[thaumasiotes]

>> The feds could straightforwardly address the fentanyl problem by deillegalizing opiods, allowing reputable distribution to take over.

> I don't understand this at all. Most opioids are legal prescription drugs.

It's pretty straightforward. "Legal prescription drugs" are drugs you're not allowed to have without permission, and doctors face prosecution for giving you permission. This doesn't really promote safe availability -- it's specifically intended to do the opposite.

[hn_throwaway_99]

Yeah, surely the solution to the opioid epidemic is making fentanyl available at CVS.

[mindslight]

The current approach doesn't seem to have constrained availability much, so that is baseless hyperbole.

The point is that opiates from a reputable distribution channel wouldn't be laced with fentanyl. Have the state run the stores, appropriate security on duty, set the price just below market level, and use the profits to fund treatment programs. Tie the treatment programs into the retail stores, for immediate feedback for when people deviate. The treatment programs could even do things like accept returns for full refund, so people who are trying to quit aren't tempted to keep a stash laying around.

I doubt most people addicted to opiates actually want to be addicted - an aspect that gets left out of the righteous narrative.

[JoshuaDavid]

It comes down to the question of whether you think the opioid epidemic is mostly bad because even perfectly safe addiction stops people from living fulfilling / valuable / productive lives, or if it is mostly bad because people are dying from their addiction.

Making fentanyl available at CVS would probably increase the number of people addicted to opioids, but would also vastly reduce the risk of death in those people (due to better quality control and consistent dosage).