[SaintofKillers]

On his radio show he has admitted his addiction to painkillers, I think that it takes a lot of courage to admit that he has a problem instead of acting like most celebs and hiding their problems. What effect will it have on his career I dont know, but I am not going to hold it against him. Some of my best friends have had addiction problems, AKA alcohol, admitting that they have a problem and seeking treatment is a good start. I dont think it makes them anyless of a person. At least he isnt running around blaming his parents, society or anyone else but himself.

[Balog]

I'm listening to him as I write this. I've not heard him say anything about that. I may have missed it. I'm on the west coast, maybe it's tape delayed.
The local station said CBS news announced it, and that he will say it on his show later. Did you actually hear him, or did you just hear the news?

[Keith]

They are posting statements on Drudge: http://www.drudgereport.com/

Keith

[joshlm]

He goes off air at 2 pm in my area and I just heard him say it at the end of the broadcast. He said he was going to admitt himself into a 30 day rehab program.

[Bill Hook]

It didn't hurt Johnny Cash too much.

[Molon Labe]

For eight years Bill Clinton “taught” everyone that you should deny, deny, deny. But now I think people are finally getting the message that they should “take the highroad” and be honest about their moral shortcomings. Arnold did it a few days ago when he apologized for his sexist behavior. And now Rush is doing it. Perhaps there is hope for America

[Keith]

Johnny Cash didn't advocate tougher drug laws...

Keith

[Mike Irwin]

From Reuters...

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh told his listeners on Friday he is addicted to painkillers and that he would immediately check himself into a drug treatment program.

The disclosure came during the nationally syndicated broadcast of his widely followed radio program.

"Immediately following this broadcast, I am checking myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days to once and for all break the hold this highly addictive medication has on me," he said.

The revelation comes just over a week after Limbaugh resigned as a football commentator on ESPN amid harsh criticism for comments he made suggesting Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated by the media because he is black."


I'd say that Rush didn't need anyone to smear him. He did a pretty fine job of it himself over the past couple of weeks...

[rock jock]

Johnny Cash didn't advocate tougher drug laws...
When did Rush do this?

[DRC]

But he's going to be screwed.

It may take a while but he's gonna have some problems down the line and in the near future. He should have been reading THR and read my posts about keeping his mouth shut and let the lawyers handle it. Honesty is a wonderful thing and required but he's going to have to deal with political suicide (which he has just committed I'm afraid.) He has adamantly condemned so many things only to turn up not practicing what he preaches in this vain? I hope it doesn't happen but my prediction is that he's toast...and I like the guy and think this. I hope I'm wrong. We'll see.

DRC

[C.R.Sam]

It is not uncommon for a person to acquire drug addiction from the drugs administered by physicians.

Get home from the hospital feelin great about having beaten the odds and find that you are addicted.

Many have to, and more should, go through a rehab program after recovering from surgical procedures.

Sam

[mercedesrules]

Maybe now, having realized that self-medication is a right, he will use his talents and bully-pulpit to preach strongly against the war on drugs and drug laws.... :rolleyes:

My prediction: He will totally miss the obvious lesson, repent to save his a$$ and preach strongly for increased enforcement of the laws to save people from his fate and misery. He will make some non-scientific distinction between what he did and what other addicts do. He will never do time like the thousands of pot smokers currently in jail. :mad:

MR

[moa]

I wonder now if Rush will loose his gun rights being technically a drug addict? I remember him complaining mightly some years ago about the seven month wait getting a license to own a shotgun in New York City.

I wonder too if he consulted a lawyer before committing himself to rehab?

Does anybody know what an addiction to pain killers does to the body and the mind? Becoming addicted to pain killers is nothing new.

[ceetee]

This, at least, I can admire.

``You know I have always tried to be honest with you and open about my life. So I need to tell you today that part of what you have heard and read is correct. I am addicted to prescription pain medication.

I first started taking prescription painkillers some years ago when my doctor prescribed them to treat post surgical pain following spinal surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery was unsuccessful and I continued to have severe pain in my lower back and also in my neck due to herniated discs. I am still experiencing that pain. Rather than opt for additional surgery for these conditions, I chose to treat the pain with prescribed medication. This medication turned out to be highly addictive.

Over the past several years I have tried to break my dependence on pain pills and, in fact, twice checked myself into medical facilities in an attempt to do so. I have recently agreed with my physician about the next steps.

