Did you know that with proper storage techniques, you can have a lifetime supply of certain foods? Certain foods can stand the test of time, and continue being a lifeline to the families that stored it. Knowing which foods last indefinitely and how to store them are you keys to success.
The best way to store food for the long term is by using a multi-barrier system. This system protects the food from natural elements such as moisture and sunlight, as well as from insect infestations.
Typically, those who store bulk foods look for inexpensive items that have multi-purposes and will last long term. Listed below are 11 food items that are not only multi-purpose preps, but they can last a lifetime!
1. Honey
Honey never really goes bad. In a tomb in Egypt 3,000 years ago, honey was found and was still edible. If there are temperature fluctuations and sunlight, then the consistency and color can change. Many honey harvesters say that when honey crystallizes, then it can be re-heated and used just like fresh honey. Because of honey's low water content, microorganisms do not like the environment.
Uses: curing, baking, medicinal, wine (mead)
2. Salt
Although salt is prone to absorbing moisture, it's shelf life is indefinite. This indispensable mineral will be a valuable commodity in a long term disaster and will be a essential bartering item.
Life would be so boring without sugar. Much like salt, sugar is also prone to absorbing moisture, but this problem can be eradicated by adding some rice granules into the storage container.
Uses: sweetener for beverages, breads, cakes, preservative, curing, gardening, insecticide (equal parts of sugar and baking powder will kill cockroaches).
4. Wheat
Wheat is a major part of the diet for over 1/3 of the world. This popular staple supplies 20% of daily calories to a majority of the world population. Besides being a high carbohydrate food, wheat contains valuable protein, minerals, and vitamins. Wheat protein, when balanced by other foods that supply certain amino acids such as lysine, is an efficient source of protein.
Uses: baking, making alcohol, livestock feed, leavening agent
5. Dried corn
Essentially, dried corn can be substituted for any recipe that calls for fresh corn. Our ancestors began drying corn because of it's short lived season. To extend the shelf life of corn, it has to be preserved by drying it out so it can be used later in the year.
Uses: soups, cornmeal, livestock feed, hominy and grits, heating source (do a search for corn burning fireplaces).
6. Baking soda
This multi-purpose prep is a must have for long term storage.
Adding these to your long term storage will not only add a variety to just drinking water, but will also lift morale. Instant coffee is high vacuum freeze dried. So, as long as it is not introduced to moisture, then it will last. Storage life for all teas and cocoas can be extended by using desiccant packets or oxygen absorbing packets, and by repackaging the items with a vacuum sealing.
Uses: beverages, flavor additions to baked goods
8. Non-carbonated soft drinks
Although many of us prefer carbonated beverages, over time the sugars break down and the drink flavor is altered. Non-carbonated beverages stand a longer test of time. And, as long as the bottles are stored in optimum conditions, they will last. Non-carbonated beverages include: vitamin water, Gatorade, juices, bottled water.
Uses: beverages, flavor additions to baked goods
9. White rice
White rice is a major staple item that preppers like to put away because it's a great source for calories, cheap and has a long shelf life. If properly stored this popular food staple can last 30 years or more.
Because bouillon products contain large amounts of salt, the product is preserved. However, over time, the taste of the bouillon could be altered. If storing bouillon cubes, it would be best repackage them using a food sealer or sealed in mylar bags.
Uses: flavoring dishes
11. Powdered milk
Powdered milk can last indefinitely, however, it is advised to prolong it's shelf life by either repackaging it for longer term storage, or placing it in the freezer. If the powdered milk developes an odor or has turned a yellowish tint, it's time to discard.
Uses: beverage, dessert, ingredient for certain breads, addition to soup and baked goods.
Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper's Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster. Because a crisis rarely stops with a triggering event the aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. The well-rounded, multi-layered approach outlined in the Blueprint helps you make sense of a wide array of preparedness concepts through easily digestible action items and supply lists.
Tess is also the author of the highly rated Prepper's Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals.
Visit her web site at ReadyNutrition.com for an extensive compilation of free information on preparedness, homesteading, and healthy living.
We'll send you a couple of emails each week featuring the latest news, innovative solutions, self sufficiency tips, downloadable guides and strategies from leading experts.
Making the batteries rechargeable and lowering their cost are seen as important advances in enabling the electric grid to depend on power from renewable sources.
