ACSH has been writing about the now disastrous consequences of withholding opioid pain medications from pain patients with legitimate needs since 2013 (1) – well before most other organizations. Since this time Dr. Josh Bloom, our director of chemical pharmaceutical research, has published about 20 newspaper op-eds on the mismanagement of opioid policy and 65 articles for the ACSH site.
We are publishing his works as a media reference guide. To simplify the search for a specific topic we have divided his writings into 8 broad categories, A through G, which are indicated in parentheses after the title. Many articles fall into multiple categories.
We believe that some of these articles represent groundbreaking material that was not previously covered by other writers. These are bolded.
Article Categorization:
- - Intentional manipulation of statistics and lies that created a false narrative of the opioid crisis
- - The demonization of opioid drugs and other controlled substances
- - Opioid alternatives – plusses and minuses
- - Denial of pain relief
- - Flawed public policy
- - Fentanyl and its analogs
- - Flawed studies and faulty media reporting
- - General bad science
*Bold - Key article
The Great Opioid Shakedown of 2019 Will Be a Pyrrhic 'Victory (E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/08/28/great-opioid-shakedown-2019-will-be-pyrrhic-victory-14252
The Lunacy Continues - Now It's Music Instead Of Sedatives Before Surgery (B)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/08/04/lunacy-continues-now-its-music-instead-sedatives-surgery-14195
Florida Officials Successfully Withheld Pain Meds From Surgical Patients. Aren't They Special? (E) (D)
A Royal Pain: Opioid BS From The BBC (G)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/07/24/royal-pain-opioid-bs-bbc-14172
Surgeon General Backpedals On Flawed Tylenol Study. Because Of ACSH. (B)
Dr. Aric Hausknecht Responds To SG Jerome Adams' Tylenol Recommendation (B)
Need General Surgery? Ignore The Surgeon General (B)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/07/08/need-general-surgery-ignore-surgeon-general-14135
Advil As A Substitute For Opioids? NY Times' Gina Kolata 'Busts' One Myth With Another (C, G)
Overdoses Are 'Falling.' But What Does That Really Mean? (A)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/06/26/overdoses-are-falling-what-does-really-mean-14116
Oh-Klahoma! 8 Questions J&J Should Ask Andrew Kolodny (A, B)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/06/18/oh-klahoma-8-questions-jj-should-ask-andrew-kolodny-14100
'Opioid Cutoff' Article Tells Us How Badly Pain Patients Were Harmed. Too Bad Kolodny Was Included. (A, D)
Neurontin: The Darling Of The Anti-Opioid Crowd. But Does It Work? (C)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/05/07/neurontin-darling-anti-opioid-crowd-does-it-work-14005
Sen. Gillibrand's Anti-Opioid Mentality Will Hurt Women (E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/03/25/sen-gillibrands-anti-opioid-mentality-will-hurt-women-13905
Oral And IV Tylenol Work *Equally* Well For Hip Replacement Pain - But Do They Work At All? (B, G)
My Response To The Times Article About Opioid 'Good News Bad News' (G)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/03/07/my-response-times-article-about-opioid-good-news-bad-news-13861
Johnson & Johnson's Shameless Exploitation Of The Opioid Crisis (C)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/02/26/johnson-johnsons-shameless-exploitation-opioid-crisis-13832
Heroin Pills Are Now A Reality - Is Andrew Kolodny Finally Happy? (A, E, F)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/02/20/heroin-pills-are-now-reality-andrew-kolodny-finally-happy-13825
Woeful In Wisconsin - WISN's Opioid Story Is Jawbreakingly Idiotic (G)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/02/06/woeful-wisconsin-wisns-opioid-story-jawbreakingly-idiotic-13782
An Opioid Study So Bad That It Disproves Itself? (G)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/01/23/opioid-study-so-bad-it-disproves-itself-13753
CNN: Opioid Overdoses Kill More People Than... Food? (G)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/01/14/cnn-opioid-overdoses-kill-more-people-food-13725
Sen. Ron Wyden Smears Opioid Task Force. Why? (E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/12/28/sen-ron-wyden-smears-opioid-task-force-why-13686
Dear PROP/CDC - Here's What Happens When You Over-Restrict Pills: More Deaths. Nice Going. (A,B,D,F)
Do Opioid Scripts For Tooth Extraction Really Cause Abuse, Or Just Useless Numbers? (G)
Organic Chemistry Can Defeat Any Fentanyl Agreement (F)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/12/05/organic-chemistry-can-defeat-any-fentanyl-agreement-13645
Who Is Telling The Truth About Prescription Opioid Deaths? DEA? CDC? Neither? (A, B)
Opioid Policies Based On Morphine Milligram Equivalents Are Automatically Flawed (H)
Foolish US Drug Policies Keep Making Things Worse - Now It's Meth (Again) (G)
Former CDC Head Tom Frieden Is Back In The News, And It Isn't For His Terrible Science (G)
Shades Of Tuskegee - Oregon's Monstrous Experiments On Poor Pain Patients (B,D,E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/08/15/shades-tuskegee-oregon-experiments-poor-pain-patients-13315
