Opioid Forum
February 26, 2018 at 9:44 p.m.
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The story, last Friday, documenting the community forum about the opioid crisis was illuminating. These are much overdue conversations. As a physician with 33 years’ experience, and also time spent as a member of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board, I have much firsthand knowledge with this situation. Opioid and other drug abuse is, of course, an extremely complex problem for which there is not a simple solution.
Discussions often center around "reaction," and not the more difficult "prevention." When it comes to pre-empting this crisis, the solution lies deep within the fabric of our modern dysfunctional society.
I recently read an account by Dr. Samuel Nigro, a psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio, who interviewed a substantial number of inmates in a state prison. His conclusion was that "(criminals) start drug abuse by age 11 to escape a parentless, non-development, virtue-less chaos."
So, like many of our societal ills today, it can all be traced back to the deterioration of family and faith. Reactionary legislation and wasteful spending of taxpayer money has never solved a social crisis. Strengthening of faith and family, however, will.
Interested readers are referred to AAPSonline.org, the website of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, for discussions of this and other medical care policy issues.
Thank you.
Christopher J. Magiera, M.D.
Warsaw, via email
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The story, last Friday, documenting the community forum about the opioid crisis was illuminating. These are much overdue conversations. As a physician with 33 years’ experience, and also time spent as a member of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board, I have much firsthand knowledge with this situation. Opioid and other drug abuse is, of course, an extremely complex problem for which there is not a simple solution.
Discussions often center around "reaction," and not the more difficult "prevention." When it comes to pre-empting this crisis, the solution lies deep within the fabric of our modern dysfunctional society.
I recently read an account by Dr. Samuel Nigro, a psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio, who interviewed a substantial number of inmates in a state prison. His conclusion was that "(criminals) start drug abuse by age 11 to escape a parentless, non-development, virtue-less chaos."
So, like many of our societal ills today, it can all be traced back to the deterioration of family and faith. Reactionary legislation and wasteful spending of taxpayer money has never solved a social crisis. Strengthening of faith and family, however, will.
Interested readers are referred to AAPSonline.org, the website of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, for discussions of this and other medical care policy issues.
Thank you.
Christopher J. Magiera, M.D.
Warsaw, via email
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