Opioids: Unanimous Bipartisan Incompetence in DC

Just when one was beginning to wonder whether politicians could agree on anything comes the CBS/Washington Post story that shows that the Senate unanimously passed H.R. 471 – Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015, which stripped the DEA of any enforcement capability and greatly fueled the opioid epidemic in our country.

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia voices his outrage in an interview with MSNBC:

Sadly, the wake up ...

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Veterans with PTSD: The VA Way or the Highway

It is easy to find fault with the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), particularly when it comes to Veterans with PTSD.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, tried to employ body count statistics to assess our progress in the war in Vietnam.  Similarly, the VA has erected a statistical house-of-cards to deceive Veterans and their loved that the VA has the answers for Veterans coping with PTSD and ...

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New Study Suggests that Blood Test Can Detect PTSD

According to a recent Dutch study involving military personnel deployed to Afghanistan, there is evidence to suggest that blood-based miRNAs (Micro RiboNucleic Acids) may serve as “candidate biomarkers for symptoms of PTSD.”

A research group from the Netherlands collected blood samples Dutch soldiers before, as well as 6 months after deployment.

Author of the study, Dr. Laurence de Nijs (Maastricht University), states the following:

“We discovered that these small molecules, called miRNAs, are present in different ...

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SFTT Military News Highlights: Week Ending Sep 8, 2017

Found below are a few military news items that caught my attention this past week. I am hopeful that the titles and short commentary will encourage SFTT readers to click on the embedded links to read more on subjects that may be of interest to them.

If you have subjects of topical interest, please do not hesitate to reach out. Contact SFTT at info@sftt.org.

China Sends Military Warning to North Korea
As tensions continue to mount following North ...

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Veterans Account for 20% of U.S. Suicides

Military suicides, particularly among Veterans, show no signs of abating.  Despite recent efforts by Secretary of Shulkin of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), the “silent wounds of war” follow our Veterans into civilian life.

In a most informative report published by CNN, Veteran suicides account for roughly 20% of all suicides in the United States.

SFTT has reported on this disturbing trend for several years, but little has been done to curb Veteran ...

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SFTT Military News: Highlights for Week Ending August 4, 2017

Found below are a few military news items that caught my attention this past week. I am hopeful that the titles and short commentary will encourage SFTT readers to click on the embedded links to read more on subjects that may be of interest to them.

If you have subjects of topical interest, please do not hesitate to reach out. Contact SFTT.

With Eye on Russia, US Military Focuses on Global Exercises
The U.S. military is moving toward ...

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Opioid Abuse, Veterans and Mea Culpa

With 80 people dying each day from overdoses of opioids, it is not surprising that Federal, State and Local authorities are seeking emergency measures and money to treat opioid abuse.

OxyContin - Veteran Addiction

Less surprising is the moral outrage and lynch-mob mentality of those who seek vengeance against those they deem responsible for the epidemic.  Just today, I read in the New York Times that the McKesson Corporation, “the nation’s ...

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What do NFL and Military Helmets Have In Common?: Not Much!

Like many, I am moved by the tributes paid to military Veterans and active service members at NFL games.  Nevertheless, both the NFL and the military have come under sharp criticism regarding the number brain injuries suffered on both the playing field and battlefield.

chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy

Both the NFL and military have stonewalled the problem for many years, but it now appears that the NFL is taking action to introduce ...

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Veterans with PTSD Knew that VA Opioid Prescriptions Were Wrong

After many lives of many brave Veterans with PTSD have been lost, the State of Ohio has finally taken action against pharmaceutical drug companies for hyping opioids.

Opioids

According to the New York Times reporter,  

The State of Ohio filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the pharmaceutical industry over the opioid epidemic, accusing several drug companies of conducting ...

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Opioid Abuse: Department of Veterans Affairs Culpability?

While many families will be celebrating Easter today, I am quite sure that their thoughts will turn to a family member or friend who were among the 52,000 that died of a drug overdose last year.

By comparison, there were only 33,000 traffic fatalities over the same period.  These statistics suggest that substance abuse plays a far greater threat to our society than careless driving.

In an excellent 5-part series by FOX News entitled “Drugged, Inside the Opioid Crisis,” the network ...

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