Fentanyl Research Paper

The use of opioids and other drugs continues to gradually increase in the United State. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of overdose deaths involving opioids has quadrupled since 1999” (CDC website). Individuals are abusing prescription opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone. Prescriptions opioids that are supposed to be used as pain relievers, cough suppressants and for withdrawal symptoms are being use by individuals in order to feel relaxed or for the overwhelming effect of euphoria. These types of drugs are to be taken orally, but people are snorting, smoking, and injecting them in order to get a better high. I have personal encounters with opioid drugs and opioid abuser on a regular

Opioids are taking over the United States with its addictive composition, once patients are take opioids there is no escaping. The drug directed from opium which is obtained from a plant (Katz). Opioids are most commonly found in prescription pill from making underground sales more common. Since opioids are derived from a plant this makes the reality of home grown drugs more of an issue. American citizens overdosing on opioids is what is sparking the crisis because opioid “overdoses killed more people last year than guns or car accidents” (Katz). Opioids are extremely addictive and that is why so many citizens overdose on these types of drugs. After patients become hooked on opioids their body constantly is needing more and more opium to escape they pain they think they are enduring. The overdosing of Americans is not a small percentage of the population either, it is estimated that “over two million people in America have problem with opioids” proving this growing issue is an ongoing crisis (Katz). The United States government needs to take action immediately to the opioid crisis because doctors are overprescribing patients because they seemingly overreact to pain, and opioids are one of the most addictive drug types in the world.

Opioid drugs are some of the most widespread pain medications that we have in this country; indeed, the fact is that opioid analgesic prescriptions have increased by over 300% from 1999 to 2010 (Mitch 989). Consequently, the number of deaths from overdose increased from 4000 to 16,600 a year in the same time frame (Mitch 989). This fact becomes even more frightening when you think about today; the annual number of fatal drug overdoses in the Unites States now surpasses that of motor vehicle deaths (Alexander 1865). Even worse, overdose deaths caused by opioids specifically exceed those attributed to both cocaine and heroin combined (Alexander 1865).

Analysis: Opioids are a class of drug that are medically used as very effective painkillers, like fentanyl and morphine, however, they are highly addictive and produce a feeling of euphoria (“Opioids”). This combination leads do a lot of abuse and dependency, where people take more than prescribed in order to feel better. People start off taking the opioid painkillers in order to not feel pain as prescribed by their doctors. Then, they end up getting addicted to them. There are also illicit opioids, such as heroin, that are also highly addictive and also lead to dependency and death (“Opioids”). These illicit versions are taken for recreational reasons, and are also often mixed with other drugs. The combination of taking an unregulated drug in conjunction with other drugs leads to a lot of overdoses.

A drug has become very popular on the street and you might have had it before. Over the last year a medical drug called Fentanyl has started being made by drug dealers. Normally Fentanyl is used in hospitals as a powerful painkiller so it may have been used on you before. However, fentanyl like most painkillers is highly addictive and dangerous. In fact, Fentanyl is 50-100 times stronger then the commonly known painkiller Morphine. It’s also 25-50 stronger then the modern street drug heroin. Because it’s so strong only 2-3 milligrams of Fentanyl are enough for someone to suffer a fetal overdose. A little while back; enough Fentanyl was seized in a New York drug bust to kill 32 million people. So now America has declared a national emergency

The United States currently faces an unprecedented epidemic of opioid addiction. This includes painkillers, heroin, and other drugs made from the same base chemical. In the couple of years, approximately one out of twenty Americans reported misuse or abuse of prescriptions painkillers. Heroin abuse and overdoses are on the rise and are the leading cause of injury deaths, surpassing car accidents and gun shots. The current problem differs from the opioid addiction outbreaks of the past in that it is also predominant in the middle and affluent classes. Ultimately, anyone can be fighting a battle with addiction and it is important for family members and loved ones to know the signs. The cause for this epidemic is that the current spike of opioid abuse can be traced to two decades of increased prescription rates for painkillers by well-meaning physicians.

As the opioid epidemic continues to rise, news outlets and politicians have focused their attention on heroin and opioids. However, they continue to ignore the number one killer, fentanyl. This synthetic opioid is similar to heroin but 50-100 times more potent. In the pharmaceutical industry, fentanyl is prescribed to treat extreme pain, specifically in cancer patients.

Once more, the lives of Canadians are being claimed by addiction and overdose of a new drug in the streets. For those of you who don’t know what fentanyl is, it’s a powerful opioid, 100 times stronger than morphine, that is often prescribed to help patients manage moderate to severe pain. As a highly addictive substance, many are now dependent on it, and it is one of the most frequent causes of drug overdose. Readily available for purchase online are quantities of pure fentanyl from China, but when improperly diluted in clandestine labs, it can lead to an immediate overdose. Recently, an antidote for opioid overdose called naloxone has become available without prescription, so that anyone can use it. Fentanyl has become a severe problem in the past few years, and while we yet to find a way to eliminate dependence on this drug, we must keep those who use it safe.

Mike Alstott knows first-hand how opioids, when used correctly, can play an important role in managing pain and helping people to function, but he is also keenly aware of the growing crisis of opioid misuse and overdose. More American adults are dying from misusing prescription narcotics than ever before. An estimated 35 people die every day in the U.S. from accidental prescription painkiller overdoses resulting from things like not taking a medication as directed or not understanding how multiple

I would like to thank my friends, Sarah Erwin and Anntasia for helping me review and edit my essay.

The opioid epidemic in America continues to grow at an alarming rate with no end in sight. All narcotics are derived from the opium poppy plant and then manufactured into different forms of drugs such as morphine, heroin, and other pharmaceutical and synthetic opioid drugs sold on the market for pain. Opium derived drugs block and suppress pain by binding to and stimulating the natural receptor sites for endorphins found in the central nervous system of a user’s brain. Patients who are prescribed narcotic drugs can quickly become addicted to the drugs because their body’s will stop producing endorphins and instead

The world as we know it is facing an uphill battle with the abuse of opioids. Overprescribed painkillers and heroin are the leading causes in this fight. Opioids are easily attainable in our world today, causing addiction to spread quickly. If no actions are taken soon to end this problem, several lives could be at stake. The negative impacts of the opioid epidemic can be resolved by implementing precautions and treatment plans worldwide.

However, the last 40 years have seen perhaps the worst drug crisis yet: that of the current American opioid epidemic. Statistics make it obvious that smuggled heroin, corrupt doctors, and “pill mill” pharmacies are causing the 33,000 annual overdose deaths in our country. But to truly understand the effects of this growing issue, we must closely analyze the history, chemical makeup, and physiological draw to these drugs and the lives of their users and abusers.

Prescription painkillers go by many names, opiates, opioids, and narcotics. There are also types of opiates; some legal and some not. Some types of legal opiates include: codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, hydromorphone, and methadone (MSU). Each one of these have different potencies and side effects, but they are all equally as dangerous as the next one. There are too many of these dangerous drugs, therefore, people believe they are safe. The problem is that they are not safe; these drugs need to be banned immediately.

Narcotics are central nervous system depressants that relieve pain without causing the user to lose consciousness. It is this reason many people choose to abuse prescription narcotics.