Immediately following this broadcast, I am checking myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days to once and for all break the hold this highly addictive medication has on me. The show will continue during this time, of course, with an array of guest hosts you have come to know and respect.

I am not making any excuses. You know, over the years athletes and celebrities have emerged from treatment centers to great fanfare and praise for conquering great demons.

They are said to be great role models and examples for others. Well, I am no role model. I refuse to let anyone think I am doing something great here, when there are people you never hear about, who face long odds and never resort to such escapes.

They are the role models. I am no victim and do not portray myself as such. I take full responsibility for my problem.

At the present time, the authorities are conducting an investigation, and I have been asked to limit my public comments until this investigation is complete. So I will only say that the stories you have read and heard contain inaccuracies and distortions, which I will clear up when I am free to speak about them.

I deeply appreciate all your support over this last tumultuous week. It has sustained me. I ask now for your prayers. I look forward to resuming our excursion into broadcast excellence together.'' Email story
Print story


Copyright © 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

[Keith]

When did Rush do this?

I posted his statement son the subject in the other thread. To paraphrase, he said we need to go after users instead of just dealers...

That doesn't apply to him, of course

Keith

[CMichael]

I don't understand why he couldn't get pain killers from his doctor. Could someone please explain why he couldn't get them legitimately?

[atek3]

what mercedes said.

I think noelle bush and rush should get a nice tour of our government funded vacation system aka Prison. I mean Tommy Chong is going to the fed for selling WATER PIPES aka bongs how is that ANY worse than forging xanax prescriptions (noelle bush). This whole parallel law system, one for the rulers and one for the lumpenmensch, is absolute garbage.
My modest proposal is that we return drugs to their legal state before 1910, that wouldn't be so bad would it? Sure some chinese people smoked opium, mexicans smoked dope, whites drank laudanum every once and a while, but would that cost society literally billions in incarceration, lost wages, etc. Not to mention the damage inflicted upon the bill of rights.

Sheesh,
atek3

[Bill Hook]

Could someone please explain why he couldn't get them legitimately?

I believe the DEA may keep track of controlled substance prescription filled. Doctors don't want to prescribe too much, nor do pharmacies want to dispense too many.

I'm sure he could've run through multiple doctors and pharmacies, but he may know more about it than we do.

[mercedesrules]

(rock jock) quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Johnny Cash didn't advocate tougher drug laws...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


When did Rush do this?

"Let's all admit something."

Rush Limbaugh was on his usual tear.

"There's nothing good about drug use," he was saying. "We know it. It destroys individuals. It destroys families. Drug use destroys societies. Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up."

http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/nyc-henn1003,0,308145.column?coll=ny-news-columnists+target%3D

O.K., rj, he didn't actually advocate "tougher" laws, but they are plenty tough as is.

MR

[AJ Dual]

I reserve my sympathy for those who did actually start taking drugs as prescribed medication for legitamate medical reasons. That's a bit different than smoking, shooting, snorting or popping narcotics for the sheer hell of it at a party or whatnot.

If he's telling the truth about starting it after spine surgery, he at least deserves the chance to put it behind him. He himself said he dosen't want accolades like every other pro athelete, and lefty movie star who comes out of rehab a "hero".

I've seen it first hand. Two years ago my wife had abdominal surgery that was supposed to take three weeks to recuperate from, and instead took three months with two extra surgeries when she didn't heal properly. After each surgery she had a morphine pump in the hospital, and was given a weaker form of the now infamous Oxycontin, and Fetanyl transdermal patches. (Fetanyl is the same stuff as the gas that killed all those people in Russia in that theater, when they tried to rescue them from Chechen terrorists, basically it's synthetic heroin...)

From an addiction standpoint perscriptions can be worse than recreational abusers, since you're taking them legitamately with no need to hide, and every couple of hours as prescribed, with no chance for your body to clean out.

All of her doctors and specialists had no clue as to what the other was doing and she could have easily scammed multiple scrips out of them without ever raising the "drug seeking behavior" red flag for some time. She turned down further prescriptions after a reasonable ammount of time, and let her last ones run out. She had no idea what she was in for. Luckily she was too sick from her own recuperation to do anything to avoid her own self-imposed detox, and that was possibly the dividing line between normal post-surgical prescriptions and a full blown addiction.

