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Koldony seems to miss a major factor in opiates use: demographics. His fav stat is opiate use increased drastically starting in 1997.
Which was the year the oldest Baby Boomers started turning 50, and before occupational repetitive stress injuries were widely acknowledged, and...
Which was the year the oldest Baby Boomers started turning 50, and before occupational repetitive stress injuries were widely acknowledged, and...
... while pre-existing conditions still excluded many people from any health coverage.
It’s the largest demographic cohort in history; they’re comfortable with drugs, & occupational abuse of workers was the societal norm for the 20th century.
But Koldony is a neo-Calvinist.
It’s the largest demographic cohort in history; they’re comfortable with drugs, & occupational abuse of workers was the societal norm for the 20th century.
But Koldony is a neo-Calvinist.
And last time I looked at the datasets, the vast majority (75%+) of scrips have consistently been written for people over 50 (mostly over 65).
Younger people are almost excluded from opiate scrips, including for C-sections, major orthopedic work, and severe traumatic injuries.
Younger people are almost excluded from opiate scrips, including for C-sections, major orthopedic work, and severe traumatic injuries.
There’s not much of a bio on Koldony, but I’m willing to bet the cost of a new tire that he’s never held a manual labor job for more than a summer. Not long enough to sustain injury.
And since he’s a psychiatrist, even his internship was mostly spent sitting on his butt.
And since he’s a psychiatrist, even his internship was mostly spent sitting on his butt.
Why age & lack of health insurance matters?
Because there’s this amazing gap we see before ACA — someone who needed a joint replacement often couldn’t afford $20K in cash, but could afford $200 for a doc visit & $50/mo for a scrip from 50 to 65, when Medicare kicked in.
Because there’s this amazing gap we see before ACA — someone who needed a joint replacement often couldn’t afford $20K in cash, but could afford $200 for a doc visit & $50/mo for a scrip from 50 to 65, when Medicare kicked in.
There are *still* a lot of technically elective surgeries that happen in the first couple years after people turn 65, because they couldn’t find the money before.
(I note that the opiates problem is mostly a US phenomenon, not as common in places that treat their citizens)
(I note that the opiates problem is mostly a US phenomenon, not as common in places that treat their citizens)
And yes, in the US, people self-medicate.
I have not done this bit of data integration yet, but my suspicion is we can track spikes in first meth use (meth is custom built for capitalism & productivity) then opiates, AND we can overlay the maps with private equity scavengers.
I have not done this bit of data integration yet, but my suspicion is we can track spikes in first meth use (meth is custom built for capitalism & productivity) then opiates, AND we can overlay the maps with private equity scavengers.
Misery loves dopamine and GABA. And when private equity/vampire capitalism comes to a one industry town, misery is the result.
(Also, any place that has old pipes or a lot of tractors or road dust? Also has a lead problem. One of the effects of low level systemic lead poisoning is undiagnosed attention deficits, which respond GREAT to meth, and also eventually respond well to opiates.)
(And no, I’m not blaming anyone for using opiates, unlike a certain dude. If they’re what works, that’s what we should use. Having gone through years of puritan pearl clutching over ADHD meds, SSRIs, SNRIs, non-benzos... if we need a med for it, it doesn’t respond to willpower.)
Or therapy.
Signed,
Someone who is really fucking sick of treating other doctors’ iatrogenic medical trauma, who has plenty of trauma patients caused by war, sexual violence & parents, and doesn’t need this bullshit.
Signed,
Someone who is really fucking sick of treating other doctors’ iatrogenic medical trauma, who has plenty of trauma patients caused by war, sexual violence & parents, and doesn’t need this bullshit.
PS: stop blaming street opiates use on scrip opiates patients.
Most of the shit causing death is either a cartel product or coming from Chinese semi-ghost labs, or both.
PPS: Also — track booze. High blood alcohol is present in most opiate deaths. (Or benzos. Or both.)
Most of the shit causing death is either a cartel product or coming from Chinese semi-ghost labs, or both.
PPS: Also — track booze. High blood alcohol is present in most opiate deaths. (Or benzos. Or both.)
