Meth vs Opioids in Workers Comp
Meth vs Opioids in Workers Comp – the silent epidemic is occurring and we may not be looking at what should be considered an even more dangerous line of drugs than opioids.
Opioids are one of the most discussed topics in any analytical setting on Workers Compensation. I had begun to refer to a great article on opioids when an old friend of mine had informed me that she was getting married to one of my high school classmates.
I brought up the fact that I was writing an article on opioids as we talked. She is a special education teacher in Dallas, Texas. She informed that in Texas, Oklahoma, and most of the rural Southwest opioids pale in comparison to meth and especially a form of it called ice – the smokable meth.
How would she know this – a large % of the special education students she teaches are actually due to the use of crack cocaine and meth by their parents. Dallas is not a bad city. In fact, due to the recent oil boom it is one of the most prosperous cities in the nation.
I do not possess a large amount of facts or figures but Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and other Southwestern states are suffering greatly. As we all know – as society goes, so does Workers Comp. Meth is much cheaper and actually more accessible than opioids.
One concern is that I do have statistics on opioids, but are there statistics on meth in Workers Comp? There are studies on most drugs, and unless I am mistaken, little to none on meth. I must digress to a great article on Workers Comp and opioids.
The article was written by Peter Rousmaniere (in cooperation with WorkCompCentral and CompPharma) We’re Beating Back Opioids – Now What? Please note that it is a PDF download. Peter has performed quite a good bit of research. I am going to allow myself to take a few liberties and post some of the quotes from the report.
Please note that the PDF is now part of a webinar on opioids. The PDF is not available.
Over half of persons receiving 90 days of continuous opioid therapy remain on opioids years later. This is almost unbelievable.
The nation’s first reported death from prescribed opioids was that of an injured worker, a beneficiary of the Washington Department of Labor and Industries. This is not surprising.
In the meth vs opioids in workers comp debate, one has to look at the future to see that another illicit drug may take the place of opioids for addiction. I do not think the new replacement drug will be marijuana.
I think the answer to the Now What? part of the aforementioned study is a new illegal drug may be the next “what.”
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