Opioid deaths: How much is the increase due to change in surveillance approaches?

Counting opioid deaths

No need to minimize the suffering, but epidemiologists must ask the best questions possible while tooting their horns.

Kentucky Ayahuasca

link to article

“Real winners do not compete.”

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/10-reasons-why-finlands-education-system-is-the-best-in-the-world

Juul personal story

NYTimes story about one teen’s rapid transition into nicotine dependence.

Precision in word choice reflects precision of one’s thoughts

Faithful readers know that I don’t appreciate the inter-penetration of political themes with our scientific work.

Hence, I avoid politically motivated terms as in ‘substance’ in lieu of ‘drug’ (or ‘marijuana’ in lieu of ‘cannabis’).

I also avoid stigma-laden American slang terms such as ‘addict’ and ‘addiction’ and I turn toward the WHO Expert Committees for an international perspective about ‘dependence’ syndromes.

I recently ran across a word choice essay on the topic of ‘fetal alcohol effect’ versus ‘fetal alcohol syndrome.’

You might enjoy reading the essay and the logic for avoidance of ‘fetal alcohol effect.’

‘FETAL ALCOHOL EFFECT’ — who needs the term?

Pot sobriety test: A little humor for the weekend

<2 minute video

Cannabis files

You might have thought liberalization of cannabis policies was something new.

Think otherwise.

Story about Michigan and 1972

Fake Molly in the news

Local Anti-Molly Initiatives

EVERY 25 SECONDS: THE HUMAN TOLL OF CRIMINALIZING DRUG USE IN THE UNITED STATES

Every 25 seconds... is link to the article summary and PDF.

The argument against repealing the current criminal approach rarely takes up serious consequences of this type.

Highly pertinent as jurisdictions debate whether to leave drug laws as they are, or to change them.

Question to ponder about our sons, daughter, or grandkids:

Which would you prefer to happen at age 18?

A. Development of cannabis use disorder (e.g., ‘hooked on pot’)?

B. Criminal record and perhaps incarceration time due to prosecution for possession?

(Learn the downstream social and economic consequences of A versus B. Which would you choose for your offspring?)

Perhaps my most political post yet!