Drug Use And Overdose Related Deaths Essay

Opioid use in the US has increased over the years, and this has led to an increase in substance abuse. Substance abuse is not only associated with use of illicit drugs but also prescription drugs. In 2015, of the 20.5 million reported cases of substance abuse, 2 million had an abuse disorder related to prescription pain relievers and 591,000 associated with heroin.1 The increase in substance abuse disorder has led to an increase in opioid related death. In 2015 drug overdose was the leading cause of accidental death in the US with 52, 404 lethal drug overdoses.2

There is no cookie cutter heroin user. In fact, many of heroin’s newest addicts are in their teens or early 20s; many also come from middle- or upper-middle-class suburban families. Heroin is a dangerous drug that has many different “street names” such as Smack, Mud, Dope, Dragon, and Junk. The scientific names are diacetylmorphine or morphine diacetate, also known as diamorphine.

This literature review will focus mainly on the drug use of heroin, the scary numbers behind the drug and the sudden rise of overdosing on the drug across the United States. Issues that will be discussed are what is Heroin, what’s in Heroin that makes it addicting, how it can increase the users risk of contracting other life threatening diseases and where it’s use and abuse are most popular across the United states and we will take a look at multiple studies that show examples of our new drug problem in the United States. While we looked at how homicide rates have dropped while in class, the flip side to that is that the amount of drug usage has risen.

Heroin is a drug most children grow up learning about as being one of the worst things you can do. Being young, a child could never imagine doing something to them that is harmful. Yet here we are, at home, right in Northeast Ohio with the biggest heroin epidemic in history. Heroin is essentially a pain blocker. It turns into morphine when it enters the brain. Is this why it is so popular, or is it because this drug is becoming cheaper and cheaper? The answer is both. Heroin offers users a cheap, quick fix to temporarily numb themselves. With its growing popularity, this drug needs to be stopped. The Heroin and Opioid Epidemic Northeast Ohio Community Action Plan is currently a working draft that will

Illicit drug use in the United States continues to rise. In 2014, 27 million people reported using an illicit drug in the previous 30 days (Ebbert 19). More specifically, the United States is experiencing an epidemic of opioid prescription drug abuse which has been growing since the mid 1990s and continues to do so. In 1999, 16,849 people died from opiate or heroin drug overdoses (American Society of Addiction Medicine). In 2016, that number skyrocketed fourfold to 63,632. Opioid overdose deaths, which have been the main driver of the increase in drug overdose deaths, have increased almost 300% (ASAM). Though the epidemic is affecting all sections of the population, adolescents have been

In the United States every year the percentage of deaths related to overdose increases drastically. Heroin is one of the top drugs in the United States used and cause of overdose. There are numerous types of heroin that is being sold on the streets because of different things however I’m talking about heroin in general. This drug has become a nationwide problem and is affecting many families and friendships who have loved addicted to or using heroin. Once addictions get too bad friends and family begin to distant themselves and the person more than likely start to feel alone and the drug is the only thing to comfort them. Abusers go for the drug that is easier to get ahold of rather going after the drug that is difficult to get their hands on. Heroin has become more prevalent in teenagers and young adults than any other drug, kills more people every year and was made to help those addicted to morphine.

Heroin and its subsequent misuse has been a contentious issue plaguing society for decades. With the advent of the internet, it is becoming more difficult to curtail many of the illegal activities individuals engage in regards to drug use. Heroin in particular is very pervasive in the United States as it is a drug that is highly addictive. In America, drugs are becoming a very serious issue as immigrants enter into the country illegally carrying the drug with them. Heroin, although mainly created in Afghanistan and China, is often brought to the United States illegally from Latin countries. By entering into the country these individuals provide drugs and other narcotics to disseminate among the masses. Even more troublesome, it seems that little is being done to help prevent the influence of drugs within American society (Eric, 2008). According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use, the number of current heroin users increased from 153,000 in 2007 to 213,000 in 2008. One issue that is especially interesting is substance abuse among many young individuals and how that affects HIV rates within the American population. Many individuals are not concerned with drug use among the young population. It is my contention however, that drug use among the young has a profound impact on the society in which we live in.

