Review by Leslie Cree -- The United States of Opioids
Posted: 15 Nov 2019, 18:51
[Following is a volunteer review of "The United States of Opioids" by Harry Nelson.]
The United States of Opioids
Harry Nelson
News of our country’s opioid epidemic dominates nightly headlines. “There are more deaths per day from drug overdoses than there are from guns and cars combined,” pp. 286 chart “How Do Opioids Compare to Other Preventable Causes of Death?” In this well-organized book, a thorough discussion of the crisis is presented in a manner that encourages accountability but avoids playing the blame game. Terms and acronyms used in the book are clearly defined and chapters conclude with a Key Takeaways summary. The book wraps with a Glossary, citations and endnotes, and a Resource Guide.
Beginning with a history of opioid use from ancient times to the present, and a summary of our government’s attempts to regulate use and importation of illegal drugs beginning in the 1930s, the reader is given perspective on the age-old struggle humans have with addiction. A chapter devoted to Big Pharma discusses pharmaceutical companies use of falsified studies and marketing tactics that claimed their products were not addictive, which had considerable influence over the US medical profession. Lack of public education on treatment options and opioid’s addictive potential is described by the author, “In the course of writing this book, I’ve had conversations about opioids with hundreds of people. The striking takeaway for me is how much confusion and misinformation is out there about opioids. People have told me how glad they were that their doctor had prescribed a non-opioid medication, only to then share the name of an opioid (such as hydrocodone), which they simply hadn’t recognized.” pp.192 193
Treatment options from traditional 12-step programs to Medication Assisted Treatment (methadone, buprenorphine, etc.) and cannabis derivatives are discussed at length. Cannabis is discussed in a balanced manner, with recognition that there is precedent for its use in pain management, but also substantiation that its use can lead to use or abuse of other, more potent addictive substances. Information on use of psychedelics, a therapy utilized in other countries but not legal in the US, is presented, “What about possible alternative therapeutics like ibogaine and other plant-based psychedelics, viewed by some as an alternative way to overcome addiction? “ pp 170
The way our healthcare system delivers care also presents hurdles to overcoming the cycle of dependence. “We need to make effective addiction treatment and recovery support more widely accessible. There are twelve million people living with an OUD (Opioid Use Disorder), and they need to be able to access to safe and effective addiction treatment and continuing support to maintain their recovery.” pp.188
The wrap-up is a call to action for everyone to step up and offer support in any way they can. The author urges readers to approach those they love whom they suspect may be having trouble with addiction by having this critical conversation in love and without judgment. He also makes a strong, compassionate plea that we, as a society, remove the stigma surrounding dependence and addition so those who are struggling can be assisted to recovery.
In the span of time it took me to read this book and prepare this review (3 weeks), three people I know were intimately impacted by overdose. The author’s biography declares his history of involvement with this issue and his commitment to finding a solution, “Harry spearheaded the Fighting for Opioid Relief through Collaborative Effort (FORCE) project, an effort to accelerate cooperation and coordination among government, nonprofit, and private organizations towards reducing opioid-related deaths and expanding access to effective addiction treatments and pain management. Harry also works to provide resources to support education and community engagement through the #NotAnotherStat project.” The author has dedicated all proceeds from the sale of this book to FORCE.
In my opinion, every medical, nursing, and public health university program should make this 4 out of 4 -star book required reading.
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The United States of Opioids
View: on Bookshelves
The United States of Opioids
Harry Nelson
News of our country’s opioid epidemic dominates nightly headlines. “There are more deaths per day from drug overdoses than there are from guns and cars combined,” pp. 286 chart “How Do Opioids Compare to Other Preventable Causes of Death?” In this well-organized book, a thorough discussion of the crisis is presented in a manner that encourages accountability but avoids playing the blame game. Terms and acronyms used in the book are clearly defined and chapters conclude with a Key Takeaways summary. The book wraps with a Glossary, citations and endnotes, and a Resource Guide.
Beginning with a history of opioid use from ancient times to the present, and a summary of our government’s attempts to regulate use and importation of illegal drugs beginning in the 1930s, the reader is given perspective on the age-old struggle humans have with addiction. A chapter devoted to Big Pharma discusses pharmaceutical companies use of falsified studies and marketing tactics that claimed their products were not addictive, which had considerable influence over the US medical profession. Lack of public education on treatment options and opioid’s addictive potential is described by the author, “In the course of writing this book, I’ve had conversations about opioids with hundreds of people. The striking takeaway for me is how much confusion and misinformation is out there about opioids. People have told me how glad they were that their doctor had prescribed a non-opioid medication, only to then share the name of an opioid (such as hydrocodone), which they simply hadn’t recognized.” pp.192 193
Treatment options from traditional 12-step programs to Medication Assisted Treatment (methadone, buprenorphine, etc.) and cannabis derivatives are discussed at length. Cannabis is discussed in a balanced manner, with recognition that there is precedent for its use in pain management, but also substantiation that its use can lead to use or abuse of other, more potent addictive substances. Information on use of psychedelics, a therapy utilized in other countries but not legal in the US, is presented, “What about possible alternative therapeutics like ibogaine and other plant-based psychedelics, viewed by some as an alternative way to overcome addiction? “ pp 170
The way our healthcare system delivers care also presents hurdles to overcoming the cycle of dependence. “We need to make effective addiction treatment and recovery support more widely accessible. There are twelve million people living with an OUD (Opioid Use Disorder), and they need to be able to access to safe and effective addiction treatment and continuing support to maintain their recovery.” pp.188
The wrap-up is a call to action for everyone to step up and offer support in any way they can. The author urges readers to approach those they love whom they suspect may be having trouble with addiction by having this critical conversation in love and without judgment. He also makes a strong, compassionate plea that we, as a society, remove the stigma surrounding dependence and addition so those who are struggling can be assisted to recovery.
In the span of time it took me to read this book and prepare this review (3 weeks), three people I know were intimately impacted by overdose. The author’s biography declares his history of involvement with this issue and his commitment to finding a solution, “Harry spearheaded the Fighting for Opioid Relief through Collaborative Effort (FORCE) project, an effort to accelerate cooperation and coordination among government, nonprofit, and private organizations towards reducing opioid-related deaths and expanding access to effective addiction treatments and pain management. Harry also works to provide resources to support education and community engagement through the #NotAnotherStat project.” The author has dedicated all proceeds from the sale of this book to FORCE.
In my opinion, every medical, nursing, and public health university program should make this 4 out of 4 -star book required reading.
###
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The United States of Opioids
View: on Bookshelves