TheAgitator.com
Police Chief Trades Guns, Cash for Pain Meds
Friday, January 4th, 2008Acting Killian, Louisiana Police Chief Joseph Guy Crawford Jr., wanted them for his wife, who apparently couldn’t get medication in the quantities she needed to alleviate her pain.
The chief’s actions were obviously careless, reckless, and criminal. But they’re also very sad. The story’s an example of just how difficult it is for people in pain to find relief, a problem that has only worsened with all of the high-profile arrests and harassment of doctors by federal and state authorities. It’s also indicative of the level of desperation some of these people and those who care about them can reach as access to the drugs they need to lead normal lives gets increasingly difficult.
It’s not clear if this is also a case of embezzlement or just a drug purchase: were the weapons government property, or were they his own personal property?
In any case I’d bet that the government agents insisted that weapons be part of the payment in order to trigger the “use of a firearm” sentencing enhancement of federal law, because apparently bartering a weapon away is “using” it (but apparently receiving the firearm in the trade does not involve “using” it).
I wonder why a SWAT team didn’t bust down his door in the middle of the night and terrorize him and his wife at gunpoint?
Don’t give them any ideas, Zappa…
They probably raided the wrong house and shot a dog, then decided fuck it.
No wait — more probable: he didn’t have any good assets to seize cuz he already sold them all for painkillers.
the idea that you can’t get sufficient pain pills from a doctor is a crock; I am speaking from personal experience. Too many pills just make you worse; go see a dr/clinic that specializes in chronic pain; there is help available; just swallowing huge amounts of pills is not the answer.
This cop likely busted lots of “stoners” in his career.
Hypocrite.
Fuck him.
While I might not choose the Anglo-Saxon term Frank did, I agree with him. Nuts to the cop. I sincerely hope he learns first hand how it is to live like the common people. That he does not get a pass because he carries tin.
In fact I hope more and more cops find out how the rest of us live, and learn hard.
maxnnr,
When you suffer from chronic pain, that keeps you bedfast all day, then you might have a right to contribute. That is why one of my relatives cannot get pain medication, even when she has terminal cancer! But, to make generalizations about pain care, with medications, is just adding to the lying propaganda that is spread daily by unwise (ignorant) doctors, the DEA, and drug task forces all over this country. Want to tell people how to be treated. Get an MD!
Otherwise,whta little wisdom you have, is usesless!
One of my friends is dying of pancreatic cancer at this time; at home with hospice and iv pain killers. Go find another dr.
Isn’t buying “fake hydrocodone” akin to “arranging sex with a minor when in fact talking online with a 33 year old male cop?”
Also, sometimes people dying of cancer are in such pain that even the most potent “cocktails” (various painkillers mixed together) can’t stop the pain. Puts the doctor in a very difficult position; if he/she keeps increasing the painkillers, he may kill the patient; if he doesn’t, the pain continues. Nasty ethical/legal dilemma for the dr.
I am a family physician and lost my license because of an unscrupulous attorney, an equally unscrupulous social worker, and a misguided addiction physician who didn’t seem to know the difference between the definitions of “addiction,” “tolerance,” and “dependance”. To start, they are:
DEPENDANCE: Physical effects, such as unpleasant withdrawal symptoms (nausea, recurrence of pain), occur if narcotic medication is taken away from a patient too rapidly. Occurs regardless of whether a patient takes the medication for legitimate pain treatment or for recreational purposes. The use of the medication, makes the quality of life better for the pain patient, after the period of tolerance has developed. Once the pain is under control, the dosage increases can level off and there is “generally” not a need for further dosage increases unless circustances change (such as weather, activity, etc change which can affect the patient’s need for increases in pain medication, sometimes just temporarily). Remember: Use of med IMPROVES quality of life!
TOLERANCE: The side effects diminish after beginning treatment with narcotic medication for legitimate pain management. Most commonly, pain patients do not experience sedation, poor motor function, or loss of mental functioning after a brief acclimation period (approximately 1 week) when taking legitimate narcotics for legitimate purposes. Constipation often still continues (does not develop tolerance). Those taking narcotics recreationally tend not to develop tolerance as they are more likely to continue to increase their dosages and continue to get sleepy, for example.
ADDICTION: The desire for the effects of the medication (highs, euphoria, etc) are continually desired by the person despite the negatives the person experiences (sedation, poor motor skills, etc). Drug cravings and the desire for high strengths occur continue to occur with little “leveling off”. Will still desire higher dosages DESPITE NEGATIVE QUALITY OF LIFE.
“PSEUDOADDICTION”: This is the most frustrating for both the patient and physician. The patient legitimately NEEDS a higher dosage of medication to control pain BUT the physician does not recognize it for what it is and believes the patient just WANTS more medication for its own sake and is “addicted” when he/she truly is not; hence, the term “pseudoaddiction”. May take changing doctors or asking doctor to please try highest dose for two weeks on the most maximum dosage possible, if not on that already, or 50% higher dose increase. Patient MUST work with same doctor for at least 6 months and have an excellent relationship–including the ability to talk honestly with him/her about private matters to suggest such a thing.
These people determined they were duty bound to “protect” my area of the country from “this dangerous physician” because a patient stated I appeared sleepy when seeing her at the patient’s request at 9:30 pm when I gave the patient the choice of staying to see me or going to the ER when she arrived at my office several hours earlier without an appointment and asked to be seen for a possible pneumonia. She never once complained about the care she received.
The addiction doc was apparently unaware of these terms for he turned me into the equally uninformed medical licensing board. Had they all been aware that “tolerance” to the sedative effects of narcotics results when long-term consumers of narcotics consume such products for a period longer than 7 to 10 days, there would have been no concern at all about my mental status when seeing patients. I had taken narcotics for several years and had no sedative effect from them at all. I got a bit sleepy at 9:30pm like any normal person! The fact that was also under the care of a pain physician and deemed to be on appropriate medication and not abusing them was not mentioned!
In my area there are so few physicians willing to manage patients in chronic pain that losing me has caused a great hardship for those in pain, as well as those patients I treated for many other conditions afflicting these people. This board action most definitely did not “save the people of ‘xxx’ from a dangerous doctor”. It took away excellent medical care from a group of people who had counted on it, causing them a great medical misfortune. It was over 2 years after the complaint was initiated before I actually did lose my license. I was told it was because I “hadn’t complied” with something I had never been formally asked to do. My original attorney, my husband, and I all agree I was never contacted about this and was never asked to comply with this request by a certain date. How could I comply with something I’d not been told to do?
Oh well. When this is all resolved, and I am confident it will be resolved in my favor in the near future, I am determined to become a speaker for both physicians and the lay public about treating pain. I’ve “been there/done that” from both sides. I just need someone to back me and support me. I am as honest as the day is long, as they say. I have faith that my story will be heard and will want to be heard by the right people. I want to help those in need of pain relief, those who want to help patients get the relief they know how to give, and all those somewhere in the middle.
I’m here, in the middle, ready to help, in an honest way, those who need it.
Doc Debbee