The rechargeable zinc air battery developed by Patrick Soon-Shiong's company NantEnergy.Alex Welsh for The New York Times
Over the past six years, 110 villages in Africa and Asia received their power from solar panels and batteries that use zinc and oxygen. The batteries are the basis of an innovative energy storage system created by NantEnergy, a company owned by Patrick Soon-Shiong, a biotech entrepreneur and surgeon originally from South Africa.
Thomas Edison tried to develop batteries made with zinc 100 years ago. But he did not figure out how to make them technologically viable. NantEnergy says its zinc air batteries are the first to become commercially available.
Scientists at NantEnergy said they had achieved two key goals: to make the batteries rechargeable, and to lower their cost for energy storage to $100 per kilowatt-hour. That is a figure that some people in the industry have said is essential to creating a carbon-free electric grid that operates even when the sun is down and the wind abates.
Zinc air batteries are one of several potential alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, which have been the focus until now for large-scale power storage and electric vehicles.
What are the commercial sources of zinc?
Dr. Soon-Shiong, whose company gets its zinc from Indonesia, has cited the mineral's abundance. The United States accounts for about 5 percent of the world's zinc reserves and 7 percent of production, mostly from mines in Alaska, according to Sri R. Narayan, professor of chemistry at the University of Southern California. Australia and China have about half the world's reserves and are among the largest producers.
Dr. Narayan said reserves of lithium, a primary element in lithium-ion batteries, were one-twentieth those of zinc, but he added a note of caution. "At the present rate of production of zinc, zinc reserves will last about 25 years," he said. "So it is not clear from the reserves available if we will have enough zinc to support the enormous need that will result from the demand for grid-scale batteries."
Materials like lithium are costly in part because they are rare. The mining of lithium has also threatened the health and safety of workers in areas where it has been plentiful, like the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prolonged exposure to lithium has been associated with health effects like fluid buildup in the lungs. And lithium-ion batteries can pose a fire hazard.
Zinc air batteries lack toxic compounds, are not flammable and can be disposed of safely, according to MIT Technology Review. Still, the mining and processing of zinc does present hazards. It comes from an ore consisting of zinc sulfide and is usually produced in conjunction with lead, cadmium and nickel, Dr. Narayan said, and large-scale production can raise environmental issues from sulfur dioxide and cadmium-vapor release.
What does energy storage with zinc air batteries cost?
Dan Reicher, an assistant secretary of energy in the Clinton administration, cautioned that a battery's cost per kilowatt-hour depended on the application and scale, making useful comparisons difficult.
NantEnergy said that at $100 per kilowatt-hour, the cost of zinc air batteries compared favorably with that of lithium-ion batteries, which can be $250 per kilowatt-hour but are more typically $300 to $400, according to Yogi Goswami, distinguished university professor and director of the Clean Energy Center at the University of South Florida.
Even at $100 per kilowatt-hour, energy storage remains a significant expense for the utility industry, although batteries have been declining precipitously in price and are expected to become as common as residential solar panels in the next few years.
Will the batteries be available for homes or mobile devices?
NantEnergy said that its immediate focus was on delivering its product for microgrids — self-contained solar-power arrays serving small areas — rather than on individual residential customers or utility-scale systems. But the company anticipates supplying the batteries for home use in the future, in California and New York at first.
Villages and islands using the batteries — in packs the size of briefcases — typically connect them to solar arrays the size of the kind of canopy that might be found over a parking lot or at a school. In addition, the batteries provide power to hundreds of communications towers, a significant part of NantEnergy's business. For the next version of the product, the company plans to add transportation systems like electric cars, buses, trains and scooters.
And beyond that? "We have a first prototype of a mobile radio," Dr. Soon-Shiong said. "We don't want to overpromise, but the energy density of our battery makes it really possible."
"We will be turning our attention to this market," he added. "It's huge, but probably 2020 for us."
Jack Begg contributed research.
Correction:
Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article referred incorrectly to the deployment of NantEnergy's zinc air batteries for communications towers. While the batteries power hundreds of towers, Duke Energy is just one of the customers.
Ivan Penn is a Los Angeles-based reporter covering alternative energy. Before coming to The Times in 2018 he covered utility and energy issues at The Tampa Bay Times and The Los Angeles Times. @ivanlpenn
A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B4 of the New York edition with the headline: How Zinc Batteries Could Transform How Energy Is Stored. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe
The Albert J. Solnit Children's Center in Middletown
Two independent reviews of Connecticut's residential psychiatric hospital for children in Middletown describe a staggering failure by multiple state agencies to protect children, and provide details about an environment so unsafe that seven other children attempted to kill themselves in the months surrounding the suicide of an 8-months pregnant teenager in June.
