How the opioid crackdown is backfiring

[moriah]

44. Still... you're kind of making my point.

It took jail to get your stepson to hit bottom. (Despite several stints in jail/various rehabs, my Dad never did -- but his HIV diagnosis might have altered what "bottom" could be for him, if that wasn't it.)

Would your stepson have really stopped drug use if the sellers of diverted prescription drugs just agreed not to sell to him, while he still had the physical freedom to seek opiates in other forms or substitute one substance for another? Honestly? The fact you decided he *didn't* need that physical freedom of movement kinda says what you thought was the answer at the time, at least...

Having watched my dad attempt to extract the mild upper in 90's formula Benzadrex nasal inhalers to shoot up when he couldn't find meth.... well, I've seen how creative and persistent addicts will do whatever it takes if they haven't found motivation within themselves to clean up. You can't supply that motivation externally -- it has to come from the person themselves.

Of course, there's no reason to shelter them from dealing with the consequences of their addiction, either. That sort of enabling keeps them from ever finding that motivation. Even if I disagree with you that trying to prevent diversion by policing old ladies pills would be effective, I do want to say good on you for NOT enabling him by allowing illegal activity in your home or letting him escape the consequences of possessing diverted pills. You probably did save his life, as if he lost enough contacts for diverted but at least genuine pills but had the freedom to seek elsewhere... well, we know what's lurking in fake pills and powders.