
Organ donations in the US are soaring amid the worsening opioid crisis - prkralex
https://www.verdict.co.uk/organ-donations-soar-amid-worsening-opioid-crisis/
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nostromo
The headline is shocking, but 1,000 deaths leading to organ donations spread
across the entire united states over a year is relatively small.

It's interesting that drug deaths can so easily lead us into a moral panic in
a way that obesity deaths do not.

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sevensor
Obesity? Let's not forget the primary source of donor organs: participants in
car wrecks. No moral panic there, either.

~~~
xfitm3
According to the CDC accidents are the fourth leading cause of death. I looked
but couldn't find a source to cross reference which causes disqualify a organ
donor.

[https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-
death.htm](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm)

~~~
Retric
You don't want to transplant from someone that died from cancer or AIDS etc.
You want healthy organs and they tend to come from accidents.

~~~
Vinnl
There's often healthy organs and tissue left that _can_ still be used for
donation, even in some cases of cancer. Dutch source:
[https://www.transplantatiestichting.nl/donor-worden/wie-
kan-...](https://www.transplantatiestichting.nl/donor-worden/wie-kan-donor-
worden/orgaandonatie-bij-ziekte-medicijngebruik)

~~~
Retric
Organ transplant recipients are already at vastly increased risks for dying of
cancer. If the only other option is death then sure take risks, but it's not a
good idea.

[https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/856854](https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/856854)

~~~
Vinnl
Often the only other option _is_ death.

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carbocation
In Massachusetts, we used to have to reach out to hospitals across the
country, including the big California hospitals, to try to expedite heart
transplants for some of our patients with unfavorable blood types.

It is really heartbreaking in a different way that we do not have to do that
anymore.

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maxxxxx
Pretty sad. If we removed safety belts from cars the donor numbers would soar
even more...

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pasbesoin
I'm not making a particular argument for _this_ specific circumstance.

But I do believe in asking, when a "bad" situation refuses to change for the
better, "Who's benefiting?"

To go a bit paranoid: We have apparently confirmed reporting of condemned
prisoners' organs in China being "donated." "Donated", in quotes, because it
seems to be unclear who controls the decision and whether it has created a
demand driving an increase in "supply".

Leaving organs out of the mix, there seem to be a fair number of people who
think "it's their own fault" and the these deaths in the U.S. are simply
ridding society of problems. Whether or not they'll say that, and to whom...

Drug crime law enforcement disproportionately impacts people and communities
of color.

We also continue to have racial and socio-economic prejudice. And
exploitation. So, who's benefiting from _that_?

And lately in the news, the prescription opioid manufacturers.

So, amidst this crisis, by all means, ask who is harmed, and how, and how to
fix that. But don't forget to ask, who's benefiting.

And how far are they willing to take that?

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zamalek
Organ donation is a paradox in so many ways[1]. We seriously need to find
replacement technologies.

[1]:
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1350269/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1350269/)

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Taylor_OD
My mother got a organ donation from a not-very-close family friend whose
daughter OD'ed. It was a very odd time for our family because we were excited
for my mother and her health but sad for the family who lost a child.

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montrose
What a horrific headline.

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man2525
An advertising agency targeted 18-30 year old males who mix alcohol and red
bull with organ donation commercials. It was wildly successful. Maybe more
than this.