The investigations – one conducted by the state Office of the Child Advocate and the other by an outside consultant – have uncovered a pattern of systemic problems at the Albert J. Solnit Children's Center that were kept from public view due to a lack of transparency.
They also call into question the ability of two agencies, the departments of Children and Families and Public Health, to ensure the safety of Solnit's residents or provide appropriate care for the troubled children held there. The reports were obtained by CT Mirror in advance of a Wednesday hearing before the legislature's Committee on Children.
State Sen. Len Suzio, and the Republican co-chairman of the Children's Committee, said during an interview Tuesday night that the reports show the "unbelievable incompetence" of DCF and DPH.
"What in the world was DPH doing? It's damning. There was no follow up," he said. "I don't believe there was a serious commitment to improve anything."
Calling Destiny's suicide a "horrible blow" to all who knew her and everyone who was responsible for her care, DCF Commissioner Joette Katz released a statement Wednesday morning saying her agency is determined to "prevent such a tragedy in the future."
"Accordingly, as we are grieving, we also are acting. We closely examined the circumstances surrounding this loss and the conditions in which it occurred," Katz said. "As a result we have made and will continue to institute many improvements to safety related to the facility, the treatment model, and protocols at Solnit South."
The conditions at Solnit described in the two reports show that Katz's agency has significant work to do before the facility is a safe, therapeutic environment for children.
For example, investigators found that:
In the 7 months leading up to the June 28 suicide of Destiny — a 16-year-old girl who hanged herself with shoelaces in the closet of her room at Solnit, killing herself and her 8-month-old female fetus — six other youth living at the facility attempted to commit suicide. Incidents include a girl being restrained by police on a nearby bridge to keep her from jumping, a few by attempted hanging in their rooms, and another by swallowing 144 pills of Benadryl that were obtained during a staff-supervised community outing.
DPH, authorized by federal Medicaid law to investigate serious events at Solnit, failed to conduct an immediate review of the first three of these seven suicide attempts, which occurred in November and December of 2017. DPH did, however, conduct multiple unannounced site visits at the facility in February and March of 2018, following three additional suicide attempts by residents. It was after the March investigation that DPH "identified the most serious deficiencies [at Solnit ] to constitute immediate jeopardy to health and safety" of its residents. The DPH is required to investigate serious incidents surrounding restraints and seclusion, but have the authority to investigate other safety issues at the DCF facility.
Destiny, a foster child in the DCF system for the last 2 years, was scheduled to be discharged from Solnit to a foster home the day after she killed herself. The discharge was going forward despite the teen's refusal to participate in treatment, a lack of documentation in her file, and multiple episodes of concerning behavior in which Destiny expressed anger, hopelessness and frustration.
As recently as last month, outside experts inspecting the facility observed a supervisor screaming at a child. When asked about the inappropriate behavior, a top Solnit official explained that the leader of that unit "has his hands full" with three difficult staff.
Decisions about whether to discipline staff — including the worker caught screaming at a fragile youth — are regularly held up at DCF's central office.
The Office of the Child Advocate's investigation takes issue with "the dearth of public information," and the lackluster efforts by one agency of the Malloy administration — DPH — to force improvements in another of its agencies, DCF.
The OCA report details a pattern of DPH citing problems following a serious incident at the facility, DCF promising changes in a corrective action plan, and DPH not following up until another critical incident occurred.
The OCA report also notes that despite DPH's finding that residents were in "immediate jeopardy" at Solnit, the state never informed the public of those findings – not even the parents of youth living there.
"There is an urgent need to create a transparent and accountable framework for child-serving treatment facilities licensed by DCF or run by DCF," wrote the Office of the Child Advocate. The state "should consider the future of Solnit, as well as other opportunities to re-balance the division of service delivery to children between state and community providers."
OCA is recommending that state law be revised to require that all state-run programs for children be licensed and subject to routine program review and inspection. The office is also asking lawmakers to require that "all facility performance measures, including information regarding safety, child maltreatment, corrective actions, and treatment outcomes be regularly published."
The incident in which a staff member screamed at a child is just one of the many staffing issues described in a series of reports by Barrins & Associates. Those ongoing reviews are being led by Michael Hoge, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and director of Yale Behavioral Health. Hoge and his team are expected to share their findings with lawmakers during today's hearing.
