http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122957
(2/11/2015) The Prescription Opioid and Heroin Crisis: A Public Health Approach to an Epidemic of Addiction
Andrew Kolodny,1,2,3
email: akolodny@phoenixhouse.org, Phoenix House Foundation, New York, NY 10023
However, policy makers who focus solely on reducing nonmedical use are failing to appreciate the high opioid-related morbidity and mortality in pain patients receiving OPR prescriptions for medical purposes…
https://painkills2.wordpress.com/2015/02/06/another-advertisement-for-bupe/
Well, it’s official. Kolodny has been able to publish this… this… one-sided crap. In case you can’t read through the medical B.S., Kolodny is no longer blaming drug addicts for the opioid “epidemic” — now he’s only focusing on chronic pain patients (and their doctors). He’s not only blaming opioid abuse and poisonings on pain patients, he’s also tagging us for the heroin “epidemic.”
Kolodny says, no, the “epidemic” isn’t caused by recreational drug use, or illegal drug use on the street. No, the real reason for the overdose “epidemic” is you, dear pain patient — you and your doctor.
I didn’t read this whole paper, but I don’t see any mention of suicide:
Keywords: prescription drug abuse, heroin, overdose deaths, chronic pain, opioid, addiction
We describe the scope of this public health crisis…
It’s hard to believe that “experts” can publish a paper like this without mentioning suicide, and that not all drug overdoses are unintentional accidents. Of course, then the “experts” would have to admit that there is most definitely an epidemic of under-treated pain, along with an enormous lack of quality mental health care.
No negative peer reviews for this paper? If this had been a biased article on cannabis, there would have been plenty of rebuttals published. I guess no one’s willing to stand up for pain patients.
How could Kolodny hawk his services in the treatment of addiction if he doesn’t point the finger at chronic pain patients? Yeah, treating drug addicts is one thing — but they’re only a small percentage of the population, and treating those patients is full of discrimination, low insurance coverage rates, and shame. However, chronic pain patients are “legitimate” patients, with “legitimate” pain, and “legitimate” addictions to drugs prescribed by doctors.
After Kolodny gets done pointing the finger at pain patients (and now, student athletes), I expect him to take a corporate job at Indivior, one of the makers of bupe:
All Things Chronic 
We are living in a very self-righteous times and both parties are to blame for all this.
LikeLike
I’m not really looking to blame anyone — I just want each party to take responsibility for their own actions… And whenever possible, use the thick layer of hypocrisy in the air to get my point across.
LikeLiked by 2 people