Comments on: Painkiller Use In U.S. Skyrockets

Statistics Show Amount Of Pain Medicine Sold Jumped 90 Percent Between 1997 And 2005

[condumism]

The Neocons War on the American People (remember Nancy Reagan''s famous quote, "Just say no to drugs?") is having great results. Marijuana rmains classified as the same drug type as heroin. Tobacco products continue to be unregulated, killing on average 1200 Americans per day. Alcohol use by teenagers at an all time high. All this while those Big Pharma Pigs ( a subsidiary of the Republicon Party) reaps rewards from selling highly addictive pain killers. Yes indeed America. Yet another wonderful result brought to US by the Neocon Fascists that control the Republicon Party and their "ownership society" which is based soley upon market place anarchy and chaos. American''s are just too dumb to handle such policies.

[vastr-wcon]

"Painkiller Use In U.S. Skyrockets"

Yes, the 2008 campaign for president not only causes migraines, it is also a royal pain in the A**. I suspect that hemorrhoid ointment sales are also through the roof.

Enough, already!

[rjs1955]

duhhh, I didn''t know that our skyrockets used painkillers. Perhaps the headline could have read, "Painkiller Use in U.S. Skyrockets is on the Rise" or something to make us better aware that our government is now drugging our skyrockets, not just letting astronauts fly loaded....

[jester188]

while i agree that the drug companies push push push pills on people... this happens take this pill... oh now you feel this.. here is a pill...

i can honestly say that i haven''t taken pills for much in life... except the standard antibiotic stuff.. and that is short lived...

hey.. there are cases in which pills or drugs are needed... major surgary (heart) and so on...

but as a society i think it has become the easy way out for a lot of people... slight pain... take a pill... your kids an idiot and will not listen to you... scew good parenting take a pill...

while i understand there are cases when people need to take pills... it just seems the easy way out... and while i blame drug comapnies... i also blame people for not taking responsibility for themselves and just dealing with it...

[naturewoman-2009]

How hypocritical of them, to scapegoat the doctors, while not holding the pharmaceutical companies responsible for their crimes. We push drugs everywhere - on TV, on the internet, via direct mail - and when patients demand these drugs, we punish the doctors who overprescribe. Let''s get our acts together, and eliminate those nauseating drug commercials!

[pastdue1]

Long ago, cigarette companies could no longer advertise on television. Long ago,liquor companies could no longer advertise on television. Pharmaceutical companies are long overdue to be banned from advertising on television. Their advertising is far more devastating than either cigarettes or liquor - they are implanting in peoples mind that they have all the symptoms of diseases and conditions. People can always find a doctor who will accomodate their claims and perscribe, perscribe, perscribe. And . . .lo and behold . . . they do eventually really need a doctor and more prescriptions. And.. this is just one of dangers of indescriminate prescription writing.

[rushman71]

GoAmerica: Amen!!! That was a great post. How true, how true!!!

BC_Kelly: I agree with you also. But the only wonder drug that I know that gives you wonders and makes you wonder is marijuana!!! Why they called that to Bayer Aspirin, you got me!!!

[goamerica]

It''s ABUSE -- by doctors who write the prescriptions, by pharmaceutical companies interested only in profits, profits, profits!

It starts in pre-K. Small children who do not behave in a very narrowly-defined parameter of "normal" behavior are instantly prescribed drugs for some "diagnosis", real or imagined. I have a neighbor with two small children who are being raised with no manners, no expectation of civilized behavior. Trust me, as soon as these kids get to school, they will be on drugs for ADD or ADHD or something similar. Forget teaching, or learning, self-control, it''s out of the question!

High school and college kids run to the school caseworker, read off a known list of "symptoms", and are soon farmed out to doctors who immediately write prescriptions to combat "lack of focus" or everybody''s favorite, "depression".

