New at Reason

December 13, 2006

Jacob Sullum checks in on the case of Richard Paey, the man sent to prison for attempting to relieve his pain.

Comments

|12.13.06 @ 7:28AM|#

You breaks the law you does the time, period, end of discussion.

J

|12.13.06 @ 7:29AM|#

All these here problems here what we got wit the drug is cause of the white mans predjudice.

|12.13.06 @ 7:57AM|#

You both are assholes.

Warren|12.13.06 @ 8:12AM|#

What kills me is the lack of outrage. It's just another day in these here United States. Move along people, nothing to see here.
Jesus H Kriste on a pogo stick, I need a drink.

|12.13.06 @ 8:51AM|#

I'm with Warren. This country likes to brag about how christian and free it is. I can imagine Albert Schweitzer giving this man the drugs to ameliorate his pain. And those cocksuckers in Florida would persecute...er.. prosecute him with the same righteous indignation they did with this poor guy.
Folks, all we are really free to do anymore is bitch, work 60 hours a week, and go to and fro therefrom.

|12.13.06 @ 10:16AM|#

"You breaks the law you does the time, period, end of discussion."

Paey is being punished. When people are collectively outraged, it's more American to say "open quote, beginning of discussion."

That said, I feel relatively alone in my outrage. People hear the word "drugs," don't know how to counter the negative connotation, and just throw up their hands. I sent the picture of the SWAT-guy with the machine gun on the peeing kid. His response? Well, they did have a legal warrant. Hmmpth.

|12.13.06 @ 10:19AM|#

don't forget free to be be in constant pain. this crap is (part of) why chronic pain sufferers like myself are unable to get any "doctor" to help, because believe me when i say (from bitter experience) there are no Schweitzers out there. my buddy thinks Paey is lucky: his wife committed suicide after years of chronic pain because they couldn't get a "doctor" to help. find me just one "doctor" with ethics & compassion and i'll remove the quotes...

|12.13.06 @ 10:37AM|#

don't forget free to be be in constant pain.

Yes, but are you not at least free of addiction? Many doctors feel that addictive pain relievers should only be used for terminal cancer or possibly short term, but never long term because of the risk of addiction. Also, they risk prison if authorities see them prescribe too much. That is why there are much safer drugs like the NSAIDS, aspirin and acetominophen for chronic use.

|12.13.06 @ 11:17AM|#

a. that is DEA propaganda. go educate yourself about chronic pain & addiction before offering up this sort of deep ignorance in public.

b. even if it were true, who cares about addiction when you are in so much pain that you pray for death every day? people will eventually get to the point of killing themselves over this kind of pain, how is that better than addiction?

c. try being more interested in the pain we feel 24/7 than what "doctors" feel (which certainly isn't compassion or any sense of ethics whatsoever). clearly you aren't - are you a "doctor", or just naturally uncaring?

d. those so-called "safer" drugs are not all safe for people in genuine chronic pain as overdosing on such things is dangerous and can even be lethal. this very easy to do when you have nothing else and just keep munching away on them and are in far too much pain to care if they are lethal...

|12.13.06 @ 12:01PM|#

a. that is DEA propaganda.

They are the experts, who are we to question them? Anything they do to keep us all off drugs is a good thing, I'm all for it.

b. even if it were true, who cares about addiction

Because addiction is morally wrong. Suffering is good for the soul.

c. try being more interested in the pain

Sometimes we have to do what is best for society at the expense of a few individuals.

d. those so-called "safer" drugs are not all safe

Yes but they are not addictive, so they are inherently safer.

|12.13.06 @ 12:01PM|#

I am being sarcastic.

uncle sam|12.13.06 @ 12:06PM|#

Is there a saracasm emoticon?

|12.13.06 @ 1:09PM|#

sorry, Juanita, you might be shocked at how many people say things like that and mean it, at least in other fora. uncle sam, we need that emoticon. i use a geeky tag (when i'm not being rabidly defensive).

|12.13.06 @ 2:14PM|#

Sorry for your condition, I hope policies change for the better.

|12.13.06 @ 2:48PM|#

clk,
A big part of the lack of "ethics and compassion" that your "doctors" are displaying is the fear of prosecution by the DEA or the local AG. They, like you, are trying to make a living and provide for thier families. They cannot do so behind bars for "trafficking and distribution" as a drug "kingpin".

It is not right that you should suffer. It is not right that the ONDCP/DEA is telling doctors how to practice. Neither Karen Tandy nor John Walters is a medical doctor, yet they insist they know what is best for patients, and that means locking them and thier doctors up for a very long time.

|12.14.06 @ 12:55AM|#

I posted this comment on another thread but by then the thread was almost dead.

It is important to point out these types of particularly egregious injustices in connection with the war on drugs. They kinds of cases make it glaringly obvious that government action in pursuit of pharmacological purity can be worse than people ingesting unconventional chemicals to alter their mood, sensations, or experiences. Hearing about incidents like this could induce some people who would not have otherwise thought about the issue to consider drug policy reform.

But it is also necessary to make the case for freedom of ingestion for competent adults on principle. The underlying premise of the drug war, that all ingesting of certain chemicals just for fun (or other non-health reason) is evil and stopping it is always a good cause, should be challenged.