Heroin Overdoses: A Case Study

Heroin and opioids have grown in appearance in communities. Since, 2008 in Allegheny County alone there was more than two thousand overdose deaths, with one hundred-seventy-seven deaths in this year alone (Pennsylvania). Furthermore, in 2015 there was only one -hundred-twenty-six;

A huge epidemic that is obtaining a lot of attention from Congress and medical professionals across the county is the spiking heroin overdoses that are rising at alarming rates. (Krisberg, 2014). My question to everyone that is researching this topic is this:

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.

rate and cities are struggling to find solutions. The CDC reports that 27,000 people die each year due to heroin overdoses. The jails are filled with offenders, that once released go out and use again, continuing a cycle of insanity without producing answers. Youths experiment with drugs, which is nothing new, but the availability of heroin, meth and the lack of education has contributed greatly to this epidemic. No one seemed to be paying any attention until it reached epidemic proportions, or as some have suggested, became "a white middle class problem" that surpassed the poor minority population.

Today, experts in public health policy have been advocated for harm reduction, which is a philosophy that attempts to reduce the negative outcomes of drug use. Safe injection sites (SISs) follow this ideology. They are facilities where addicts are legally able to use opioids, such as heroin, under medical supervision. To stop reusing and sharing of needles, Opioid users will be given access to clean needles, which will prevent hospitalizations from serious infections and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Furthermore, opioid addicts will have a clean space and will not fear being arrested by the police. This will eliminate additional anxiety and stress. Advocates for SISs believe that SISs will reduce public drug use and provide a safe space for addicts to consume illicit drugs. They have been successful in many developed countries. In many studies, it has been shown that SISs save taxpayers money and reduce the number of opioid-related deaths.

I spoke with a good friend of mine Robert Ramos about this issue. He is a recently retired, 17-year veteran of the Attleboro Police Force in Massachusetts. He stated the problem is that with the addition of Fentanyl, a painkiller, heroin has gained an increase in popularity and has become more fatal. Overdoses from heroin laced with the painkiller Fentanyl jumped to new levels across New England over this past year.

The source describes the opioid overdose epidemic across the U.S. as a significant issue possibly deriving from economic stress, social isolation, and over-prescribing pain relievers. Action must be taken to help and prevent dependency on opioids in order to stop this rapid rate of overdose throughout America. Proper education is vital for younger and elder generations to know how to prevent opioid dependency.

My concerned is the current opioid epidemic in our society. There has been a significant increase in the use of opioid analgesics for pain control. There is a corresponding growth in the rate of abuse, misuse, and overdose of these drugs. As a nurse, I had witnessed and continue to witness patients coming in the emergency room from opioids overdose between the ages of 12 and 25 and this situation continue to increase in number. There is a significant increase in number of teenagers using opioid they buy from the street and others the opioid from family member who were given prescription and other situations

In Anika Reed’s article “Drug Abuse”, it is reported that between 59,000 and 65,000 people died from drug related overdoses last year. In fact, it is a 19% increase from 2015, which is the most substantial annual increase ever recorded. Not only that but opioids, heroin and painkillers, took a major part in that statistic by raking in a whopping 33,000 Americans, and for the first time in recent history heroin surpassed gun homicides. This is a rather alarming set of statistics, each of these deaths affected not only loved ones but the humans who serve to save these lives. Consequently, in 2014, opioids were responsible for 1.27 million emergency room visits, 99% rise since 2005, and impatient care which was also a 64% increase (Reed). Ultimately, overdose related deaths are only going to continue unless we as country pull together and fight against addiction

Study Thesis. Opioids contribute to the most used illicit drug and related deaths. In this study it is said that 1 in 8 people overdose on opioids and sadly end in inconspicuous deaths. The death is due to the central nervous system depressant effects of opioids, leading to a sustained reduction in respiration and consequent anoxia. For every fatal overdose we would also expect there to be 25–50 non-fatal ‘near misses’. Along with opioids. Heroine is along the same lines and the question is, how do we reduce the rates of non-fatal and fatal overdoses? Study Method. The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales is supported by funding from the Australian Government. The central question posed in this piece

As the war on drugs continues, more and more lives are being lost to opiate overdoses. Opiates are drugs that contain or are derived from the opium poppy plant. They can be legally prescribed pain medications such as OxyContin or Vicodin or illegal street drugs such as heroin. Whether these drugs are used legally or illegally, there is always the chance of an overdose if not used correctly. According to a 2014 press release from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “in 2013 more than 16,000 deaths in the United States involved prescription opioids, and more than 8,000 others were related to heroin.”

Opiate overdose may cause significant failure to health, physical distress, breathing damage and increase mortality and morbidity. Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle aches, periodontal disease, osteomalacia and osteoporosis [6-10]. Low bone mass has also been reported in opioid-dependent individuals

A family member, friend, or other individual who is in a position to assist an individual who is apparently experiencing or at risk of experiencing an opioid-related overdose, is not subject to criminal prosecution for a violation of section 4731.41 of the Revised Code or criminal prosecution under this chapter if the individual, acting in good faith, does all of the following:

These categories are Natural remedies such as eating fruits for constipation, Over-the-counter drugs which can be legally bought without a prescription such as Tylenol, Prescription drugs which is an order written by a doctor to a pharmacist which can be many things used for many things, Tobacco products which contain nicotine such as cigars, Alcohol such as beer rum or wine, Illegal drugs which are substances that cannot be legally bought such as weed, and last but not least unrecognized drugs which can be found in products not classified as drugs such as

Heroin use and overdose related deaths have increased considerably in the United States in recent years (Jones, Logan, Gladden, & Bohm, 2015). The results of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [NSDUH] (2014), showed in the year 2013, approximately 517,000 Americans abused heroin, which was almost a 150 percent increase since 2007 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2014). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA] (2014), in the year 2011, 4.2 million people who were twelve years of age or older said they used heroin at least once in their lifetime. Furthermore, data from NSDUH showed approximately 460 people, twelve years of age or older, used heroin each day in 2013 (Lipari and Hughes, 2015). An even more frightening statistic is death rates doubled for people who were twelve years of age or older as a result of heroin overdose in the years 2010 through 2012 (Hedegaard, Chen, and Warner, 2015).