Analyzing the Opioid Crisis: 65 Articles by Dr. Josh Bloom

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ACSH has been writing about the now disastrous consequences of withholding opioid pain medications from pain patients with legitimate needs since 2013 (1) – well before most other organizations. Since this time Dr. Josh Bloom, our director of chemical pharmaceutical research, has published about 20 newspaper op-eds on the mismanagement of opioid policy and 65 articles for the ACSH site. 

We are publishing his works as a media reference guide. To simplify the search for a specific topic we have divided his writings into 8 broad categories, A through G, which are indicated in parentheses after the title. Many articles fall into multiple categories. 

We believe that some of these articles represent groundbreaking material that was not previously covered by other writers. These are bolded. 

Article Categorization:

  1.  - Intentional manipulation of statistics and lies that created a false narrative of the opioid crisis
  2. - The demonization of opioid drugs and other controlled substances
  3. - Opioid alternatives – plusses and minuses
  4. - Denial of pain relief
  5. - Flawed public policy
  6. - Fentanyl and its analogs
  7. - Flawed studies and faulty media reporting
  8. - General bad science

*Bold - Key article

The Great Opioid Shakedown of 2019 Will Be a Pyrrhic 'Victory (E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/08/28/great-opioid-shakedown-2019-will-be-pyrrhic-victory-14252

The Lunacy Continues - Now It's Music Instead Of Sedatives Before Surgery (B)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/08/04/lunacy-continues-now-its-music-instead-sedatives-surgery-14195

Florida Officials Successfully Withheld Pain Meds From Surgical Patients. Aren't They Special? (E) (D)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/07/30/florida-officials-successfully-withheld-pain-meds-surgical-patients-arent-they-special-14191

A Royal Pain: Opioid BS From The BBC (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/07/24/royal-pain-opioid-bs-bbc-14172

Surgeon General Backpedals On Flawed Tylenol Study. Because Of ACSH. (B)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/07/15/surgeon-general-backpedals-flawed-tylenol-study-because-acsh-14153

Dr. Aric Hausknecht Responds To SG Jerome Adams' Tylenol Recommendation (B)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/07/12/dr-aric-hausknecht-responds-sg-jerome-adams-tylenol-recommendation-14149

Need General Surgery? Ignore The Surgeon General (B)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/07/08/need-general-surgery-ignore-surgeon-general-14135

Advil As A Substitute For Opioids? NY Times' Gina Kolata 'Busts' One Myth With Another (C, G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/07/02/advil-substitute-opioids-ny-times-gina-kolata-busts-one-myth-another-14130

Overdoses Are 'Falling.' But What Does That Really Mean? (A)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/06/26/overdoses-are-falling-what-does-really-mean-14116

Oh-Klahoma! 8 Questions J&J Should Ask Andrew Kolodny (A, B)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/06/18/oh-klahoma-8-questions-jj-should-ask-andrew-kolodny-14100

'Opioid Cutoff' Article Tells Us How Badly Pain Patients Were Harmed. Too Bad Kolodny Was Included. (A, D)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/05/22/opioid-cutoff-article-tells-us-how-badly-pain-patients-were-harmed-too-bad-kolodny-was-included-14043

Neurontin: The Darling Of The Anti-Opioid Crowd. But Does It Work? (C)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/05/07/neurontin-darling-anti-opioid-crowd-does-it-work-14005

Sen. Gillibrand's Anti-Opioid Mentality Will Hurt Women (E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/03/25/sen-gillibrands-anti-opioid-mentality-will-hurt-women-13905

Oral And IV Tylenol Work *Equally* Well For Hip Replacement Pain - But Do They Work At All? (B, G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/03/13/oral-and-iv-tylenol-work-equally-well-hip-replacement-pain-do-they-work-all-13877

My Response To The Times Article About Opioid 'Good News Bad News' (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/03/07/my-response-times-article-about-opioid-good-news-bad-news-13861

Johnson & Johnson's Shameless Exploitation Of The Opioid Crisis (C)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/02/26/johnson-johnsons-shameless-exploitation-opioid-crisis-13832

