Brock University professor Dan Malleck says that while concern about addictive painkillers is strong, concern about the broader social causes of pain should be even stronger
“Prescription painkiller abuse, addiction and death are hot topics these days,” writes Brock University associate professor Dan Malleck. “Law enforcement, government and physicians have met to try to figure out how to stop the epidemic caused by the misuse of strong prescription painkillers that have become a lethal black-market commodity.” Then the medical historian adds an observation — and a question: “The talk is about painkiller abuse. Why isn’t anyone talking about pain?”
Malleck’s Globe and Mail article (published Jan. 5, 2107) — around 700 words long — has created strong responses among readers:
Having written op eds before, on cannabis legalization and liquor control, I don’t think I was prepared for the type of attention this article received. I guess it was the timeliness and the national scope, but also the emergent nature of the crisis. I will in the next few days try to capture some of the response without betraying any confidences. Suffice it to say when dealing with pain and medical treatment, people have a lot of stories to tell, and they need to tell them. As the recipient of these stories, I’ve been humbled and saddened but also enlightened. Moreover, it has reinforced my resolve that the current painkiller crisis has much deeper roots and needs more concerted efforts to address its origins. –Dan Malleck, on his blog Drug History Canada
In his conclusion, Malleck writes: “Concern about addictive painkillers is strong, but concern about the broader social causes of pain should be even stronger. Failure to investigate and address the causes of pain, both social and biological, will lead to new pain drugs and another painkiller crisis. A new shop will open on the black market and more people will die.”
We speak with Dr. Dan Malleck.
729_dan malleck_pain and painkillers_jan 18_2017_40
Left-click to listen; right-click to save.
#podcast #peoplefirstradio @VIMentalHealth @BrockUniversity #opioid #canada #pain #painkillers #healthcare | LISTEN: https://t.co/cm2bzGQiS8 pic.twitter.com/Zp2N7t1Gj6
— People First Radio (@peoplefirstrad) January 22, 2017
About Dan Malleck
Dan Malleck, PhD is a medical historian and associate professor of health sciences at Brock University. He is particularly interested in the history of drug and alcohol regulation and prohibition; the medicalization of conditions not always considered “medical” in nature; the development of the pharmaceutical industry; the often contentious relationship between various health professions; and the changing, socially-framed nature of disease.
Dr. Malleck’s most recent book looks at the many cultural, political, and economic factors that converged in the move towards increased regulation of drugs in Canada. It is entitled When Good Drugs Go Bad: Opium, Medicine, and the Origins of Canada’s Drug Laws and was released in July 2015.