Feds Double Down On Pills As Fentanyl Deaths Double (E,F)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/07/12/government-doubles-down-pills-fentanyl-deaths-double-13190
Fentanyl 101- Let's Clean Up The Terminology (F)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/07/02/fentanyl-101-lets-clean-terminology-13141
The Madness Continues: FDA Opioids Advisory Panels Must Be Stoned (G)
For Pain Care, Race Shouldn't Matter. But It Does (D,E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/06/05/pain-care-race-shouldnt-matter-it-does-12969
Wanna Get The Opioid Mess All Wrong? Ask Keith Humphreys (G)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/05/29/wanna-get-opioid-mess-all-wrong-keith-humphreys-your-man-13028
Big Brother Walmart Is Watching Your Meds Very Carefully. And Not Just Painkillers (B)
'Synthetic' And 'Opioids': Two Useless, Confusing Terms That Need To Go (F)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/05/08/synthetic-and-opioids-two-useless-confusing-terms-need-go-12932
'Study Links Rising Heroin Deaths To 2010 OxyContin Reformulation.Duh.' (E)
Fentanyl Sleuthing Gives Hints About Where It's Made – Sometimes (F)
The CDC Quietly Admits It Screwed Up Counting Opioid Pills (A,E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/03/19/cdc-quietly-admits-it-screwed-dishonestly-counting-pills-12717
Dear CDC: What Will You Screw Up Next? Meth Is Back (E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/02/14/dear-cdc-what-will-you-screw-next-meth-back-12574
Runs On Imodium Before The FDA Clamps Down (B)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/01/30/runs-imodium-fda-clamps-down-12497
'Let Them Eat Aspirin' - Jeff Sessions' Painfully Ignorant Remarks (E)
Dear NY Times, Your Opioid Coverage Has Been Terrible. Here's Why (G)
Neurontin: Over-Hyped And Underwhelming (C)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/12/26/neurontin-over-hyped-and-underwhelming-12242
Have A 'Fentanyl On A Shopping Cart' Question? Call ACSH (F)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/11/10/have-fentanyl-shopping-cart-question-call-acsh-12131
Advil Works As Well As Opioids For Acute Pain? Not So Fast (C, G)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/11/07/advil-works-well-opioids-acute-pain-not-so-fast-12089
ACSH Explains: What's The Difference Between Opioids And Opiates?
How Chinese Organic Chemists Get Away With Murder – Literally (F)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/10/19/how-chinese-organic-chemists-get-away-murder-literally-11979
The Opioid Epidemic In 6 Charts Designed To Deceive You (A, B, E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/10/12/opioid-epidemic-6-charts-designed-deceive-you-11935
CVS's Transparent Opioid PR Stunt (C)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/09/28/cvss-transparent-opioid-pr-stunt-11880
Tylenol Isn't So Safe, But At Least It Works, Right? (C)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/09/18/tylenol-isnt-so-safe-least-it-works-right-11827
Is Tylenol 'By Far The Most Dangerous Drug Ever Made?' (C)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/09/11/tylenol-far-most-dangerous-drug-ever-made-11711
Heads In The Sand — The Real Cause Of Today's Opioid Deaths (A, E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/08/16/heads-sand-%E2%80%94-real-cause-todays-opioid-deaths-11681
Pain In The Time Of Opioid Denial: An Interview With Aric Hausknecht, M.D. (C, D)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/07/30/pain-time-opioid-denial-interview-aric-hausknecht-md-11628
Dear CDC, Why Are You Torturing Pain Patients? (D, E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/06/22/dear-cdc-why-are-you-torturing-pain-patients-11469
If You Think Fentanyl Is Bad... (F)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/01/17/if-you-think-fentanyl-bad-10663
Opioid Denial: My Own Harrowing Experience (D)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/12/29/opioid-denial-my-own-harrowing-experience-10655
Have Opioid Restrictions Made Things Better Or Worse (G)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/11/03/have-opioid-restrictions-made-things-better-or-worse-10400
Merciless In Seattle: Untreated Pain, Misery, And Suicide (D)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/11/01/merciless-seattle-untreated-pain-misery-and-suicide-10389
Have Pain? Pick Your Poison (C)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/10/25/have-pain-pick-your-poison-10358
Gonna Throw Away Your Used Narcotics? (A,E)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/10/07/gonna-throw-away-your-used-narcotics-10270
Prince Was Killed By 'The Devil In The Room' (F)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/06/03/prince-was-killed-by-the-devil-in-the-room
Narcotics Overdose? Or Biased Reporting? (G)
https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/05/16/narcotics-overdose-or-biased-reporting
Opioid Abuse & Death: Nothing Close To A Good Answer
https://www.acsh.org/news/2015/12/29/opioid-abuse-and-death-nothing-close-to-a-good-answer
NOTE:
(1) See "New painful casualties of the drug war" New York Post, 12/3/13
Josh Bloom
Director of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. Josh Bloom, the Director of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science, comes from the world of drug discovery, where he did research for more than 20 years. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry.
