By LARRY BALLWAHN | Wilton
During 2017, the latest statistics I could find, there were 926 overdose deaths in Wisconsin. You can be assured that the number has not gone down in subsequent years.
926 deaths would more than wipe out any of the area villages. Among other things, “Dopesick” is a history lesson in the development of the opioid epidemic. Starting in Appalachia, unlike other drug epidemics, it was a rural phenomenon before it went urban and upscale. Why the difference?
“Working-class families who were traditionally dependent on jobs in high-risk industries … coal mining … were the first to experience the epidemic of drug overdose; they also happened to live in politically unimportant areas …. First the opioid pain medicines like OxyContin, the prescription pill and then, if that was not available, heroin. Initially there was seldom a need for heroin as doctors were incentivized for prescribing ever-increasing amounts of opioids to relieve the pain: no one should have to live in pain if these medicines are available.”
While it soon became apparent that opioids were extremely addictive, the whole idea was fought tooth and nail by Purdue Pharma L.P., the manufacturer of OxyContin. Its information website, www.purdueopioidinfo.com, currently touts OxyContin’s safety “… for its intended use.” While that is true, as far as it goes, it belies the years of using every conceivable means of promoting its elongated use to relieve pain even though Purdue was aware of its addictive properties.
So, other than the financial cost, what’s so bad about becoming addicted? Apparently, the use of opioids makes you feel good, and, as advertised, your pain is relieved. When used recreationally, opioids result in a “high.” It was explained that the first high is the best and subsequent use is an effort to recreate that first high. I couldn’t imagine a high that would be so good that you would be willing to destroy your life, as usually seems to happen.
“Nothing’s more powerful than the morphine molecule and once it hooks you, nothing matters more. Not love. Not family. Not sex. Not shelter. The only thing that matters is between you and the drug.”
As it turns out, at this point it’s not the high you are chasing, but the effort not to get “dopesick.” The need to avoid the withdrawal symptoms is overpowering.
So, when the epidemic spread into the suburbs, what changed besides the clientele? In the beginning, it was much the same, prescription to relieve the physical pains accrued in life. Prescriptions were usually given for many more pills than were necessary for the given use. These were discovered as a recreational source and they were taken from medicine cabinets. It didn’t take heroin dealers long to discover that their product had a big demand among the already addicted and was much easier to come by than additional prescriptions. Anything to avoid being dopesick.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, “if you are addicted to painkillers, you become so lethargic you can hardly function. But meth keeps you going if you need to run the streets to get your next dose of heroin or pills to keep you from getting dopesick.” Thus, one bad thing leads to another bad thing.
“Dopesick” is a hard book to read. Even so, with the opioid crisis so much in the news, and often too close to home, the book goes a long way toward developing an understanding of the task ahead for our police force, and for us.