[atek3]

cmichael. The DEA has been raiding doctors and dumping their doctors licenses for the crime of "overprescribing" pain medication. This so called "overprescribing" is an arbitrary standard. To the person who is dieing from bone cancer, 2 lortabs and an oxycontin a day is not 'overprescribing'. However to a rookie DEA agent looking to build up some busts on his record, what we have here is a "rogue" doctor. All the crummy things about the socialized health care systems of europe aside, their doctors don't have to perpetually UNDERprescribe medication to avoid being fined or jailed like ours do. Consequently being a cancer patient is probably lot less miserable.

Back to the point. If Rush went to a doctor and said 'hey doc, I need pills', and the doctor didn't put that in Rush's Federal Patient Record he could be fined or lose his license. Drug Addicts, including Rush, would likely try and avoid most pro-government doctors.

atek3

[bountyhunter]

On the noon news (Pacific time) they stated that Rush Limbaugh has admitted to a long time addiction to oxycontin and is entering rehab. he blamed pain from a back injury on starting him on the dope.

Here it is:

http://www.foxnews.com/

[ceetee]

I wasn't going to go here, but let me lay it down on ya. Three and a half years ago, I had a serious accident. I was on morphine in the hospital, and Vicodin at home for months. I kicked it. I had no choice, as I became addicted while I was still in pain.

A year later, I had more surgery, still related to this accident. More Vicodin. Months. Kicked it again.

A year later. More surgery. More Vicodin. I deliberately took it only when I absolutely had to for thew pain. I kept myself from getting hooked this time out of sheer desperation. Kicking is no fun, but I did it twice.

I feel sorry for this guy, and I know what he's gone through.

But I did it. He should be able to also.

[CMichael]

Thank you to all those that he responded to my question. I do have sympathy for him. He started because of sheer pain.

He wasn't snorting cocaine for recreational fun.

Avoiding pain is a pretty high motivation.

[atek3]

actually andrew the freaky thing is we'll likely never know what the russkies used in that gas attack. The symptom profile was completely unlike opoids like fentanyl. A fentanyl overdose, when reversed by something like Narcan, causes essentially NO long term effects, however those that survived the russian disaster were very ill for days.

atek3

[Keith]

These "pain killers" are narcotics from the same family as heroin or morphine. You can't them get from a physician except for limited periods to deal with specific pain.
He wasn't taking them for pain - though he may have started that way. He was taking them for the euphoric feeling they gave him; the same reason all junkies take drugs.

All of this stuff originates from opium. Opium contains a mixture of various alkaloids that can be refined into heroin, morphine, codeine, etc. These same alkaloids can also be created artificially or chemically altered to change the effects.
For example, most of the newer formulations like oxycodone (as Rush was taking) do not depress the Central Nervous System as heroin or morphine do. In other words, you can take quite a bit of it and not be drowsy or nodding off - you just feel "good" and energetic, powerful, etc.

If you consider what he did for a living, you can see that he might have considered this feeling a big plus at first. It must be hard to get on the radio for all those hours day after day, and be "up" and motivated...

I post all of that because on the other thread (and again here) many people question how he could be a drug addict and still function as he did.

The only difference between Rush and the guy holding up the liquor store, is that Rush could afford his habit.

Keith

[atek3]

cmichael
the problem with that "oh rush is different he wasn't a dirty druggie mentality" is the law doesn't make a distinction between motivation. Instead agents of the government do. So pro-drug war but "helpless addicts" like rush are let off and outspoken anti-drug war types who smoke marijuana for cancer pain or nausea treatment get the book thrown at them.

[rock jock]

That doesn't apply to him, of course
Is that your opinion or his? I saw in his statement that he accepts responsibility for his actions. If that entails some sort of legal punishment, I am sure he will step up to the bat.

[dustind]

I could care less about him actually using drugs, but since he feels everyone else should be locked up, he should too. He is just a pathetic lowlife hypocrite who deserves nothing less than ten years in jail for what he did.

CMichael: The answer is simply the war on drugs. You can only get so much for so long before you are cut off. I have a friend who after a major car accident(it took him six years to relearn to walk), and a hereditary illness lives in constant pain to the point where he can barely function. He would be much better if he could get more meds, but by law he is only allowed so much a day.

[Art Eatman]

While probably not to the same degree as Limbaugh, it's a bigger problem than most folks probably think. Heck, it's probably bigger than I think, as far as the number of "nice" people with similar problems stemming from the same sort of event...

