Worldwide Opioid Pandemic

Suppose that the current opioid abuse epidemic that’s happening in the United States became a worldwide pandemic affecting nearly every region of the world. What would be the effects?
 
There would be a lot bigger crime syndicates. As it is, we are seeing billion dollar seizure makes me wonder how much is getting through.
 
Kabul looks like Dubai
But Opioid is factory-made, Worldwide Opioid addiction would actually means reduction of market for opium. Everybody would buy legal off-counter opioid sold by legitimate pharmaceutical companies.

Wikipedia :
Opioids are a diverse class of moderately strong painkillers, including oxycodone (commonly sold under the trade names OxyContin and Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco), and a very strong painkiller, fentanyl, which is synthesized to resemble other opiates such as opium-derived morphine and heroin.
 
And there would be international action on it. Countries with threaten to implement economic sanctions or go to war if it the supply wasn't stopped.
 

GarethC

Donor
For opioid use to be as ubiquitous as in the US in countries with much lower median per capita incomes like, say, Ghana or Cambodia, I guess, that will do, that means that drug production costs must be rock bottom.

Which will drive US pharmaceutical companies into a battle with legislators and consumers to prevent low-cost oxycontin et al which are available in foreign markets, from being sold in the US and destroying their margins.

However, the addiction-driven needs of the US market will result in a stronger backlash against Big Pharma legislating against that kind of protectionism and resulting ultimately in an drug-crazed electorate backing a populist groundswell to destroy the healthcare industry with a barrage of RICO indictments and negligent homicide arraignments, and replace it with a Bismarckian health insurance system.
 
For opioid use to be as ubiquitous as in the US in countries with much lower median per capita incomes like, say, Ghana or Cambodia, I guess, that will do, that means that drug production costs must be rock bottom.

Which will drive US pharmaceutical companies into a battle with legislators and consumers to prevent low-cost oxycontin et al which are available in foreign markets, from being sold in the US and destroying their margins.

However, the addiction-driven needs of the US market will result in a stronger backlash against Big Pharma legislating against that kind of protectionism and resulting ultimately in an drug-crazed electorate backing a populist groundswell to destroy the healthcare industry with a barrage of RICO indictments and negligent homicide arraignments, and replace it with a Bismarckian health insurance system.
That sounds ASB to me. Drug-fueled electorate...
 
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