John Stossel joined FOX Business and FOX News in October 2009. His show, Stossel, airs on the Fox Business Network on Thursdays at 9 PM and midnight ET. It re-runs Fridays at 10 p.m., Saturdays at 9 p.m. and 12 midnight, and Sundays at 10 p.m. (all times eastern).
He is the New York Times best-selling author of Give Me A Break and Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity. His "Give Me a Break" commentaries take a skeptical look at a wide array of issues, such as education, the economy, parenting, and more.
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Patrick
A "pain management" doctor and his assitant wife were arrested in Wichita, Ks a couple of years ago. He had 65 known patients who had accidental drug overdose deaths. It was widely known around town that he was the person to go to get narcotics. People have told me that they would get the narcotics in large doses from him and then sell them on the street to buy their dope. If you wish to do some real investigative reporting, please go to the underbelly of society and dig around there.
Ed Bradford
Nice report. I read a history of the FDA. Two interesting positives were 1. FDA caused testing to happen. Prior to FDA no formal drug testing happened. FDA defined and continuously improved testing. 2. FDA prevented thalidomide from coming to US. Book ended positively suggesting that FDA allows most patients to use experimental drugs on a "mercy" basis and that testing times were begin dramatically shortened. Book was written in 90's. Your report contradicts. Excellent report.
LAD
No one is above the law ... except the government. Not even the Duke lacrosse prosecutor went to prison for his egregious behavior. Prosecutors never do. Enron's off budget accounting was criminal, but the government's Freddie and Fannie accounting isn't. Madoff's ponzi scheme is criminal, but the social security ponzi scheme isn't. A company raiding it's pension funds is criminal, but not if Illinois does it. Government needs to be smaller precisely because it is above the law.
Tom Utley
Interesting how the gestapo (DEA) speaks of "the law" as if it were the word of God, never stopping for a moment to consider that "the law" might just be a shell game put in place to intimidate, control, and rob us citizens.
Aardvark
I agree. Any time I see a "formal" response from a government entity I really have to wonder why it is usually so complicated (Occam's Razor comes to mind). I do find it worrisome that should you one day be unfortunate to suffer from chronic pain, you will probably have no option for effective pain management and, thanks to the Catholic church and other pro-life organizations, you will not have the right to terminate your own life either.
john
I am a victem of the gov. war on drugs. I am a 100% disabled VIET NAM VET. and after years,out in Cal. , I moved to Tx.. after 2 yr. in Tx. the VA gave me a new Dr. and he cut my HYDROCODONE off because he said that I was a "DRUG ADDICT', because I selfmedicated w/pot. It took me 6 mo. to get my hydrocodone back. I was diagnosed with degenerative arthuritice in 1980, and told that I would be in a wheelchair with in 10 yrs. I sofar havr been able to prove them wrong. I am doing worse than ever .
Jack
As a Registered Nurse, I see the cost of overzealous opiate regulation every day. If the public knew how much time is consumed accounting for every opiate medication, and how much this adds to cost and delays delivery of care, they would be outraged. Think about that next time you or someone you love is waiting for pain relief in the hospital. The war on drugs is a farce.
wesley barron
what about their tactic (DEA) of catching someone with pills and forcing them to make "buys" to avoid prosecution and then they (Usually teenagers) get killed -it happens/
Sean & Yvette
We are experiencing the effects of this right now. Sean has a condition where his skull never quit growing and is putting pressure on his brain. Due to the fear of the DEA the only Dr that has ever helped us is being forced to not manage pain by his clinic's administration. Thus we have to go to a specialist spend 3 times as much and not get the quality of care we have received in the past. We are fighting as hard as I can for a quality of life & Gov is taking it away. sycowl.com
jared
I don't know what expertise a "professor of political science" has on this issue at all, but I suspect he is a champion of drug legalization for all. The DEA statistics above, if true, prove there is no "zeal...to harass and prosecute doctors." Common sense, instead of a drug legalization agenda, would lead one to admit that there ARE individuals, including doctors, that want to benefit from dealing in illegal drugs no matter what the price paid by society.
RG
The FDA makes the same mistake of every regime proponent: they do not enforce law, which exists without their presence and cannot be usurped, they enforce legislation which is easily usurped - most often by those purporting to keep us safe by enforcing it. The FDA (and every government agent) represent a pathological sickness that manifests in the subjucation of humanity to protect it from the fears they project.
Doctor Elefant
John Stossel wrote: "I find Mr Libby much more convincing than the DEA." I'm surprised the DEA pointed out the large amount of pain-killers dipensed in southern Florida. I would expect that. Isn't that area the favorite place for old folks to retire to? Don't old folks have the most aches and pains?
Thogek
Some interesting related reading at http://www.aapsonline.org/painman/pm-dea.htm
Russ
Ah, the DEA. Another unconstitutional organization. Nowhere does the Constitution grant Congress the power to regulate drugs. Nor, morally, should it. Beyond this, it is unconstitutional and immoral to require prescriptions (for adults). Adults have the right to put _anything_ into their own bodies, helpful, harmful, or deadly. More widely, Congress has no delegated power to require occupational licenses, medical or otherwise. Again, morally wrong. Abolish the DEA, the Drug War, etc.
Eric
The DEA, like the IRS and BATFE, is an abusive government agency that is in direct opposition to the Constitution. Nowhere does the Constitution allow the Federal Government to regulate drugs or any other substance. The IRS only gets about 300 criminal convictions per year yet nearly every American feels their harassment with every transaction they are involved in. These rouge agencies need to be reigned in and strictly controlled or better yet, disbanded.
maurice fleeta
Pain physicians are dropping their practices and going back to hospital anesthesia groups because of fear of the FDA or other "regulatory" boards shutting them down due to what they( the government) consider abuse by the doctors. It leaves people in chronic pain out in the cold, sufferring and wondering why Docs won't help them.It's freakin' ridiculous!
Tom
My Stossel that was your best show yet in my opinion. I appreciated your evidence very much, but was over joyed with your continuously coming back to the real question. "Who owns my body?" Excellent reporting Sir.