Drugs Saves/Takes Lives –
July 3, 2018 – Even asking how best to wean drug abusers off opioids can raise hackles. Addiction specialists have straddled a philosophical divide over the use of pharmaceuticals in the process. But the side advocating against medication assisted treatment is shrinking in Tennessee and nationwide. One line of thinking is that freedom from all drugs is the only real recovery. So it’s been difficult for those with that mindset to embrace special opioids that tame the cravings and ward off the misery of withdrawal sickness. “Actually it’s in my pocket,” says Chris Dummer, a manager at a Nashville deli, pulling out a container on his keyring that holds his daily dose. He dissolves one small pill under his tongue each morning. “There’s a lot of power in that tiny package.”