You move your legs in the middle of the night, you have restless legs syndrome. You don''t feel like smiling every minute of your life, you''re depressed. You''re a male in your 60s or 70s and you don''t "respond" to women like a teenager -- there''s a pill for that. You''re a woman who gets night sweats or "testy" at certain times of month -- there''s a pill for that! We feel ENTITLED to feel no pain, have no problems -- and we are being drugged to the hilt to meet this state of nirvana.

Makes me want to go smoke a joint!

[jdubs63]

tmkgls.I do not know what state you live in, but I do know there are resources available NO matter what your finiancial ability is to pay. It certainly does not seem fair that your state would pay for expensive medications and not have a pain clinic available.My brother gets less than you but has the availablity of "other" resources to him.Don''t give up it is ther for you, like trying a University Hospital as they have many free clinics that may be able to help you. Hang in there helo is available beleive me.

[cantshutup]

big pharmacutical companies control us...find yourself a nice old lady who sells marijuana to get by and smoke you some of that...less than a $100 a month to be pain free...when the big pharma''s realize they aren''t making the obscene profits they were off us they will all be out of business...the government can''t put every one of us in jail!!! the government needs to stay out of our personal lives and the sooner they realize that the better...boy, what''s it say about life in this day and age when addictive PRESCRIBED drug use is soooo high???? we all ought to send our medical bills to the f*cking "decider" he''s mostly to blame for our worries!

[tmkgls]

JDUBS63 - I haven''t gone to a pain clinic as my state Medicaid insurance doesn''t cover one. They don''t cover acupuncture or holistic medicine either. Being that I''m disabled and only receive $750 a month in SSI, I cannot afford it. (Back when I drank alcohol I was virtually destitute due to the amount spent on that.) Many people believe that people on disability make out financially, but law-abiding disabled people do not. (I''m only eligible for about $3 in food stamps.)

As to physical therapy, I''m only allowed about 10 visits per "injury" which would do nothing to help my conditions. I''ve tried. If the government would allow more physical help via pain clinics, physical therapy, acupuncture, etc., people like me wouldn''t have to rely solely on pain meds in order to live without most pain.

[honestabe8]

It isn''t just the neocons who want to keep the status quo regarding pot. More people were arrested for it under Billy Boy Clinton''s administration than any other. Big Pharma lobbiests see to it that pot will never be taken off Schedule I.

[jdubs63]

tmkgls..............Have your tried a Pain Clinic? Ask your doctor to recommend you to one, as they are very helpful

[tmkgls]

I live with pain daily. I found Oxycodone works the best with Vicodin a close second. To get Oxycodone is a trial. Therefore, even though it''s available, I have to continue to live in pain as my doctor is hesitant to prescribe it.

Not everyone abuses it. I actually write down each time I take my pain med so that I can''t accidentally take too much or give myself excuses to take more than prescribed. The government needs to realize that there are many people out there that need meds such as these to even function.

What I would prefer is that the government would fund more research and pay for tests for the uninsured/underinsured in order to find out the cause of the pain thereby hopefully lowering the need for pain meds.

I used to try to handle my pain through the use of alcohol. I ended up becoming an alcoholic and cannot allow myself to even have one drink. Would the government prefer me to be a drinking alcoholic? I view alcohol as a worse drug for me than Oxycodone or Vicodin. (BTW: I don''t drive beyond a few blocks or drive anywhere that''s above 25 mph just in case as I believe any drug impairs a persons response time.)

Please let me live almost pain free without having to drink alcohol. With the government making doctors afraid to prescribe meds that work it makes it harder for me to get what is needed to live each day rather than just exist each day.

[rushman71]

Ya see, it is legal to take painkillers in this country that could make you addicted and could be deadly, but it is ILLEGAL to smoke marijuana which has NO cause towards cancer and makes you more aware of your surroundings compared to alcohol. Is this an oxymoron country or what!!!

[condumism]

Neocons War on the American People is having great results. Marijuana classified as the same drug type as heroin. Tobacco products remain unregulated. Alcohol use by teenagers at an all time high. While Bag Pharma reaps rewards from selling highly addictive pain killers. Another wonderful result brought to US by the GOPigs "ownership society."