An opioid epidemic sweeps the nation affecting tens of thousands of young males, those with their whole lives ahead of them. Policy makers feel impelled to do something, anything to curb the tide, and so they act.

The year was 1914. The primary policy was the Harrison Act. As a result of this act, physicians who prescribed more opioid than what was deemed reasonable faced loss of license and criminal prosecution. 

The patient in pain became someone to be feared and avoided at all costs. Out of a sense of self-preservation, physicians chose to view chronic pain as merely a character flaw, something not worthy of attention. 

But, there was more… 

Because of this act and subsequent interpretations by the Supreme Court, those addicted to opioids and other drugs became criminals.

Millions of people have been harmed by this act, unnecessarily, and are still being harmed.