WV pharmacies dispensed 31M fewer painkillers and other powerful drugs last year

[Rollo]

3. But there's this...

In 2016, 884 people fatally overdosed on drugs in West Virginia. That was the highest drug overdose death rate of any state.

Heroin- and fentanyl-related overdose deaths were most common, but recent data has shown that many of those who overdosed had a prescription for an opioid painkiller within the previous year.

Illegal methamphetamine- and cocaine-related overdose deaths also have increased significantly over the past year. A final count of 2017 fatal overdoses isn’t expected until May.

So while legal opioid prescriptions have decreased, deaths from overdoses of illegal meth and coke have skyrocketed.

Go figure. Evidently restricting supply isn't the answer. Intervention, therapy, education, and reducing the causes of addictive behavior may work better?

I may be an exception, but after a few stints in the ER and hospital from motor vehicle accident related injuries, I quickly grew to dislike the lack of control that opioids create. Ever since when prescribed them (usually Vicodin) I would only take enough to blunt the worst of the pain, and wind up with more than half the bottle unused. And I have a secured drawer full of half bottles (many expired) to show for it. I figure I'm nothing special; if I can do it, anyone can.

Maybe a night in the hospital with an idiotic nurse who insisted on dosing one up with more morphine instead of attending to one's complaint (like adjust the position of a broken limb) would give people a different take on it?