"The many areas of concern detailed below, when taken as a whole," raise serious concerns about the overall operation of the [facility], the potential impact of the numerous problems on the care of youth, and why so many issues have remained either unidentified or unaddressed," a review of operations at the facility through last Tuesday concludes.
The report also questions some staff's competence, including a clinician witnessed struggling to describe his client's psychiatric history, past treatment, what led to the admission, and the treatment goals. Officials acknowledged the employee is struggling and that they are addressing it through intensive supervision.
Those interviewed by the team of experts also explained a system in which too many staff working at the facility are there for the wrong reasons.
"Several staff have expressed a sense that many of the long-term staff are staying for the benefits (retirement, wages, time off), rather than for the intrinsic value of the work with children," the report notes.
Some of the staff at Solnit landed there only after their state-run programs closed or shrunk, and the report questions whether that makes sense. Many of the staff who now work at Solnit worked next door at the state's now closed juvenile jail, the Connecticut Juvenile Training School.
"Changes in the system … have resulted in transfers of staff to [Solnit] from other settings that emphasized client control, rather than engagement. Some stated that they are sometimes called to an emergency physical intervention and find staff from outside the unit taking the lead on the intervention as the regular staff from the unit remain on the periphery."
These outside reviews started only after Destiny hanged herself and public pressure mounted for increased accountability at the facility.
New details surrounding Destiny's death are also revealed in the reports, describing a staff who seemingly gave up on her.
"Progress notes became sparser or were not entered in May or June," the child advocate's report says.
After Destiny refused to work with her assigned psychiatrist, an appointment was never set up with another therapist, investigators found. Instead, in her final three months at the facility, Destiny's clinician would write notes to her – including one informing her that she would be discharged to a foster group home the next day, despite Destiny displaying some hesitance to other staff.
"All the best for [you] and for [your] baby girl to be," the clinician wrote on June 28.
Shortly after, the teen hanged herself, killing herself and her child.
The child advocate would later learn that Destiny's transition to foster care was not well organized, with no plans in place for her to attend school or receive out-patient therapy. The provider that would be overseeing Destiny's care after she was discharged received minimal information about their new client, the report says.
"The email exchanges reveal a concerning lack of comprehensive discharge planning for Destiny and raise questions as to how a discharge date was confirmed without key aspects," the advocate's report reads.
Experts from Barrins & Associates noted in their report last week that numerous safety issues remain unresolved months after they were first identified, including retraining of all staff. Fifty-one of the 78 employees have been trained and tested so far.
"It became clear that the [facility] had not identified the date by which this training on all staff would be competed," they write. "Since this training pertains to high-priority policy changes involving the safety of the youth, an organized plan should be developed."
The experts also outlined numerous ways the facility is unsafe for those who are intent on harming themselves. Many of the hinges at Solnit can be used to hang things from. Numerous blind spots exist, requirements that staff check in on residents every 15 minutes are not consistently followed, and office and kitchen doors are left unlocked, giving youth unsupervised access to chords, sharps and other hazardous materials.
"There are many ligature self-harm risks in the environment that need to be addressed," the report says.
In addition, the facility is filthy, "and requires a deep cleaning."
Did you know that with proper storage techniques, you can have a lifetime supply of certain foods? Certain foods can stand the test of time, and continue being a lifeline to the families that stored it. Knowing which foods last indefinitely and how to store them are you keys to success.
The best way to store food for the long term is by using a multi-barrier system. This system protects the food from natural elements such as moisture and sunlight, as well as from insect infestations.
Typically, those who store bulk foods look for inexpensive items that have multi-purposes and will last long term. Listed below are 11 food items that are not only multi-purpose preps, but they can last a lifetime!
1. Honey
Honey never really goes bad. In a tomb in Egypt 3,000 years ago, honey was found and was still edible. If there are temperature fluctuations and sunlight, then the consistency and color can change. Many honey harvesters say that when honey crystallizes, then it can be re-heated and used just like fresh honey. Because of honey's low water content, microorganisms do not like the environment.
Uses: curing, baking, medicinal, wine (mead)
2. Salt
Although salt is prone to absorbing moisture, it's shelf life is indefinite. This indispensable mineral will be a valuable commodity in a long term disaster and will be a essential bartering item.
Life would be so boring without sugar. Much like salt, sugar is also prone to absorbing moisture, but this problem can be eradicated by adding some rice granules into the storage container.