Lotta post-surgery pain medication is highly addictive.

Art

[atek3]

According to the LAW he does warrant punishment, however unless he got busted by either a crazy drug warrior or a democrat :) he won't be seriously prosecuted. And if he is he'll get a vacation at the Betty Ford center.
either way it doesn't matter. Meanwhile for non-celeb's, almost half of all federal prisoners are in the joint for drug "crimes", and the US has the WORLD'S HIGHEST RATE OF INCARCERATION. More than China, Iran, North Korea, or any of the other "Unfree" countries out there.

atek3

[Keith]

Is that your opinion or his? I saw in his statement that he accepts responsibility for his actions.

Really? He turned over his stash to the police and made a full confession? I suppose he'll plead guilty for each of several hundred drug buys at the upcoming trial...

Keith

[atek3]

problem is dustin...tolerance. If you really have chronic pain you can keep ramping up the dosage but eventually it does no good, then when you try to kick a gram a day morphine habit, you're screwed.

atek3

[atek3]

the phraise "highly addictive" is quite relative. The governments own data suggests that nicotine is more addictive than opiates or cocaine. Plenty of former heroin addicts will tell you they'd much rather kick dope than cigs.
Although not having gone through the withdrawl of either, I don't know with certainty.


atek3

[bountyhunter]

Back to the point. If Rush went to a doctor and said 'hey doc, I need pills', and the doctor didn't put that in Rush's Federal Patient Record he could be fined or lose his license. Drug Addicts, including Rush, would likely try and avoid most pro-government doctors.

A doctor may have written the first scrip, but the news today showed there is ample evidence the rest was obtained illegally. His housekeeper was his connection at one point and they already have a bunch of e-mails between them about "restocking" the "little blues".

And BTW: Rush's sudden attack of honesty is due to the fact that there has been an ongoing investigation and some of it has been leaked to the tabloids. The lead investigator today said it forced them to change the investigation. Rush knows he's a dead man as far as an indictment, and he is playing for public sympathy.

[rock jock]

Really? He turned over his stash to the police and made a full confession? I suppose he'll plead guilty for each of several hundred drug buys at the upcoming trial...
:rolleyes: Being responsible does not mean he gives up his 5A rights. It does mean that he accepts whatever punishment the legal system administers.

[Keith]

It doesn't matter if you start taking drugs for physical or psychological pain.

It's all the same thing. The only problem (for others) that drug addicts create is the crime associated with getting the money for their addiction. If you end the "war on drugs" you'll reduce the cost of the substances, and reduce the social chaos that cost creates.

I don't really think Rush should go to jail. I just think he should admit that his opinion on the subject is hypocritical.

The illegality didn't stop Rush, and it sure won't stop some ghetto teenager.

Addictive drugs should be prescribed and sold at small profit. Use the profit to offer counseling, etc. If the addict doesn't want the counseling, let them die.

As it is now, the rest of us support the drug addict with what he steals from us.

Keith

[rock jock]

The governments own data suggests that nicotine is more addictive than opiates or cocaine.
Uh-huh. How many folks have died from kicking their smoking habit?

[Keith]

Being responsible does not mean he gives up his 5A rights. It does mean that he accepts whatever punishment the legal system administers.

Right, the legal system should only be used against non-celebrity drug addicts...

Keith

[rock jock]

The illegality didn't stop Rush
It didn't? It has forced him to publically acknowledge his problem and enter a 30-day treatment center to hopefully end the addiction. Such drastic steps most certainly would not have taken place apart from the legal investigation.

[bountyhunter]

problem is dustin...tolerance. If you really have chronic pain you can keep ramping up the dosage but eventually it does no good, then when you try to kick a gram a day morphine habit, you're screwed.

Common misconception. research from other countries where pain killers are actually used for severe pain has shown that people with very high pain levels do not become physically addicted the same way recreational users do, even when on very high levels of opiates. There is some kind of brain effect that changes in those patients experiencing severe pain making them less likely to become addicted. Not only that, they don't show the "high" effects that recreational users do at the same dosages.

As for addiction, most of it depends on the person. I have had severe back pain for about 20 years involving the sciatic nerves and other spinal nerves. I have used Darvon, Codeine and Vicodin and never become addicted. I also have severe migraines, and use it for that on occasion. But the Vicodin bottle I have is about two years old and still has pills in it.

