Explain Why Narcan Should Be Handed Out To Heroin Addicts

The topic of Narcan is a relatively new concept, since it has only been easily obtainable in the past few years. The major debate on Narcan use is will it become a bigger issue the it fixes. Governor Tom Wolf in April made it public that all state police cars will have doses of the life-saving drug; Narcan (Murrysville). Supports, of this drug look at the fact that is has been credited with saving around one thousand people across the state (Murrysville). Furthermore, that there have been more than two thousand overdoses deaths, in Allegheny County since 2008; and that Narcan would have given those people a better chance to live. Equally important, is the negative-side of Narcan. Tom Wolf in February, made it public knowledge that free doses of Narcan, will be given to schools that want it. Those who believe Narcan will become detrimental to the fight against this epidemic have good reason to. Such as, comments from Dr. Neil Capretto who is the medical director at Gateway Rehabilitation Center; has talked before about his teenaged patients, that would use heroin or other opioids in the middle of school (Pennsylvania). If Narcan, is so accessible like in schools, police cars, and can be bought for personal use, this could allow people to push the limits on using these drugs. Also, by allowing it to used whenever is going to be like adding gasoline to a flame, it will speed the

With the approval of this drug, in just Ohio, 2,200 lives were saved from Narcan (Ison). So It is obvious that Narcan has saved numerous lives, but with anything, there are cons to this wonder drug. The most obvious are the false sense of security that makes opioid abuse seem less life threatening, and may also encourage heroin use. However, the extreme cost of an overdose and diseases that comes with heroin abuse are only going to increase because of Narcan.

An ethical dilemma is defined as a moral issue, where a situation has two equivalent undesirable alternatives and neither choice will resolve the ethical predicament.

In a moral dilemma, using a process that considers making the most people happy may be the best outcome. Radbruch, Leget, Bahr, Müller-Busch, Ellershaw, de Conno, & Vanden Berghe (2016) defines assisted suicide as “a person intentionally helping another person to terminate his or her life, at that person’s voluntary and competent request” (pg. 5). With this definition, the patient is in complete understanding of outcome of their decision. So applying the utilitarian theory, it would be to allow patients that fit all the criteria the choice of physician assisted suicide as it would provide them the happiness of having that as a choice. This is an important choice to have because as it states in the same article, “patients must be suffering unbearably, with no prospect of improvement, but the illness does not have to be terminal” (Radbruch et al, 2016, pg. 4). Why should someone wanting to go through with a physician assisted suicide be forced to live a life they do not want? Also, having this choice would make the greatest amount of happiness for most number of patients because the patient would feel like a burden emotionally and financially to their families. So in order to save their family from seeing them grow worse from the

Many people may not realize this but multiple states, including Michigan, are facing an epidemic. It is not a disease, however, it is a heroin epidemic. In a country where addictive opioid pain-killer prescriptions are handed out like candy, it not surprising heroin, also known as smack or thunder, has become a serious problem. The current heroin epidemic Michigan is facing, as are dozens of other states, has spiraled out of control in recent years. In Michigan, some of the areas hit hardest by this drug are in the southern portion of the state, like Wayne, Oakland, and Monroe Counties. The connection between painkillers and heroin may not be clear, but this is because both are classified as opioid drugs, and therefore cause many of the same positive and negative side effects. As a country, we are currently the largest consumer of opioids in the world; almost the entire world supply of hydrocodone (the opioid in Vicodin) and 81% of the world’s oxycodone (in Percocet and OxyContin) is used by the United States (Volkow). Along with consuming most of the world’s most common opioids, we have gone from 76 million of these prescriptions in 1991 to 207 million in 2013 – constantly increasing except for a small decrease starting in 2012 (Volkow). This widespread use has caused numerous consequences from increasing emergency room visits – for both painkillers and heroin – to sky-rocking overdose cases all over the country (Volkow). Michigan, unfortunately, currently has one of the

Depending on the source, some would term the heroin and opioid problem in the United States a crisis, while others would use the word epidemic. Regardless of which expression is more accurate, the situation regarding heroin and opioid use, abuse and dependence has ignited national, if not global concern. History shows us that pervasive dilemmas have a tendency to cultivate a variety of intervention and the heroin and opioid crisis is no different.

