Addict Quote by Maia Szalavitz
“Because of the war on drugs, pain patients are treated with skepticism and pain doctors live in fear of being prosecuted for overprescribing. The end result is that addicts still get their opioids without much trouble, while genuine patients often can't find treatment. Those who do must typically be tracked in a database and must schedule frequent, expensive doctor visits for surveillance like urine testing.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Unbroken Brain, 2015
Drug policies create fear and surveillance, limiting genuine patients' access while failing to curb abuse.
In simple terms: Policy harms patients and fails to stop misuse.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for humane pain management policies.
Themes
health policy
patient rights
stigma
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
policy
healthcare
When to use this quote
- clinical practice
- policy reform
- patient advocacy
- law enforcement
- public health
Key Concepts
opioid crisis
medical ethics
regulation
surveillance
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we protect patients without over‑policing?
- What alternatives to surveillance exist?
A Different Perspective
Balancing safety and access is complex.
