Senior liberation: Say nope to the dope

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali used the rope-a-dope during his 1974 Rumble in the Jungle match against George Foreman to bring his opponent to his knees. But we’re pretty sure he never imagined that 44 years later, pharmaceutical companies would be using a take-a-dope technique to wear down the elderly and bring them to their knees — all for a profit. (OxyContin has made over $31 billion in sales.)

That’s just what a suit by the state of Oregon against Purdue Pharma claims. Using the Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities Abuse Prevention Act, the Oregon Department of Justice says that Purdue (the makers of OxyContin) targeted the elderly.

In 2015, for every 100,000 seniors in Oregon, nearly 700 people 65 and older were sent to the hospital because of opioids. And, says the suit, the company focused on long-term-care facilities and urged doctors to prescribe opioids at higher dosages than were safe for people over 65.

The lawsuit also states: Purdue minimized the risks of abuse and addiction of its opioids. It also alleges Purdue falsely claimed that OxyContin posed a lower threat of abuse and addiction than other painkillers and increased function for patients with chronic pain.

That’s tough stuff, but they’re not the only folks saying it. From Colorado to Tennessee, states across the country are filing suits against the company. And as far back as 2007, the company and three executives pleaded guilty in federal court to criminal charges that they misled regulators, doctors and patients about OxyContin’s addictive powers and agreed to pay to more than $600 million in fines and other payments.

But OxyContin isn’t the only medication that’s got older folks on the ropes. Take the recent study that found 25 percent of older Americans who are prescribed Xanax or Valium to help them sleep or quell anxiety become hooked. Since 9 to 12 percent of women and about 5 to 6 percent of men 65 or older are prescribed the drug, that’s up to 2,205,000 addicted oldsters.

Why does this happen?

As a society we look for shortcuts. We give or take a pill instead of exerting the effort necessary to improve wellbeing through lifestyle choices (nutrition, exercise, sleep, de-stressing and avoiding toxins).

Also, to some older folks, who decades before indulged in a little recreational cocaine or marijuana, the use of drugs to alter their pain or distress isn’t a stretch. In fact, a new study found that 9 percent of adults 50 to 64 and almost 3 percent of those 65 and older had used marijuana in the past year. Those folks, say the researchers from New York University School of Medicine, are more likely to abuse alcohol, cocaine and prescription drugs.

Whatever the cause, these days it’s fair to say that we’re living in a society where many people don’t know how to age with vigor and dignity. Witness the fact that 90 million of you have diabetes or prediabetes, 100 million live with chronic pain and around 60 million experienced an anxiety disorder during the past year. Many of these conditions can be remedied with proper diet and exercise.