Tramadol: The Opioid Crisis for the Rest of the World

by Michael Fleming

Today, we are seeing a multitude of social issues up for debate in our society. 

Prescription drug addiction and the power of the pharmaceutical industry is the biggest social issue that hasn't been discussed, for reasons we wouldn't expect.

This article covers widespread addiction of Tramadol, a opiate painkiller, across the globe. The market for prescription drugs in the US, specifically for opiates and antidepressants, has become so powerful that any criticism of its negative affects on consumers is shunned by the mainstream media and networks that are funded by pharmaceutical companies. America is the most advanced country in the world in drug research due to our free market approach to healthcare. It could even be argued that prescription drugs do more damage to our population than the classified drugs made illegal by our government. According to specific research and this article, ordinary citizens are being hooked on painkillers which lead users to become hooked on harder, more serious illegal opiates such as heroin. The leading cause of Heroin addiction is addiction to prescription drugs. In fact, pharmaceutical companies that produce fentanyl, a prescription opiate mentioned in the article, are funding anti-pot campaigns in states such as Nevada and Arizona this year, where citizens will vote on the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana has been proven as a safe alternative to prescription painkillers. In fact, in states like Colorado, where Marijuana is legalized, Opiate-caused deaths have dropped by over 25% and addiction has dropped significantly. This article brings out the conversation America needs to talk about and find a solution to. If we don't take things into our own hands, the wealthy pharmaceutical corporations will continue to profit off of our addictions without consequence. 

Read more from the article here.