[rock jock]

Being responsible does not mean he gives up his 5A rights. It does mean that he accepts whatever punishment the legal system administers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Right, the legal system should only be used against non-celebrity drug addicts...
Huh? How does this comment respond to my post?

[sch40]

My uncle just kicked a rather high morphine habit. He started because he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and was going to go through radiation and chemotherapy (to those of you who don't know, multiple myeloma is basically a death sentance -- the hope is that you can survive for about 4 years if you decide to seek therapy). Since he is a doctor himself, he doubled his dose. This enabled him to do all of the things he would normally do around the house, like mow the lawn, clean the boat -- all the things he really shouldn't have been doing (multiple myeloma makes all of your bones as brittle as if you have osteoperosis). Most of the family took the "tsk, tsk" attitude behind his back, but at the same time, the guy is dying! What can you say? If his own blood is trying to kill him, what do a few bone fractures matter for the time. At any rate, after the doctor gave him a pretty good lifespan prediction, he kicked the habit and is now back at work part time.

...er, what was I saying? oh yeah:
Government regulation does not promote responsible use (just the opposite, in fact) -- awareness and education are always better (this board should know that well ;) )

[bountyhunter]

The governments own data suggests that nicotine is more addictive than opiates or cocaine.


Uh-huh. How many folks have died from kicking their smoking habit?

It's true the physical effects of withdrawal from Heroin are worse than nicotine. In fact, withdrawal from alcohol addiction is almost as bad as heroin.

However: every addict I have ever heard says the same thing: nicotine is the hardest to kick. How many have I heard? Quite a few. My brother runs a house for the Aquarian Effort and most of the "guests" have been addicted to heroin, meth, cocaine, caffeine, and nicotine at various times. They say nicotine is the worst.

[Keith]

It didn't? It has forced him to publically acknowledge his problem and enter a 30-day treatment center to hopefully end the addiction.

It was his public exposure that changed his tune. It's been illegal since he started doing it!

If the drug was legal, he'd still face the same SOCIAL sanctions as he does now. And he'd still have the same pressure to kick his habit.

I hope he kicks his habit and comes back strong. I also hope the experience changes his tune about the war on drugs.

I understand and forgive his addiction, I just question his hypocrisy!

Keith

[Combat-wombat]

Rush really had courage to admit this. He's doing the right thing.

[atek3]

Keith I think you are partially missing the point. As long as someone (a doctor, a bureaucrat, or a cop) tells someone you can't buy that (gun, drug, consentual sex), we will still have dangerous black markets. Why would YOU want your name to be on a list of "Drug Addicts" in the government's database after going to a doctor? Few people would. And as long as drugs remain "controlled substances" they have to be registered and tracked just like firearms under gun control laws. Legalize drugs, and the price will fall to their fair market value, so a day's supply of heroin should cost about two dollars. What addict can't afford two dollars? Don't believe me? Picture a bottle of aspirin. How much does it cost? It may sound strange to you, but producing Heroin is cheaper than producing asprin. And thanks to the miracle of the free market, the price would be driven down through competition. "Buy only Bayer brand Heroin, we invented it."
(Heroin is Bayer's tradename for diacetylmorphine, so technically it should have a little Heroin(tm) after it :) )

atek3

[SaintofKillers]

I think that some of you are passing judgement on the man a little too soon. this was not a recreational drug that he was on. And try living with back pain, there aint nothing like it except for maybe taking a gunshot to the kneecap. At least the guy wasnt like some of the A*&hole celebs that beat the girlfriends, cheat on their wives, and do a host of other things, go into rehab and then come out and say Sorry I was an As&*hole Im all better now. Robert Downey Jr has been in rehab several times it does him no good. Drugs are a serious problem but this countries way of dealing with it is a joke. The average shmo goes to prison and the celebs get sympathy from the sheeple. I am not saying that he is anybetter than those celebs but at least he was man enough to admit that he has a problem and is trying to address it. Go to an AA meeting and see how people deal with their addiction, its heartbreaking. Had a friend in my early years as a self proclaimed outlaw biker that had a heroin addiction, Friends and i tried to get him help. I dont think that it took, havent talked to him in years. watching someone try to kick it is tough. On an interesting note rent the movie Trainspotting, its an accurate depiction of drug addiction and what its like to get the monkey off your back.