Uses: sweetener for beverages, breads, cakes, preservative, curing, gardening, insecticide (equal parts of sugar and baking powder will kill cockroaches).
4. Wheat
Wheat is a major part of the diet for over 1/3 of the world. This popular staple supplies 20% of daily calories to a majority of the world population. Besides being a high carbohydrate food, wheat contains valuable protein, minerals, and vitamins. Wheat protein, when balanced by other foods that supply certain amino acids such as lysine, is an efficient source of protein.
Uses: baking, making alcohol, livestock feed, leavening agent
5. Dried corn
Essentially, dried corn can be substituted for any recipe that calls for fresh corn. Our ancestors began drying corn because of it's short lived season. To extend the shelf life of corn, it has to be preserved by drying it out so it can be used later in the year.
Uses: soups, cornmeal, livestock feed, hominy and grits, heating source (do a search for corn burning fireplaces).
6. Baking soda
This multi-purpose prep is a must have for long term storage.
Adding these to your long term storage will not only add a variety to just drinking water, but will also lift morale. Instant coffee is high vacuum freeze dried. So, as long as it is not introduced to moisture, then it will last. Storage life for all teas and cocoas can be extended by using desiccant packets or oxygen absorbing packets, and by repackaging the items with a vacuum sealing.
Uses: beverages, flavor additions to baked goods
8. Non-carbonated soft drinks
Although many of us prefer carbonated beverages, over time the sugars break down and the drink flavor is altered. Non-carbonated beverages stand a longer test of time. And, as long as the bottles are stored in optimum conditions, they will last. Non-carbonated beverages include: vitamin water, Gatorade, juices, bottled water.
Uses: beverages, flavor additions to baked goods
9. White rice
White rice is a major staple item that preppers like to put away because it's a great source for calories, cheap and has a long shelf life. If properly stored this popular food staple can last 30 years or more.
Because bouillon products contain large amounts of salt, the product is preserved. However, over time, the taste of the bouillon could be altered. If storing bouillon cubes, it would be best repackage them using a food sealer or sealed in mylar bags.
Uses: flavoring dishes
11. Powdered milk
Powdered milk can last indefinitely, however, it is advised to prolong it's shelf life by either repackaging it for longer term storage, or placing it in the freezer. If the powdered milk developes an odor or has turned a yellowish tint, it's time to discard.
Uses: beverage, dessert, ingredient for certain breads, addition to soup and baked goods.
Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper's Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster. Because a crisis rarely stops with a triggering event the aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. The well-rounded, multi-layered approach outlined in the Blueprint helps you make sense of a wide array of preparedness concepts through easily digestible action items and supply lists.
Tess is also the author of the highly rated Prepper's Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals.
Visit her web site at ReadyNutrition.com for an extensive compilation of free information on preparedness, homesteading, and healthy living.
Billionaire Opioid Executive Stands to Make Millions More on Patent for Addiction Treatment
By Dr. Mercola
An estimated 202,600 Americans died from opioid overdoses between 2002 and 2015,1 and drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50.2
Chronic opioid use also accounted for 20 percent of the increase in male unemployment between 1999 and 20153 and, remarkably, 74 percent of farmers report being addicted to opioids, or know someone who is.4
Aside from the staggering death toll, addiction to narcotic pain relievers also places an enormous economic burden on society, costing the U.S. an estimated $504 billion each year (2.8 percent of gross domestic product), according to a November 2017 White House report.5,6
Opioid Epidemic Is No Random Fluke
Adding insult to injury, evidence suggests opioid makers are directly responsible. They knew exactly what they were doing when they claimed opioids — which are chemically very similar to heroin — have an exceptionally low addiction rate when taken for pain.
In fact, the massive increase in opioid sales and subsequent addiction rates have been traced back to an orchestrated marketing plan aimed at misinforming doctors about the drug's addictive potential, and it is this false advertising campaign that seeded the current opioid epidemic — an epidemic so great it has even .
Purdue Pharma, owned by the , was one of the most successful in this regard, driving sales of OxyContin up from $48 million in 1996 to $1.5 billion in 2002.7
Studies now show addiction affects about 26 percent of those using opioids for chronic non-cancer pain, and 1 in 550 patients on opioid therapy dies from opioid-related causes within 2.5 years of their first prescription.8
Meanwhile, Purdue's sales representatives were extensively coached on how to downplay the drug's addictive potential, claiming addiction was occurring in less than 1 percent of patients being treated for pain.
