AHS Views

Having fueled and profited from the habits of other drug addicts for years, Dr. Harry Black was arrested on June 7th for felony drug charges. The judge’s first ruling gave Black the option of treatment, but Black was ousted after only a week for breaking the rules. He’s now going to trial and facing 20 years in prison with fines of up to $1 million. I don’t know how many lives Black ruined, but I do know that had he personally completed drug rehab years ago, many may have been saved.

According to the story in the Post Standard, Black used his status as a physician to write medically-unnecessary prescriptions for drug addicts. Dr. Black and his wife, who admittedly has a problem with drug addiction, also kept some of the drugs to support their own habits.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t surprise me. These days there are plenty of doctors addicted to drugs, dealing them, and even being paid by pharmaceutical companies to put people on drugs they don’t need. As a result, more and more people are becoming addicted.

I struggled with my own drug addiction for several years, but it was made worse when I was prescribed a very strong painkiller after routine surgery. Once the pain was gone, I stayed on the drug and was taking it daily.

Eventually I went into drug rehab program. I was able to do a drug-free program, and have now been off all drugs for nearly six years. I know it’s possible to recover from addiction with a successful drug rehab program and had Black taken advantage of one, his life would be far different now, as would the lives of his patients.