Thread by @ravensspirit68

@thomasjwwalters 1-'Rx opioids caused the OD crisis and #deathsofdespair'
In fact, my hypothesis is that it was a tragic coincidence that opioid prescribing increased to adequately treat those with pain/chronic pain right alongside a prolonged national catastrophe.

@thomasjwwalters 2- We KNOW that drug & alcohol use issues often go hand in hand with emotional, financial, and other types of 'trauma'. The collective trauma of a terrorist attack, war, financial corruption and collapse, ppl losing homes, jobs, retirement... A PERFECT STORM for ⤴️drug use.

@thomasjwwalters 3- These factors touched ALL of America. Especially hard hit was (white) Middle Class America, already struggling, but then landed with the knock out blow of job loss due to Wall Street corruption, exportation of manufacturing jobs, people losing homes, savings, retirement etc...

@thomasjwwalters 4-When ODs were relegated to the inner cities where the poor white folks and POC lived, the addiction narrative was 'LOCK THEM UP'. A profitable enterprise actually.
But when ODs began to touch (white) Middle Class America, suddenly that narrative changed to, "Not MY kid."

@thomasjwwalters 5-Suddenly, no longer was addiction a 'moral failing', it became a 'disease'.
No longer was the rallying cry 'Jail them!', the rallying cry was now, "We need to treat people with addiction with more compassion." 😔

@thomasjwwalters 6-At the same time, they began the prohibition like practices and 'blame' was placed on prescriptions as 'causing' the 'opioid crisis'.
If one states an MD got them hooked, it tends to elicit in the public mindset of sympathy vs the, 'You did this to yourself.' accusation. 😔

@thomasjwwalters 7-Prohibition like policies/practices led to a more deadly drug supply, and drove more people to it. Leading to, you guessed it, MORE overdoses. 🧐
The conflation began, and continues re: the numbers.
Media often citing ALL OD numbers since 2000. 😔

@thomasjwwalters 8-And here we are. Laws & policies crafted around an #opioiphobic messagr, one that directly impacts people in pain, prescribing physicians, and even those with ADX; as the hyperfocus on opioids takes precedent. ALL of it created around a false narrative. The 'Great Opioid Lie'.

@thomasjwwalters 9-Profiteers with their hats out to catch the millions in windfall grants, all in the name of the '#opioidcrisis have a vested interest in keeping the #GreatOpioidLie alive.
Without it, those 'opioid' dollars, which number in the BILLIONS, will dry up fast.