Evidence also shows Sackler family members were intimately involved with the marketing machinations behind OxyContin.9,10 In fact, attorney Mike Moore — who represents Ohio, Louisiana and Mississippi in lawsuits against Purdue Pharma — claims to have evidence connecting the Sackler family "directly, and personally, to corporate misdeeds" committed in the 1990s and 2000s.11
In 2007, Purdue Pharma did plead guilty to charges of misbranding "with intent to defraud and mislead the public," and paid $634 million in fines.12 Alas, a decade later, it's quite clear the company has not changed its ways to any significant degree. It, and the Sackler family, is still in the business of profiting from addiction.
As reported by STAT News earlier this month, Dr. Richard Sackler — who, according to Esquire journalist Christopher Glazek,13 was deeply involved in the marketing of OxyContin as head of the company's research and development, sales and marketing divisions — was recently awarded a patent for a new, faster-dissolving form of buprenorphine, a mild opioid drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction. As noted by STAT News:14
"… Sackler is listed as one of six inventors on the patent, which was issued in January [2018] … Critics told the [Financial Times] that they were disturbed that the patent could enable Sackler to benefit financially from the addiction crisis that his family's company is accused of fueling."
Indeed, the company is currently fighting more than 1,000 lawsuits brought by tribes, cities, counties and states across the U.S., which claim Purdue Pharma helped orchestrate the opioid addiction epidemic and should therefore help pay for the societal costs.
President Trump has also stated he would like to see a federal lawsuit be brought against opioid makers.15
Apparently, Sackler decided to pursue avenues to cash in on the epidemic instead. Salon magazine16 reported on the patent saying, "Sackler made billions off of sales of a drug that caused a massive public health crisis — and now he stands to make more billions by selling the public a solution." But that's not all. The Sacklers have actually been profiting from addiction in more ways than one for over a decade.
As reported by Financial Times17 and the New York Post,18 the Sackler family also secretly owns Rhodes Pharma, "one of the biggest producers of generic opioids, which had never before been linked to the family."
What's more, this company was launched just four months after Purdue Pharma's guilty plea back in 2007. When combined, Purdue Pharma and Rhodes Pharma account for about 6 percent of the total opioid market in the U.S.
So, "not only did the Sacklers fail to scale back its marketing of OxyContin after the plea, they further cashed in on the pill crisis — by launching the second firm and selling more of the drug under a different name," the New York Post writes, adding:
"Rhodes [Pharma] was set up as a 'landing pad' in case the under-fire drug maker needed a clean start amid the 2007 criminal charges, a former senior manager at Purdue told the paper.
Together, both firms accounted for 14.4 million opioid prescriptions in 2016. Rhodes Pharma also makes other highly addictive opiates such as morphine, oxycodone and hydromorphone, according to the FDA."
Purdue Pharma to Offer Free Opioid Addiction Therapy
Sackler's new buprenorphine patent is actually held by Rhodes Pharma and, according to Bloomberg, Purdue has offered to donate an undisclosed number of treatment doses of this drug as part of any settlement that might come out of the 1,000 lawsuits currently pending. University of Kentucky law professor Richard Ausness told Bloomberg:
"I'd have to say this is a pretty clever move. Over the last 20 years, Purdue hasn't shown any real contrition or remorse, so I see this offer of free step-down drugs as a savvy negotiating tactic to limit what they have to pay in any settlement."
Opioids Still Being Widely Overprescribed
In related news, recent research19 published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows nearly one-third of opioid prescriptions given in an outpatient setting are not backed by a documented medical reason for the prescription,20 suggesting the drugs are still being widely overprescribed and misused.
According to the authors, their findings "show the need for stricter rules on patients' needs for the highly addictive drugs."
Of the opioid prescriptions handed out during 809 million doctor's visits across the U.S. between 2006 and 2015, only 5 percent were prescribed for cancer-related pain; more than 66 percent were given for non-cancer pain — the most common being back pain, diabetes-related pain and arthritis — while just over 28 percent were prescribed in cases where no pain-related condition could be ascertained in the patient's medical record.
Curiously, the most common nonpain conditions for which an opioid was prescribed were high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Dr. Harshal Kirane, director of addiction services at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City, who was not part of the study, told HealthDay News,21 "Despite numerous policy changes, recent analyses suggest national opioid prescribing rates have not meaningfully decreased … Lax prescribing practices remain widespread."
