The overall timeline for opioid reduction guidelines by the CDC:
-
2016 created the restrictive framework.
-
2017–2018 saw the steepest reduction in opioid volume.
-
2019 brought federal warnings that the guideline was being misapplied.
-
2020 was not the true peak, but the point where the rapid-reduction wave began to slow and normalize into institutional practice.
-
2021 still reflected the older restrictive culture.
-
2022 finally replaced the guideline with a more flexible, patient-centered version.
-
2024–present continues that 2022 framework while still emphasizing overdose prevention and safer prescribing.
TLDR: The peak of rapid opioid reduction was probably 2017–2019, not 2020. By 2020, the system had already absorbed the reduction mindset, and the decline began to slow rather than stop. Even after federal warnings in 2019, many institutions continued following the restrictive 2016 interpretation until the CDC’s 2022 guideline formally replaced it with a more flexible, anti-forced-taper framework.
And then they brought Fent...
you would think it's the year of good vision
Sure, Covid was a cover for a lot of pathological policies pushed on the West.
In 2020, school boards across Canada held "emergency meetings" where they adopted Critical Race Theory as their guiding principle.
This was "in response to" a typical encounter (a nigger decided to fight police and then died) which also led to the American governmeny instituting their famous "let rioters burn down cities" policy.
And yeah, as they were doing this they started the "safe use" policies to flood the streets with incredibly dangerous drugs and junkies.
Covid made certain people a lot of money, sure, but it was more important in enacting policies that no one would have accepted if they'd heard about it but are too lazy to fight once they were fait accompli.