Heroin Pills Are Now A Reality - Is Andrew Kolodny Finally Happy? (A, E, F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/02/20/heroin-pills-are-now-reality-andrew-kolodny-finally-happy-13825

Woeful In Wisconsin - WISN's Opioid Story Is Jawbreakingly Idiotic (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/02/06/woeful-wisconsin-wisns-opioid-story-jawbreakingly-idiotic-13782

An Opioid Study So Bad That It Disproves Itself? (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/01/23/opioid-study-so-bad-it-disproves-itself-13753

CNN: Opioid Overdoses Kill More People Than... Food? (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/01/14/cnn-opioid-overdoses-kill-more-people-food-13725

Sen. Ron Wyden Smears Opioid Task Force. Why? (E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/12/28/sen-ron-wyden-smears-opioid-task-force-why-13686

Dear PROP/CDC - Here's What Happens When You Over-Restrict Pills: More Deaths. Nice Going. (A,B,D,F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/12/12/dear-propcdc-heres-what-happens-when-you-over-restrict-pills-more-deaths-nice-going-13663

Do Opioid Scripts For Tooth Extraction Really Cause Abuse, Or Just Useless Numbers? (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/12/06/do-opioid-scripts-tooth-extraction-really-cause-abuse-or-just-useless-numbers-13647

Organic Chemistry Can Defeat Any Fentanyl Agreement (F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/12/05/organic-chemistry-can-defeat-any-fentanyl-agreement-13645

Who Is Telling The Truth About Prescription Opioid Deaths? DEA? CDC? Neither? (A, B)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/11/05/who-telling-truth-about-prescription-opioid-deaths-dea-cdc-neither-13569

Opioid Policies Based On Morphine Milligram Equivalents Are Automatically Flawed (H)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/10/23/opioid-policies-based-morphine-milligram-equivalents-are-automatically-flawed-13529

Foolish US Drug Policies Keep Making Things Worse - Now It's Meth (Again) (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/09/27/foolish-us-drug-policies-keep-making-things-worse-now-its-meth-again-13450

Former CDC Head Tom Frieden Is Back In The News, And It Isn't For His Terrible Science (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/08/24/former-cdc-head-tom-frieden-back-news-and-it-isnt-his-terrible-science-13355

Shades Of Tuskegee - Oregon's Monstrous Experiments On Poor Pain Patients (B,D,E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/08/15/shades-tuskegee-oregon-experiments-poor-pain-patients-13315

Feds Double Down On Pills As Fentanyl Deaths Double (E,F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/07/12/government-doubles-down-pills-fentanyl-deaths-double-13190

Fentanyl 101- Let's Clean Up The Terminology (F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/07/02/fentanyl-101-lets-clean-terminology-13141

The Madness Continues: FDA Opioids Advisory Panels Must Be Stoned (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/06/27/madness-continues-fda-opioids-advisory-panels-must-be-stoned-13124

For Pain Care, Race Shouldn't Matter. But It Does (D,E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/06/05/pain-care-race-shouldnt-matter-it-does-12969

Wanna Get The Opioid Mess All Wrong? Ask Keith Humphreys (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/05/29/wanna-get-opioid-mess-all-wrong-keith-humphreys-your-man-13028

Big Brother Walmart Is Watching Your Meds Very Carefully. And Not Just Painkillers (B)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/05/11/big-brother-walmart-watching-your-meds-very-carefully-and-not-just-painkillers-12950

'Synthetic' And 'Opioids': Two Useless, Confusing Terms That Need To Go (F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/05/08/synthetic-and-opioids-two-useless-confusing-terms-need-go-12932

'Study Links Rising Heroin Deaths To 2010 OxyContin Reformulation.Duh.' (E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/04/09/study-links-rising-heroin-deaths-2010-oxycontin-reformulation-duh-12812

Fentanyl Sleuthing Gives Hints About Where It's Made – Sometimes (F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/03/22/how-fentanyl-metabolized-gives-hints-about-where-its-sometimes-12737