Seeing how doctors are largely failing to significantly cut down on opioid prescriptions, might cutting insurance coverage do the trick? Both Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida have stopped paying for OxyContin, and as of January 2019, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee will no longer pay for it either.22
They all still pay for other brands of opioids, though, which may water down the impact of the decision. According to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, the decision to drop OxyContin was primarily based on the fact that it still has a higher street value and is easier to crush, snort or inject than other opioids.
Struggling With Opioid Addiction? Seek Help!
Regardless of the brand, it's vitally important to realize that opioids are extremely addictive drugs that are not meant for long-term use for nonfatal conditions. Chemically, opioids are very similar to heroin, and if you wouldn't consider shooting up heroin for that toothache or backache, you really should reconsider taking an opioid to relieve the pain as well.
The misconception that opioids are harmless pain relievers has at this point killed hundreds of thousands of people, and destroyed the lives of countless more, including the families and friends of those who have died. Don't be so quick to be the next in line.
Some marketing materials for opioids still claim the drug will not cause addiction "except in very rare cases," describing the adverse effects patients experience when quitting the drug as a "benign state" and not a sign of addiction. This simply isn't true.
Panic is one psychological side effect commonly experienced when quitting these drugs, and this can easily fuel a psychological as well as physical dependence on the drug.
It's important to recognize the signs of addiction, and to seek help. If you've been on an opioid for more than two months, or if you find yourself taking higher dosages, or taking the drug more often, you're likely already addicted and are advised to seek help from someone other than your prescribing doctor. Resources where you can find help include:
With all the health risks associated with opioid painkillers, I strongly urge you to exhaust other options before resorting to these drugs. The good news is there are many natural alternatives to treating pain. Following is information about nondrug remedies, dietary changes and bodywork interventions that can help you safely manage your pain.
Medical cannabis — Medical marijuana has a long history as a natural analgesic and is now legal in 31 states. You can learn more about the laws in your state on medicalmarijuana.procon.org.24
Kratom — Kratom (Mitragyna speciose) is a plant remedy that has become a popular opioid substitute.25 In August 2016, the DEA issued a notice saying it was planning to ban kratom, listing it as Schedule 1 controlled substance. However, following massive outrage from kratom users who say opioids are their only alternative, the agency reversed its decision.26
Kratom is safer than an opioid for someone in serious and chronic pain. However, it's important to recognize that it is a psychoactive substance and should be used with great care. There's very little research showing how to use it safely and effectively, and it may have a very different effect from one person to the next. The other issue to address is that there are a number of different strains available with different effects.
Also, while it may be useful for weaning people off opioids, kratom is in itself addictive. So, while it appears to be a far safer alternative to opioids, it's still a powerful and potentially addictive substance. So please, do your own research before trying it.
Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) — Naltrexone is an opiate antagonist, originally developed in the early 1960s for the treatment of opioid addiction. When taken at very low doses (LDN, available only by prescription), it triggers endorphin production, which can boost your immune function and ease pain.
Curcumin — A primary therapeutic compound identified in the spice turmeric, curcumin has been shown in more than 50 clinical studies to have potent anti-inflammatory activity. Curcumin is hard to absorb, so best results are achieved with preparations designed to improve absorption. It is very safe and you can take two to three every hour if you need to.
Astaxanthin — One of the most effective oil-soluble antioxidants known, astaxanthin has very potent anti-inflammatory properties. Higher doses are typically required for pain relief, and you may need 8 milligrams or more per day to achieve results.
Boswellia — Also known as boswellin or "Indian frankincense," this herb contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which have been prized for thousands of years. This is one of my personal favorites, as it worked well for many of my former rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Bromelain — This protein-digesting enzyme, found in pineapples, is a natural anti-inflammatory. It can be taken in supplement form, but eating fresh pineapple may also be helpful. Keep in mind most of the bromelain is found within the core of the pineapple, so consider eating some of the pulpy core when you consume the fruit.
Cayenne cream — Also called capsaicin cream, this spice comes from dried hot peppers. It alleviates pain by depleting your body's supply of substance P, a chemical component of nerve cells that transmit pain signals to your brain.
Cetyl myristoleate (CMO) — This oil, found in dairy butter and fish, acts as a joint lubricant and anti-inflammatory. I have used a topical preparation of CMO to relieve ganglion cysts and a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Evening primrose, black currant and borage oils — These oils contain the fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid, which is useful for treating arthritic pain.