I question are we saving lives with Naloxone or just prolonging it enough until they get a stronger version of heroin or one laced with fentanyl or carfentanyl. Thus, far the effectiveness that Naloxone have on the amount of opioid related overdoses has shown ineffective. The amount of lives saved from Naloxone has increased, however the number of overdoses and deaths have increased in the state of Maryland, since Naloxone has increased on the streets. My audience is for those who set the guidelines for the administration for Naloxone in the State of Maryland. Currently, in Maryland a person does not have to be trained to administer Naloxone. Anyone can go to their local pharmacy to get Naloxone at no cost. There should be more stringent guidelines on how Naloxone is distributed to the community. There should be an increase of education and not a decrease. This is important because educating the community has proven to be an effective intervention for drug use. Administering Naloxone without treatment is keeping people temporarily alive and addicted with the increase of overdoses and deaths in the long-term. Naloxone is reactive and without treatment have been proven ineffective. Naloxone is a short-term solution to

An ethical dilemma occurs when a person is forced to choose between two or more alternatives, none which is ideal (Finkelman & Kenner, 2014). In the film WIT, the major ethical dilemma presented in the film, were the treatment option that were offered to her by the physician. The physician manipulated the situation when he informs professor Barrings of her terminal cancer in its advance stages. Not given the time to process her diagnosis, the physician continues to talk about an experimental chemotherapy treatment as if it were her only option,

Heroin addiction is one of the leading killers of adolescents and adults in the United States. In recent years, addiction has skyrocketed, and “the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths increased by 286 percent between 2002 and 2013.” In 2002, “100 people per 100,000 were addicted to heroin, and that number has doubled by 2013” (The National Institute on Drug Abuse 2013). The most affected populations include low income males, adolescents, and those who have a family history of addiction, due to their increased susceptibility and crime-ridden environment. While it may seem as though heroin addiction is “just another drug problem” in the U.S., it is actually a problem of major public health importance because there are numerous physical, economic, and social risks associated with heroin dependence. Heroin dependence in the United States accounts for brain damage, increased homelessness, crime, and incarceration rates, as well as economic decline.

medicine of cancer patients is robbed often by a friend or family member. Also, children of people who constantly seek medications learn from the parents. Therefore the future is in jeopardy. Children may grow up thinking that pill popping is the norm and may not understand the dangers of it.

Nonmedical Prescription-Opioid abuse in the United States and Michigan has continued to rise, and with it, the devastating results that accompany it. Research has shown that increased opioid abuse leads to an increase in overdose and death, increases in crime and increased incidences of costly blood borne diseases like HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis. It also leads to increased societal costs, such as an increasing number of children in foster care and increased healthcare, workplace and criminal justice costs that can decimate communities and local budgets. Many communities were caught with their heads in the sand, as they were overwhelmed by the influx of prescription opioids into their communities. When policies were finally implemented to curb the amount of prescription opioids in their communities, rates of heroin use (also an opioid) began to skyrocket and people began realizing they had an opioid epidemic on their hands. How to combat this heroin epidemic has been the topic of many debates. This article will attempt to examine the relationship of nonmedical prescription-opioid abuse and its effects on heroin use.

Restricting Narcan from someone who is overdosing on drugs is comparable to disregarding someone’s cry for help in the midst of an assault. Our Governor does not see it the same way however. In the last year he has vetoed multiple bills in the Legislature that would increase the availability of Narcan (a nasal spray variation of the drug Nalaxone) to people who are at risk of over-dosing on drugs. In the state of Maine, the increase of opioid-related deaths should provide enough motive to not only pass bills related to overdose prevention, but encourage people to utilize the antagonist drug and educate younger generations about it.

The research discussed in this paper explores the impact of heroin on the population as well as its impact on the methods healthcare workers use to treat the individuals who are struggling with this addiction. Three articles were analyzed to determine the influence of this issue on society as well as how nurse led rehabilitation can be utilized to improve client outcomes and reduce relapse. This epidemic is quickly becoming one of the leading causes of death in the United States as well as the rest of the world, and as a result new interventions and ideas must be taken into consideration to help improve the outcomes of treatment. Heroin use in the general population has increased from 373,000 in 2007 to 914,000 in 2014 and drug

Heroin is readily available and cheap. How does a small-town deal with it? To begin with it, the town needs to change their thinking and their vocabulary. Changing their vocabulary and looking at the heroin addict as a person and not as addict is the first step. The town needs to see it as a disease, just like cancer or any other health issue. The town needs to help remove the stigma associated with the heroin addiction, bring it out of the closet and let the heroin addict know they can get help. Remove the shame because addiction, judgment, and embarrassment go hand in hand.

According to Newman (2015) to treat drug use as a health issue and end to end the war on drugs, three strategies need to be implemented. These strategies include drug decriminalization, supervised injection facilities, and heroin-assisted treatment. Advantages of decriminalization are it can help minimize overdose, disease, and addiction, while reducing the larger number of people in the criminal justice system (Newman, 2015) . It has been shown with evidence that supervised injection facilities are effective in reducing new HIV infections, overdose deaths, and public issues (Newman, 2015). All this is reduced without the increase of criminal activities or drug use. Heroin-assisted treatment is an important strategy because it can reduce the