The article you are talking about - Painkiller Widely Abused in South - http://tinyurl.com/3y87dm is one of the more grotesque examples of the genre, not because the acts describe are so horrific (I can handle the do it yourself with pliers tooth extraction passage, though I wince and tense every read).

No, what is notable and very creepy is what you are noticing too - this bizarre behavior is reported as completely rational and normative. Drugs ARE that bad. You’d be lucky to have Steve as your sponsor should you ever darken the doors of Narcotics Anonymous.

As to overall effect of the AP package - what I hear is that they are themselves surprised at the appetite for various parts of the content. It is largely negative, especially when only material from the moral panic part; BUT, I think our part is getting through as well. Bass DID get Siobhan and Fernandez and Bordeaux’s husband Ed Swaim in. All that material is there for the mining as well - and it will slowly come out.

For example, James Fernandez tells me that he is featured in many articles in the area around Fredricksberg where he lives. I have to find a second to collect a few of those.

Believe it or not am still wrestling with the Fleming study - I’m finding it complex, which means something is off. Your comments were a big help as an organizing first pass through the stats. It really is an interesting and important study which I’ll enjoy discussing further.

Gotta go - am installing a Comments email plugin that will let you’all be notified if there is any further development in this string or that. I think. Enjoy.

..alex…

One of the more poignant metabolites of this AP release is an article entitled “Painkiller Widely Abused in South” published in Washington Post (by Tom Breen, Associated Press, http://tinyurl.com/3y87dm )

In this article, most of the quotes come from one Steve Dotson, who is apparently recovering from some type of drug problem. The story starts out with a shocking story of how he intentionally injured himself to get pain meds (had his wife to run over his leg with a car). The implication is that hydrocodone caused him to perform this foolish stunt.

This was also interesting:

“He is determined to stay off drugs, and recently chose to pull out his own tooth with pliers to avoid the temptation of receiving a prescription for a hydrocodone-based painkiller after the extraction.”

Now, that’s rational behavior. Could we know a little more about Mr. Dotson’s history?

Another quote I found interesting is this:

“Authorities say hydrocodone is so popular in this region partly because it’s easy to acquire.” Yeah, right. Need to tighten up those controls, now, don’t we? Maybe a little more drug war money for said “authorities”? Since when is hydrocodone “easy” to acquire anywhere in the United States? It is damn near impossible.

At least most of the doctors being interviewed are taking a reserved and rational approach, but their quotes are being hidden in insignificant little crannies behind the colorful “horror stories” from individuals on whom little information is given (such as credentials or history).

It looks like it is having quite an impact. How do fight this?

PRN and others are being referred to as “some activists”, with a lot of “some activists say…, but…” lines.