[atek3]

actually rock-jock you are wrong. Only two common withdrawls can kill you, alcohol and barbituates. Opiates, cocaine, nicotine, and meth, all will really screw you up for a few weeks, but have never killed ANYONE from withdrawl.

atek3

[Waitone]

A few random observations come to mind. No particular order:

--Rush fessed up after being outted, not before.

--IIRC federal law draws a distinction between users of heavy duty prescription drugs and vendors of said drugs. In other words the federales want to exhibit some degree of mercy on someone who gets hooks because of medical reasons. Don't know about Florida which is conducting the investigation.

--Doctors practice preventive medicine by under prescribing heavy duty drugs because of the helpful DEA tendency to harass doctors who prescribe certain classes of drugs. From what I understand about the only doctors who don't get intently second guessed by your helpful DEA agent are those doctors who practice in pain management. Evidently you can be a cutter but there are limits to what a cutter can prescribe to deal with major pain. Seems there are lots of people out there who are in constant, bone-crushing pain because of the federal government. Who knows what Florida's laws are.

--His up-fessing of today was permitted by his attorney. Is checking into a rehab clinic a way to keep state investigators at bay? Don't know. If he needed to go to rehab, why now and now 1 month ago?

--If the pain has its genesis in a spinal operation 5 years ago (an I know the ungodly pain that can result by aiding my mother through 3 major spinal surgeries) and the pain is getting worse due to bulging disc in his neck (again I know the level and effect of pain), THEN why did he move to Florida and proceed to play golf frequently and publically during the time he became dependent upon pain relievers? Golf is tough on the spine. Shooting would involve much less torsion of the spine than golf. Even skeet is less twisting. This one don't add up.

[spartacus2002]

There is a BIG difference between someone whose body becomes physically addicted to a legally prescribed painkiller, and someone who wants to randomly get high by smoking a joint. He wasn't taking the pills for fun, but for pain management -- and then his body physiologically became addicted. If you don't agree with me that it can happen, then may I check you into a 30 day rehab program to get you to kick the oxygen habit?

The bigger picture is this: the War on Drugs is ridiculous. Rush has been fully functional for months/years despite being addicted to a strong painkiller. His supporters are coming out of the woodwork, saying he needs help and treatment, not punishment. How many of them have said the same for poor Willy the crack addict? Few; instead many of them advocate mandatory minimums, three-strikes-you're-out, and civil asset forfeitures assisted by men in masks with submachineguns.

I don't give a damn if anyone wants to get high, stoned, etc., just so long as they don't get behind the wheel of a car -- and if the fear of that is anyone's justification for the War on Drugs, then let's either ban cars or ban alcohol too.

[Keith]

Why would YOU want your name to be on a list of "Drug Addicts" in the government's database after going to a doctor? Few people would.

I used to buy morphine from government supply when I was in the Coast Guard. It cost $1.25 for a syrette, and was much cheaper if bought in a vial.

If I were to buy it on the street it would cost $50 or a $100...

The average drug addict is going to buy the $1.25 drug instead of the $50 drug. The average drug addict is already well known to the government - he/she has a record as long as your arm for theft, burglary, prostitution or possession... all because he/she needed money to buy that $50 street drug every day.

Keith

[rock jock]

It was his public exposure that changed his tune. It's been illegal since he started doing it!
It may have been illegal, but his scrutiny by LE only recently began, directly leading him to confront the problem. As for public exposure, he would never have received any if it weren't for the LE investigation, thus proving my point.

[JohnBT]

For example, most of the newer formulations like oxycodone (as Rush was "taking) do not depress the Central Nervous System as heroin or morphine do. In other words, you can take quite a bit of it and not be drowsy or nodding off - you just feel "good" and energetic, powerful, etc."

Well, now that's a line of nonsense based on my current experience. I've been taking it for the past 11 days and I sure don't feel good, energetic or powerful. All I feel is this G-D hip and leg pain. I can walk about 20 feet a few times a day and stand up straight every few hours. Can't sit at all.

My first MRI is tommorow at 3. That G-D hurricane messed with the orthopaedist's schedule and knocked out the power to the MRI facility for 11 days.

John

[Keith]

As for public exposure, he would never have received any if it weren't for the LE investigation, thus proving my point.

You mean his supplier wouldn't have sold the story to the National Enquirer? You may want to think about that...

