Opioid Analysis

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

In August of 2016, twenty-six people lives changed, and may never be fixed. In only one week these twenty-six people overdosed on heroin, which three of them died (Police). This is the unseen epidemic because of how unaware people are. People are blind to the prevalence in our community, rising rate of deaths, and seizures, lastly that Narcan will become counterproductive. This unseen epidemic is growing faster than anyone knows, and has to be addressed head on.

In America, the use of opioids is at an all time high, it has became such an issue nationwide, that it has became an epidemic. Because of the opioid epidemic, America is tearing apart, children all across the country are dying everyday, these children are dying from overdoses due to poisoning. The opioid problem is not just because of a person's decision to pick up a needle or a pill bottle, but it is because in the 1990’s doctors gave up on trying to treat patients for their overwhelming pain and discomfort, causing opioids to become over prescribed. Due to the carelessness of America, opioids are being distributed more and more everyday, causing the skyrocketing number of deaths.

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 (“America’s Opioid Epidemic is Worsening”). These narcotics, such as codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, morphine and oxycodone are extremely addictive and, as a result, this silent killer has quadrupled the overdose death toll since 1999

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).

In Nolan and Amico’s article, “How Bad is the Opioid Epidemic?” they argue the opioid epidemic has become the worst drug crisis in American history. Heroin and other opioids overdose kill more than 47,055 people a year. Deaths caused from drug overdose has outnumber as much as 40 percent compared to the death caused from car crashes in 2014 (Nolan and Amico 3). Furthermore, in 1999 there were only 15000 people died from drug overdose. This number has tripled in 15 years. Also, in his article, “America’s Addiction to Opioids: Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse” Volkow also presents the fact that “with an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States suffering from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers in 2012 and an estimated 467,000 addicted to heroin. The consequences of this abuse have been devastating and are on the rise. For example, the number of unintentional overdose deaths from prescription pain relievers has

The overdose count has been increasing over the years at an alarming rate. Statistics show that overdose is now more fatal than it was anticipated. In a news conference during September, Secretary Tom Price, brings up the topic of opioid abuse and he mentions that not only were there more than 50,000 deaths due to opioids, but it also made it by far the highest numbered gathered between 2002 and 2013(Price). It is a major deal that many people have lost their lives, and many more will continue losing their lives if the government doesn’t find a way to control this outbreak. Now there is starting to be a noticeable difference in overdoses since as stated in the LA Times “Death from opioid

The United States of America has had a war against drugs since the 37th president, Richard Nixon, declared more crimination on drug abuse in June 1971. From mid-1990s to today, a crisis challenges the health department and government on opioid regulation, as millions of Americans die due overdoses of painkillers. Opioids are substances used as painkillers, and they range from prescription medications to the illegal drug, heroin. Abusing these substances can cause a dependency or addiction, which can lead to overdoses, physical damages, emotional trauma, and death. To ease the crisis, physicians are asked to depend on alternatives to pain management. Law enforcement cracks down on profiting drug-dealers and heroin abusers. People are warned against misusing opioids. The controversy begins for those who suffer from chronic pain, because they depend on opioids. There’s so a correlation to the 1980s cocaine epidemic, and people are upset over racial discrimination. Nonetheless, the best way to avoid this crisis is to recover the people at risk, reduce inappropriate opioid description, and have a proper response.

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.

This epidemic emerged when undertrained physicians and doctors considered prescription opioids as the primary method of solving a nationwide problem, Chronic Pain. Educating clinicians about the proper treatment for chronic pain and signs of addiction will reduce rates of dependency, overdosing, and deaths. This epidemic has affected me personally and it is why I chose to investigate a solution. When I was in high school prescription opioids were the craze, students I knew would pop, crush and snort pills in between classes and most of them, including myself, had no clue of the dangers that came with misusing prescription opioids. Eventually, most of them struggled to feel the same or reach the same high as they once had. Shortly after, heroin became the new drug of choice in my hometown and right as that happened, I started losing touch with many people I once knew. I was young and I didn’t want any part of what they were doing so I tried to avoid interactions with that crowd. At 16 years old, I had already been to funerals for 3 different friends that died from an overdose. Had I known more, I may have been able to reach out and help one of them. Prescription opioids help patients treat pain, however they also ruin people’s lives. Do you know people in your life that are stuck in a cycle of dependency and addiction at risk? Don’t wait and make the same mistake as I had. Direct those in need to the

Addiction is a worldwide problem that affects the lives of millions. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime over 200,000 people die every year from drug overdoses and drug related illnesses like HIV and Hepatitis C. In the United States the opioid epidemic has worsened by sixteen percent from the previous year according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which state there were 33,901 overdose deaths in 2015. These facts are startling evidence that the United States is midst of an epidemic.

Throughout history, people have died from many different causes. Whether it be an accident, disease, murder or plain old age there is no stopping death, however according to the CDC, everyday 44 people in the U.S. die from overdose of prescription painkillers and many more become addicted (CDC). Opioid overdose covering a range of drugs – from morphine and heroin to painkillers such as oxycodone – claim nearly 70,000 lives each year ( UN health agency). With a constantly increasing rate, drug addiction has become an epidemic. Opiates are now the common choice of drug and is accumulating deaths by the thousands. Heroin, which is derived from the poppy plant and is the recreational form of morphine, is leading the statistics in deaths among opiates and has evolved from a drug choice of “bums” to the drug choice of CEO’s and soccer moms. The world is in the middle of a drug revolution and it is by no means bloodless. Heroin in extended use can cause severe physical and psychological harm to the user which may include infectious disease (HIV, Hepatitis B and C), collapsed veins, liver and kidney disease, abscesses, and insomnia. Addiction is now worst among teenagers in high school than any other group of individuals.

While prescription pills partake the struggle of addiction for many years, medical prescription abuse has decreased. In the article, Why is Heroin Abuse rising while other drug abuse is falling? (David DiSalvo 2014) describes how extreme the heroin increase has become, and the Governor of Vermont (Peter Shumlin) had to make the heroin pandemic his number one priority; heroin abuse has increased by 770 percent in Vermont since 2000 (DiSalvo 2014). Nevertheless, Heroin is making a comeback in all American epidemic class individuals, they are falling into the dependency of addition, no matter the cost; even if that means the cost of their life and family, although individuals know the brutal

A national crisis is occurring due to the misuse of opioids including prescription pain relievers, heroin and synthetic opioids. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, every day more than 90 Americans die from overdosing on opioids (NIH, 2017). The United States opioid crisis goes as far back as the late 1990s when physicians were educated by the pharmaceutical companies that patients would not become addicted to opioids and started to prescribe the more often. The incorrect information given by the pharmaceutical companies lead to widespread diversion and misuse of the medications which has now lead to a public health crisis. Due to the increase misuse of opioids in the last 15 years, there has been an increase in the number of emergency room visits, increase in the number of deaths related to overdose, and increase in the

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “In 2014 a total of 47,055 drug overdose deaths occurred in the U.S.” In additional to this The United States Department Of Justice calculated that “From 2002 to 2007 three percent of