Ridiculous Study of the Week: Opioids and Crime
File this under “wow” with a small w. A new study found the following:
People who reported any level of opioid use in the past 12 months were more likely to have physical health disorders, mental health issues, other substance use and exposure to the criminal justice system compared with those who reported no opioid use.
Moreover, these associations generally increased with the intensity of opioid use, according to a large retrospective, cross-sectional analysis that appears in JAMA Network Open (2018;1[3]:e180558).
C’mon, does this really need to be studied? Who is pay for this crap?
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So, if I understand correctly, when I prescribe an opiate to someone with a physical health condition, that individual has a higher chance of having a physical health disorder than someone I don’t prescribe opiates to?
I think we have to link this back to the big AAFP statement that was suggesting ways for feedback on diagnoses.
What has happened to JAMA editorial board to even think about accepting this for publication?
I’m underwhelmed.
Perhaps we need a study to see if those who are in prison have committed more crimes than those not in prison.