914 posts)
13. I understand what you were trying to say.
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 04:27 PM
Jan 2018

My personal feeling is that ALL racial tensions in this country are created and exacerbated by the people who benefit from all the things that the rest of us do and produce. We are trained to hate each other for the benefit of the economic elite. The people at the top do not want us turning our anger and frustration at trying to live "The American Dream"--no matter how hard we work for that--on the people at the top.

lark

(22,993 posts)
4. drumpf will only spend government money on himself, doesn't give a shit about drugs.
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 01:55 PM
Jan 2018

All of this is lies that he's told to say to keep his base happy. That's why no money is being spent and this sham commission established to keep up the lie that he cares, when he laughs at them instead. He thinks everyone who isn't a rich white male are non-essential losers and he wouldn't spend one penny to help them, despite repeated promises.

mopinko

(69,803 posts)
5. meanwhile, the only thing we have that helps these people at all,
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 02:06 PM
Jan 2018

mj, is being prosecuted even tho it is legal in some states.
ffs.

Dave Starsky

(5,914 posts)
9. We have our friends the pharma lobby to thank for that.
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 03:04 PM
Jan 2018

The same people who, along with the insurance lobby, are directly responsible for most of why health care is so fucked up in this country.

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