Ginger — This herb is anti-inflammatory and offers pain relief and stomach-settling properties. Fresh ginger works well steeped in boiling water as a tea, or incorporated into fresh vegetable juice.
Dietary Changes to Fight Inflammation and Manage Your Pain
Unfortunately, physicians often fall short when attempting to effectively treat chronic pain, resorting to the only treatment they know: prescription drugs. While these drugs may bring some temporary relief, they will do nothing to resolve the underlying causes of your pain. If you suffer from chronic pain, making the following changes to your diet may bring you some relief.
Consume more animal-based omega-3 fats — Similar to the effects of anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical drugs, omega-3 fats from fish and fish oils work to directly or indirectly modulate a number of cellular activities associated with inflammation. While drugs have a powerful ability to inhibit your body's pain signals, omega-3s cause a gentle shift in cell signaling to bring about a lessened reactivity to pain.
Eating healthy seafood like anchovies or sardines, which are low in environmental toxins, or taking a high-quality supplement such as krill oil are your best options for obtaining omega-3s. DHA and EPA, the omega-3 oils contained in krill oil, have been found in many animal and clinical studies to have anti-inflammatory properties, which are beneficial for pain relief.
Radically reduce your intake of processed foods — Processed foods not only contain chemical additives and excessive amounts of sugar, but also are loaded with damaging omega-6 fats. By eating these foods, especially fried foods, you upset your body's ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty-acids, which triggers inflammation. Inflammation is a key factor in most pain.
Eliminate or radically reduce your consumption of grains and sugars — Avoiding grains and sugars, especially fructose, will lower your insulin and leptin levels. Elevated insulin and leptin levels are one of the most profound stimulators of inflammatory prostaglandin production, which contributes to pain.
While healthy individuals are advised to keep their daily fructose consumption below 25 grams from all sources, you'll want to limit your intake to 15 grams per day until your pain is reduced. Eating sugar increases your uric acid levels, which leads to chronic, low-level inflammation.
Optimize your production of vitamin D — As much as possible, regulate your vitamin D levels by regularly exposing large amounts of your skin to sunshine. If you cannot get sufficient sun exposure, taking an oral vitamin D3 supplement, along with vitamin K2 and magnesium, is highly advisable. Get your blood level tested to be sure you're within the therapeutic range of 60 to 80 ng/mL year-round.
Bodywork Methods That Reduce Pain
The following bodywork methods have also demonstrated effectiveness for pain relief and pain management.
• Acupuncture — An estimated 3 million American adults receive acupuncture annually,27 most often for the treatment of chronic pain. A study28 published in the Archives of Internal Medicine concluded acupuncture has a definite effect in reducing back and neck pain, chronic headache, osteoarthritis and shoulder pain, more so than standard pain treatment.
• Chiropractic adjustments — While previously used most often to treat back pain, chiropractic treatment addresses many other problems, including asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, headaches, migraines, musculoskeletal pain, neck pain and whiplash.
According to a study29 published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, patients with neck pain who used a chiropractor and/or exercise were more than twice as likely to be pain-free in 12 weeks compared to those who took medication.
• Massage therapy — Massage releases endorphins, which help induce relaxation, relieve pain and reduce levels of stress chemicals such as cortisol and noradrenaline. A systematic review and meta-analysis30 published in the journal Pain Medicine, included 60 high-quality and seven low-quality studies that looked into the use of massage for various types of pain, including bone and muscle, fibromyalgia, headache and spinal-cord pain.
The study revealed massage therapy relieves pain better than getting no treatment at all. When compared to other pain treatments like acupuncture and physical therapy, massage therapy still proved beneficial and had few side effects. In addition to relieving pain, massage therapy also improved anxiety and health-related quality of life.
• Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) — EFT continues to be one of the easiest and most effective ways to deal with acute and chronic pain. The technique is simple and can be applied in mere minutes. A study31 published in Energy Psychology examined the levels of pain in a group of 50 people attending a three-day EFT workshop, and found their pain dropped by 43 percent during the workshop.
Six weeks later, their pain levels were reported to be 42 percent lower than before the workshop. As a result of applying EFT, participants felt they had an improved sense of control and ability to cope with their chronic pain. In the video below, EFT expert Julie Schiffman, teaches you how to use EFT to address chronic pain.