Keith

[rock jock]

You mean his supplier wouldn't have sold the story to the National Enquirer? You may want to think about that...
So, the fact that a perpetrator of a crime isn't caught immediately invalidates the law making it a crime? You realize how ludicrous this sounds, don't you? Besides, you comment once again doesn't address the point - that Rush only confronted this in a manner that (hopefully) will lead to the end of his addiction after faced with the consequences of public exposure and legal punishment. If legal, he most likely would blissfully continue in his addiction.

[atek3]

But I'm saying the only reason it is 50 dollars on the street is drug prohibition. Repeal prohibition. Walk up to the pharmacy counter at walgreens, ask for a morphine syrette, walk out $2 poorer. And actually NONE of the addicts I've known have rap sheets. You have to be one pretty screwed up addict to go down that far. Most of the 'suburban' addicts I've known have held down jobs, and when they wanted to quit, they (grudgingly) quit. These weren't chippers either these were fully habituated addicts. On the other hand, ALL of the addicts I've known when forced into rehab by their parents or schools, relapsed every time. Good luck, Rush.

atek3

[Keith]

that Rush only confronted this in a manner that (hopefully) will lead to the end of his addiction after faced with the consequences of public exposure and legal punishment.

You're confused. Rush is a rich man and as such has ZERO chance of being incarcerated for his addiction. He is kicking the habit because of his public exposure as an addict and that would be true whether he was addicted to a legal or illegal substance.

Keith

[Navy joe]

So let me get this straight. Marijuana, Oxycodone, Vicodin, et. al are bad, but it's perfectly okay to take Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Ritalin, Viagra and everything else? We are a society of addicts. People take a pill for everything and the line between good pill and bad pill is pretty arbitrary. Most common addiction I see is Motrin. People eat it like it came in a Pez dispenser. No physical addiction but it's all in their head. They like peeing out what's left of their liver and kidneys I guess.

[Kestryll]

Navy Joe is right, we are a nation of addicts.
How many here have worked in a pharmacy and seen how much Vicodan goes out the door? How about Oxycodone? How about T-3's and 4's?
How many have seen 'Mom' come in to pick up the family scripts, her 3 and Dad's 2 and the kids 1 to 3 each? Kids in elementary school jackets and back packs coming in to get their meds.
I can think of a few dozen people who I handed Vic's, Oxycodone and T's to for over 3 years straight. Of course it was all legit, every time we would call the Doctor for refills it was "Sure give them this one and three more." Every single one of them started with a real serious injury and just kept going. Now to be honest 4 or 5 of them will be on pain meds for life, that is just the nature of their disease or injury. Oddly these are the one's that were always trying to stop taking the pills or to find other meds to transition to.
If the Feds really are looking into over-prescribing then they seem to have missed the L.A. area entirely. These Doc's have rubber stamps for the prescription LITERALLY! Ka-chunk! here ya' go!

I would put a large part of the blame on the Doc who okayed the refills. "Well it wasn't his refills." Yeah whatever, somebody signed off on a prescription made out to whomever to allow more and more and more and that's who needs to be slapped.

[son of a gun]

I can just imagine a bunch legal drug addicts doing crazy things since drug addicts can't have guns, the goverment could just legalize drugs and legally take so called addicts guns.
They keep lowering the thresh hole for blood alcohol levels it use to be .010 but in most places it's been lowered to .008, for DUI.

[publius]

When did Rush do this?


When confronted by the observation that the drug war, both historically (http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm) and in modern times, is mostly waged as a racist, us-vs-them enterprise, his solution was that we shouldn't lock up fewer black people, we should lock up more white people.

I wonder now if Rush will loose his gun rights being technically a drug addict?


I'd guess the answer is yes, unless he decides to lie on the form where you have to swear under oath that you're not an addict.

It didn't? It has forced him to publically acknowledge his problem and enter a 30-day treatment center to hopefully end the addiction. Such drastic steps most certainly would not have taken place apart from the legal investigation.....If legal, he most likely would blissfully continue in his addiction.

Possibly, though some of the stigma of hypocrisy would be removed if he hadn't been a strong supporter of prohibition all these years. There would still be the same social stigma we attach to alcoholics, so he'd most likely remain "in the closet."

atek makes a good point, though. Most rehab programs have pretty high failure rates. Could that be because only people who are really sick of addiction and really want to go to rehab can be helped?

Picture a bottle of aspirin. How much does it cost? It may sound strange to you, but producing Heroin is cheaper than producing asprin. And thanks to the miracle of the free market, the price would be driven down through competition.

