Opioid Bogeymen

It seems the Mayo Clinic is more interested in spinning a cautionary tale than sticking to the facts about opioid use for pain relief – and Red Lawhern isn't letting it off the hook. In his latest article, the ACSH advisor calls out Mayo for promoting the fear-laden idea that opioid prescriptions practically guarantee addiction, or worse. It turns out the real story in their data reads more like "healthcare fails the vulnerable" than "one pill, and you're hooked." But why let nuance get in the way of a good scare?