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According to a January 2016 CDC report, over 47,000 Americans fatally overdosed on prescription opioid pain killers in 2014.
This is a stunning fact. But almost as stunning is the apparent lack of concern expressed by the world's media when reporting it. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, for example, thought it worth a mere 214 words. NBC News was obviously more excited and pushed their coverage to a hefty 223 words. And even those who pushed their word totals up slightly higher ignored the real stories hidden behind the headlines.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the CDC report in detail--which virtually no news service did--and then explore the backstory that was pretty much ignored outside of a couple of surprising journalistic players. And finally, I want to take a look a stunning twist to the story that absolutely no one looked at but that to my mind is really the most important takeaway from the whole debacle.
Drug abuse deaths are increasing in the US, apparently driven by pharmaceutical painkillers...This is shocking!! I have personally lost an uncle to the same cause. People think that because they are prescribed they are OK to take indiscriminately. So much in the media recently about some Australians needing organ transplants due to dangerous herbs or green tea extract - there needs to be just as much emphasis on the the dangers of prescription drugs.