The CDC Quietly Admits It Screwed Up Counting Opioid Pills (A,E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/03/19/cdc-quietly-admits-it-screwed-dishonestly-counting-pills-12717

Dear CDC: What Will You Screw Up Next? Meth Is Back (E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/02/14/dear-cdc-what-will-you-screw-next-meth-back-12574

Runs On Imodium Before The FDA Clamps Down (B)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/01/30/runs-imodium-fda-clamps-down-12497

'Let Them Eat Aspirin' - Jeff Sessions' Painfully Ignorant Remarks (E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/02/09/let-them-eat-aspirin-jeff-sessions-painfully-ignorant-remarks-12556

Dear NY Times, Your Opioid Coverage Has Been Terrible. Here's Why (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/01/15/dear-ny-times-your-opioid-coverage-has-been-terrible-heres-why-12419

Neurontin: Over-Hyped And Underwhelming (C)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/12/26/neurontin-over-hyped-and-underwhelming-12242

Have A 'Fentanyl On A Shopping Cart' Question? Call ACSH (F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/11/10/have-fentanyl-shopping-cart-question-call-acsh-12131

Advil Works As Well As Opioids For Acute Pain? Not So Fast (C, G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/11/07/advil-works-well-opioids-acute-pain-not-so-fast-12089

ACSH Explains: What's The Difference Between Opioids And Opiates?

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/10/27/acsh-explains-whats-difference-between-opioids-and-opiates-12041

How Chinese Organic Chemists Get Away With Murder – Literally (F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/10/19/how-chinese-organic-chemists-get-away-murder-literally-11979

The Opioid Epidemic In 6 Charts Designed To Deceive You (A, B, E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/10/12/opioid-epidemic-6-charts-designed-deceive-you-11935

CVS's Transparent Opioid PR Stunt (C)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/09/28/cvss-transparent-opioid-pr-stunt-11880

Tylenol Isn't So Safe, But At Least It Works, Right? (C)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/09/18/tylenol-isnt-so-safe-least-it-works-right-11827

Is Tylenol 'By Far The Most Dangerous Drug Ever Made?' (C)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/09/11/tylenol-far-most-dangerous-drug-ever-made-11711

Heads In The Sand — The Real Cause Of Today's Opioid Deaths (A, E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/08/16/heads-sand-%E2%80%94-real-cause-todays-opioid-deaths-11681

Pain In The Time Of Opioid Denial: An Interview With Aric Hausknecht, M.D. (C, D)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/07/30/pain-time-opioid-denial-interview-aric-hausknecht-md-11628

Dear CDC, Why Are You Torturing Pain Patients? (D, E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/06/22/dear-cdc-why-are-you-torturing-pain-patients-11469

If You Think Fentanyl Is Bad... (F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/01/17/if-you-think-fentanyl-bad-10663

Opioid Denial: My Own Harrowing Experience (D)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/12/29/opioid-denial-my-own-harrowing-experience-10655

Have Opioid Restrictions Made Things Better Or Worse (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/11/03/have-opioid-restrictions-made-things-better-or-worse-10400

Merciless In Seattle: Untreated Pain, Misery, And Suicide (D)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/11/01/merciless-seattle-untreated-pain-misery-and-suicide-10389

Have Pain? Pick Your Poison (C)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/10/25/have-pain-pick-your-poison-10358

Gonna Throw Away Your Used Narcotics? (A,E)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/10/07/gonna-throw-away-your-used-narcotics-10270

Prince Was Killed By 'The Devil In The Room' (F)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/06/03/prince-was-killed-by-the-devil-in-the-room

Narcotics Overdose? Or Biased Reporting? (G)

https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/05/16/narcotics-overdose-or-biased-reporting

Opioid Abuse & Death: Nothing Close To A Good Answer

https://www.acsh.org/news/2015/12/29/opioid-abuse-and-death-nothing-close-to-a-good-answer

NOTE:

(1) See "New painful casualties of the drug war" New York Post, 12/3/13