The Rising Death of Opioid Users Objective Misuse, abuse, and diversion of prescription drugs is a large and growing public health problems that have resulted in an overdose epidemic.( Hirsch) Drug overdose is an important, yet an inadequately understood, public health problem. There has been a substantial increase in drug overdose incidence and prevalence in several countries worldwide over the past decade, contributing to both increased costs and mortality. Most studies on longitudinal trends
of opioid-related overdose have been rapidly increasing in the United States. From 2010-2015, overdose deaths attributed to the use of illicit opioids has increased by over 200% (1). In 2016, the number of opioid-related deaths reached 64,070, the highest number ever recorded in the nation’s history and anticipated to increase (2). While opioid-related overdose had been largely caused by prescription opioid misuse, the problem is increasingly due to heroin and other illicit opioid use (3, 4). Increasingly
opioid overdose kills 44 people a day. In the year 2013 there were 43,982 deaths from drug overdose. Prescription drugs accounted for 22,767 of these deaths. Opiates are the leading cause of prescription drug overdose deaths causing 16,235 deaths. Benzodiazepines contributed to 6,973 deaths. It is not uncommon to find a combination of drugs in prescription medication overdose deaths. With the advance is medical care the mortality data does not depict the true picture of the opiate overdose problem
Services (HHS) (2013) reported that U.S. prescription drugs, especially opioids analgesics, have been increasingly involved in drug overdose deaths. Unfortunately, drug overdose deaths from prescription drugs, especially opioids analgesics outnumbered deaths related to motor vehicle accidents back in 2009. Actually, in 2010 only, 16,651 deaths were connected to opioids overdose, an increase of 60 percent of overdose losses from any other drug class, prescribed or illegal. Specifically, in Florida
Drug Abuse on the Rise in the Community “In 2014, nearly two million Americans either abused or were dependent on prescription opioid pain relievers (“Injury Prevention and Control: Opioid Overdose,” 2016.)” The CDC is now saying that the United States is in an epidemic. The purpose of this paper is to explore the increasing drug use in the United States over the last decade. The primary focus is on the administration of opioid analgesics and the addicting mechanisms of these medications, and what
In recent years drugs have overtaken the United States by storm. The rising death rate of overdose continues to rise as we speak. Whether it is abuse of illegal drugs such as cocaine, or medication prescribed by a doctor such as opioid painkillers, addiction will always be a concern. And in many cases, if substance abuse continues, there is a real possibility of overdose. With very little being done to lower overdoses one can only wonder how can we make this epidemic disappear. According to a report
Individuals who exclusively use Insite as their drug injection site are seven times less likely to share drug related paraphernalia, such as syringes, which then decreases the risk of transmitting injection related diseases, such as Hepatitis C Vitus (HCV) to others (Kerr et al., 2005a). North America’s first safe injection facility, Insite, was developed in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2003. Insite was developed as a way to research the effect levels of prevention, treatment
Lowering Opioid Overdose Fatalities by Making Naloxone Available Over-the-Counter Last year there were over 64,000 reported opioid-related deaths in the United States – making it the leading cause of accidental death in people under the age of 50 in this country (Katz). Opioids, also referred to as painkillers, have become a growing problem over the past two decades particularly in rural communities all across the country where the death rates are higher per capita compared to the death rate in cities
heroin addicts, one of which is by introducing anti-opiate drugs, such as Naxaloone, Methadone, and Buprenorphine ← THIS SENTENCE IS A COMMA SPLICE. These said drugs would fight all the heroin-induced chemicals, until eradicating the necessity for heroin. It is essentially like rewiring your brain to get rid of the opiates. An estimated 22 million Americans are dependent on or abusing drugs or alcohol, at huge costs to society. Deaths from overdoses due to heroin and other opioids, including the prescription
The use of drugs has been an issue for decades, but in 2001 Portugal decided to take the lead and decriminalize the use of drugs. By doing so they have been able thus far to drop down the drug overdose rate, prevent the spread of drug related diseases and have been able to steer the money more to helping people with treatments rather than incarcerations. It is now treated as a health issue rather than a criminal one. Although drugs are still illegal in Portugal if caught with them you are offered