Heroin use in urban areas has significantly increased between 2002 and 2012. In 2002, there were 214,000 people diagnosed as opioid dependent, according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV). By 2012, the diagnosis had increased to 467,000. Over fifty percent of intravenous heroin users between the ages of 18-25 reported they originally started using prescription opioids before resorting to heroin. Some reported heroin was a cheaper and easier drug to access compared to prescription opioids (National Institute of Drug Abuse & Addiction (NIDA), Research Report Series, 2014). Prescription opioids are administered orally, sublingually, or by transdermal patch. Heroin is often snorted, inhaled by smoking, or by intravenous methods.

Unbeknownst to the everyday individual, there is a raging issue going on within our nation that involves the rising surge of narcotic misuse and overdose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 1999 to 2014, more than 165,000 people have died in the United States from overdoses related to prescription opioids. In 2014, almost 2 billion people either abused or overdosed on prescription opioids, and of which 14,000 were fatal. Today, the heartbreaking statistics indicate to us that at least half of all overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. (CDC, 2016) Thus, this information leads us all to wonder where these addictions are sparked and where the prescriptions are being administered. One extremely popular route, involves our Emergency Departments (ED) all across the nation. For the remainder of this paper, we will discuss the clinical portion of this issue, and the interventions that all medical professionals can put into place to help lower the numbers of these statistics.

Heroin related deaths are on the rise across the country, and we have seen a significant increase of heroin related deaths in Ohio. The original goal of my literature review was to analyze heroin use in the areas mentioned in Sam Quinones book Dreamland, specifically Portsmouth Ohio. However, extensive information was not available about this specific area. So instead I focused my research on heroin use in Ohio as a whole and other suburban and rural areas.

With the rise of opioid use whether over the counter, prescription or illegal, heroin has become the drug of choice in much of the United States. Heroin in particular is used to take away people’s pain whether emotional, mental or physical. Due to laws put in place to prevent prescription drug abuse, people have been finding an alternative in heroin. According to the UN's World Drug Report 2016, the number of heroin users in the US reached around one million in 2014. Over the last 20 years, heroin usage has reached an all time high. In fact, heroin has been considered to be an epidemic. Overdoses are more common than ever and those affected are not just the users. In recent years, heroin users have ranged from low-income singles to middle class moms and dads. Due to this change in pace, children have been more negatively affected and many are orphaned as a result. Children have been found still strapped into their car seats with an overdosed parent in the front seat. Adults are passed out in the middle of the floor with a child within reach of heroin. Police officers and ambulances are more often than ever called due to reports of overdoses. America is in serious trouble as heroin from south America continues to ravage the

“When I grow up, I want to be……a doctor, a nurse, a police officer, firemen….no wants to

While many problematic heroin users claim their use is non-problematic, typically heroin use causes more significant and long lasting problems for users than use of other drugs. The exact numbers of problematic and non-problematic heroin users is unknown, and because of the secrecy surrounding heroin use, so it is difficult to compare problematic and non-problematic users. It does appear that those who develop Heroin Use Disorder have very significant psychological problems even before they start using the drug. In contrast, those who are able to control and manage their use tend to be more psychologically healthy and socially advantaged prior to use. The same may be true of those who do or do not become addicted to pain medication, but much more research is needed to understand exactly why some people become addicted when they take opioids, while others do not

3.5 million Americans ages 12 and older reported trying heroin at least once during their

Throughout the course of this class we have learned about various different drugs and the effects it has on society and the person. Within the last few years alone, the usage and overdoses of heroin has almost tripled. Heroin is a very addicting, if not the most addicting drug available right now. Many are turning to heroin because it is more accessible and often more affordable than prescription pain killers. The potential for abuse is extremely likely, even after just one use.