Arizona’s new opioid law is a living hell for patients like me

I’ve been on pain management since 2015. Two months ago my doctor lost her opioid prescribing license due to this new law: The 2018 Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act.

My prescriptions for opioids have been cut in half in the last two months, just as have those of her other patients. I’m also on my last appeal to Social Security disability. I can no longer work the few days a month I used to work (in agony).

This new law has done way more harm than good.

I am writing you in case you want to do a follow-up article on the effects of the 2018 Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act one-year later. I am willing to give a good inside look into the literal hell this law is having on chronic-pain patients.

I also want to thank you for your original article and its success in foretelling the problems it was going to cause patients.

Addiction starts in doctor’s office, not on the streets

The pharmaceutical industry, pain clinics and physicians who subscribe opiates but do not manage these addictive drugs are the primary culprits for the drug problem. They are abetted by an inadequately funded and poorly supervised behavioral health system.

All are responsible for leading people to the street for drugs.

Cheers to Arizona’s governor for intelligent use of veto power

Robert Robb is correct, yet wrong in his assumptions regarding tax conformity.

He says it is more prudent to keep the windfall of the tax changes, but given the huge surplus, we shouldn’t. The ❚ ❚ huge surplus is because Republicans still under-fund critical services.

They enacted a $32 surcharge on auto tags because the state hasn’t allocated enough money to hire more highway patrol officers. Republicans starved basic services to grow a rainy-day fund, which I agree we should have.

The prudent thing to do is to allow the state to take advantage of this windfall to release additional funds to properly fund the critical services Arizonans expect and deserve. I applaud the governor for doing the right thing for Arizonans with his veto.

As the roster for 2020 presidential candidates grows, we are hearing many promises of free health care, free education, free pregnancy time-off, etc.

It’s looking like we will have two years watching a game of “Can You Top This.” While this race will continue, I’d like to see concerned Americans consistently ask all candidates just one question:

“How much do you promise to reduce our national debt in your first term?

Note that I wrote “debt,” not “deficit.” The difference between them is great.

Grand Canyon U. needs to teach students, not indoctrinate them

Grand Canyon University has reversed it’s original decision and decided to allow Ben Shapiro to speak, after all. Smart move, on their part.

The original decision was to disallow him to speak because they are trying to promote unity.

This lame excuse smacks of politically-correct speak and worse yet, virtue signaling.

I am concerned that Arizona schools and higher education have totally lost sight of their mission.

The mission of all schools is to teach students how to think, not what to think.

In other words, let students learn about independent thought and varying opinions, and then allow them to develop their personal values.

To do otherwise is not teaching, it is indoctrination.

Just to be clear, I do think this country does not have enough commonly shared, unifying values.

But limiting the educational experience is not the solution to recreating the fabric our society once had.