You're missing a couple of factors. One would be a heavy sin tax. You don't really think we'd get away without one of those, do you? Another would be the lawyers. Sell something known to be dangerous, you're a target, and that's expensive. To eliminate the black market, sin taxes would have to be kept low enough that evading them isn't worth the effort and risk. I don't know how we'd keep legal expenses low enough. It's probably cheaper to evade US Customs for a year than to hire a good lawyer for a month. Loser pays? Kill all the lawyers (except, of course, those in my immediate family).

I enjoy Rush's show. I enjoy it more when Walter Williams sits in, so I'll have a good month here. I hope he kicks his addiction, though I note that it hasn't prevented him from putting on a good show these past few years.

I've scarcely seen any mention of the aspect of prohibition that offends me most.I wonder how much of Rush's property is about to become government property (http://www.fear.org/hadaway.html)?

[semf]

post deleted because I'm in a better mood now,

[Vitamin G]

I'm a drug and alcohol addictions counselor. I think alot of people choose to "blame" the addict for the disease of addiction. First, let me explain the disease concept of addiction.
Addiction is progressive - it will continue to get worse as time goes on, if left untreated
Addiction is chronic - Addiction, like cancer, will be with you for the rest of your life. Some are lucky and force it into remission.
Addiction is terminal - Addiction WILL kill you if left untreated. Like cancer.
Addiction is NOT curable - but it is very much treatable.

When working with my clients, I like to first explain why relapses are so common, and how the government can be so satisfied with the HORRIBLE chances of recovery in addicts, and continue to fund it.

I like to take myself for example... I LOVE to play paintball. (You, reading this, probably LOVE to go shooting) What if I told you that right now, you should never go shooting again in your life. Not even "just" .22 rimfire, because it will lead you back to the bigger calibers.
Now imagine I actually DID convince you, and you swore to give up shooting for the rest of your life. After all, its expensive. You probably give up alot of time with your family, unless they *use* firearms with you. You have possibly been hurt in the past by a firearm (maybe its a blister, rebound at the indoor range, or some fool with a crappy ejector chunking some hot brass down your shirt), but continue to go shooting. (I personally tore my ACL while playing paintball. I'm counting down the days of the remaining 6 months until I can go play again).

Now look at all the bad things!
But that doesn't mean that when you WERE shooting, its all of a sudden not fun!
No. Cravings to go to the range would return. Urges to visit the gun store would come. You'd encounter triggers in your every day life. Imagine giving up shooting forever, pick a reason why, but when you choose to give it up, you were at your peak. Obviously you'd miss it. Now imagine missing it, driving to work, and hearing Ted Nugent on the radio. Still giving it up? Imagine coming home from work, eating dinner, and walking through the room where your reloading bench USED to be (You sold it along with your other gun paraphenalia).

The first step in Narcotics Anonymous is to admit your powerlessness over your addiction. Hopefully Mr. Limbaugh will be able to do this, and I wish him a speedy, lifelong recovery. Personally, I feel that he will struggle with his addiction far more than the average street addict.
After all, how many street addicts could withdraw $1000 from an ATM with the thought of "Its only $1000. No one will even miss it"

Good luck Rush! Bad things happen to good people.

[BryanP]

NavyJoe said:

Most common addiction I see is Motrin. People eat it like it came in a Pez dispenser. No physical addiction but it's all in their head. They like peeing out what's left of their liver and kidneys I guess.

Depends on why you take it. Speaking as a 35 year old who has been in slowly increasing amounts of chronic pain from arthritis since I was a teenager I can tell you that Ibuprofen is one of the things that makes my life tolerable. Both hands hurt right now, actually. I'll go have a snack to help insulate my stomach and pop 800mg before bed to get me through the night.

Oh, and ibuprofen has the same effect as aspirin - primarily it causes stomach trouble by decreasing the protection in your stomach from your own digestive acids. It's Tylenol/Acetaminophen that can easily destroy your liver if taken in too high a quantity.

As for Rush's situation, speaking as a former fan who became highly angry at him over a non-political comment he made on the radio back in the early 90's that made me see him for the shallow, callow, and just plain rotten excuse for a person he really is, I still feel some sympathy for him. I have not been in his situation but a someone close to me has been. This person was hospitalized for a couple of weeks and came out of it addicted to prescription pain medications. While I may not like him, I've seen the effects this can have and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.