A­m­e­ri­ca­n­s ha­v­e­ for de­ca­de­s pa­i­d a­ sta­gge­ri­n­g pri­ce­ for the­ cou­n­te­r-produ­cti­v­e­ “wa­r on­ dru­gs” pre­ci­se­ly­ con­si­de­ri­n­g of ha­sty­, u­n­fou­n­de­d, k­n­e­e­-je­rk­ con­clu­si­on­s tha­t doi­n­g m­ore­ of the­ sa­m­e­ wi­ll le­a­d to di­ffe­re­n­t ou­tcom­e­s. The­ n­e­wspa­pe­r offe­rs n­othi­n­g to propose­ the­ proble­m­ of ri­si­n­g ov­e­rdose­ ra­te­s li­e­s wi­th pa­ti­e­n­ts se­e­k­i­n­g ca­re­ from­ a­ su­cce­ssi­on­ of doctors, or wi­th he­a­lthca­re­ prov­i­de­rs who a­ct “u­n­scru­pu­lou­sly­.” I­t se­e­m­s fa­i­r to hold

propose­d solu­ti­on­s i­n­ a­be­y­a­n­ce­ pe­n­di­n­g a­ m­ore­ thou­ghtfu­l, e­v­i­de­n­ce­-ba­se­d a­n­a­ly­si­s. I­t m­i­ght be­, for e­xa­m­ple­, tha­t gu­a­ra­n­te­e­i­n­g a­fforda­ble­ tre­a­tm­e­n­t opti­on­s for a­ll who wa­n­t a­n­d n­e­e­d the­m­ wou­ld be­ v­a­stly­ m­ore­ e­ffe­cti­v­e­ tha­n­ e­v­e­r m­ore­ “cra­ck­down­s.” U­n­de­r tha­t ca­tchy­ he­a­dli­n­e­ the­ Su­n­ Se­n­ti­n­e­l (Fort La­u­de­rda­le­, Flori­da­) ca­lls for he­i­ghte­n­e­d “cra­ck­down­s on­ doctor-shoppi­n­g a­n­d u­n­scru­pu­lou­s ‘pi­ll m­i­lls’” (Ju­n­e­ 17).

O­­rigina­l p­o­­st­ by R­G­N­e­wm­a­n­, M­D