re: To what extent is society morally obligated to save heroin addicts?

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I understand that "Big Pharma" is easy to portray as the boogeyman, but people really need to wrap their brains around the fact that the government has a hell of a lot to do with the current opiate crisis.

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You act like Big Pharm lobbyists aren't buying off the politicians.

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opioid crisis

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The weak minded persons fault not the pills. Yeah everyone likes to think the person they know was some type of victim but it’s pretty rare. I have patients every single day that take, or have taken, opioids and the frick ups were frick ups long before they want to get high on the insurance policy.

Are you able to watch a person gasp their last breath and do nothing?

Remember. Narcan is cheap and easy to give, and the person has not harmed you or your family. I’ve been in ER over 15 years and am jaded as frick, but I couldn’t do that. Stand there with my hands in my pockets while a 30 year old dies in front of you? Again, remember they did not harm you or your loved ones. I mean if I found a junkie in my house after a break in and he had OD’d? I don’t know? Probably close the door and wait till he got cold.

I drank from a young age but it was not a daily thing by any means every weekend every other weekend. It was "normal" in South Louisiana. I had surgery and got liquid pain pills. They gave me like two refills on it too. I became addicted to that feeling. One thing led to another, and eventually it got worse. And that wasn't the only time doctor's gave me pain pills in high school either. Anyway I do not blame them, I believe I was born to be more susceptible to substance abuse because it runs in my family.

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It seems like most heroin addicts seem to start with prescription pain pills and then progress their way up.

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To go a step further with this narcotics scheduled changed several years back. Pill junkies couldn't get their pills and graduated to heroin and fentanyl by force to continue the habit and are now dropping like flies.

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understand we can't just let them die. I'm curious as to what point do you believe society has reached the end of its obligation to the addict and they're on their own?

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Double edge sword on that question...
-As a society we should value all life and work to preserve(another thread for abortion). It's a slippery slope to begin valuing one life more than another.
-Flip side is... we cant save anyone who doesn't want to be saved(addicts, alcoholics, .....)

How to track, evaluate, and appropriate is the tougher question.
-Flip side is,

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The weak minded persons fault not the pills. Yeah everyone likes to think the person they know was some type of victim but it’s pretty rare. I have patients every single day that take, or have taken, opioids and the frick ups were frick ups long before they want to get high on the insurance policy.

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Sounds like the Doc is rationalizing it to take no blame for those who he(and many more) over prescribes too.

Even the basic hydrocodones scripts usually say take every 6-8 hours or as needed for pain, which gives the option to take even more WTF. Usually they can be a months worth with refills. Say a patient does exactly as they are prescribed, they will be physically hooked on opiates by the end of the 1st months prescription. Also by that time they may also be psychologically addicted as well. Either way they are addicted and some can quit once this realization comes about and others may look to end the physical withdrawals and continue down the opiate trail.

But yes you Drs are never to blame for any of this. But the real people to blame are the companies making these addictive drugs that they most definitely profit off of.

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To what extent is society morally obligated to save heroin addicts?

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None.

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I understand we can't just let them die

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Why not?

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I get that addiction is a disease.

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Addiction isn't a disease. Aids, Cancer, and Alzheimer are diseases.