Dear Editor:
I became licensed to prescribe opioids over 40 years ago. When I first began performing surgery 40 years ago many of my colleagues routinely prescribed aspirin and Tylenol combined with an opioid after most of their surgical procedures. In my military residency training, we were encouraged to try to avoid these types of pain medications if possible. I learned to use long acting local anesthetics and later on I learned how to use hypnosis and hypnotic techniques to avoid narcotic pain medication. I was able to use placebo medications, which I would actually prescribe to a patient. I would estimate that I prescribed opioids for less than 5 percent of my post-surgical or post-trauma patients.
Over the years I have learned what the entry-level drug is in this country is. It is obviously nicotine. Those who routinely use nicotine almost always experience more pain after trauma or after a surgical procedure. These patients almost always require more pain medication than non-smokers. Statistically, they can be up to seven times more likely to become addicted to opioid medications after being prescribed a “normal” dose of opioids for pain.
I believe it is up to parents to do anything they can do to make sure that they discourage their children not to smoke. These parents can start by quitting smoking themselves and never smoking around their children.
Dr. W. David Herbert ESQ
Billings
