Persuasive Essay On Prescription Drug Abuse

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

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.

There is no question that the alarming rate of deaths related to opioid overdose needs to be addressed in this county, but the way to solve the problem seems to remain a trial and error approach at this point. A patient is injured, undergoes surgery, experiences normal wear and tear on a hip, knee or back and has to live with that pain for the rest of their life or take a narcotic pain medication in order to improve their quality of life and at least be able to move. The above patients are what narcotic pain medications were created for, a population of people that use narcotic pain medications for fun is what is creating a problem. Narcotics are addictive to both populations, however taking the narcotic for euphoric reasons is not the intention of the prescription that the physician is writing. The healthcare system needs to find a way to continue to provide patients that experience chronic pain with the narcotics that work for them while attempting to ensure the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) doesn’t have to worry about a flood of pain pills hitting the streets by granting access to the population with a substance abuse problem.

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.

Painkillers are prescribed so fluently within doctors offices, hospitals, and other similar facilities. Part of the issue comes from our physicians and those patients who complain about their “pain.” Rarely do physicians say no to a begging patients, but also they rarely take the time to run the necessary test to find the root of the problem. As a beginning solution, educational classes on dealing with and treating chronic pain and how to properly dispose of unused pharmaceuticals like opioids are gaining popularity(Meldrum). With the proper knowledge, people can begin to understand how opioids become so addicting. Along with knowledge about the epidemic comes help for those affected. Treatment centers for those who need it should be implemented at a proper cost and with availability for everyone. Through the Affordable Care Act, treatment coverage has been broadened. This contributes to actual care for addicts rather than punitive measures. Along with treatment options, emotional support to an addict goes a long way. Addicts can return to a life full of bad choices when they feel as if no one cares to see them get better(Newcomer). With proper treatment and precautions, the epidemic can be solved.

Doctors and clinical prescribers have discovered their role in curtailing the increased opioid prescriptions in America. It is without a doubt that they play a role in facilitating the opioid misuse endemic in the past by being enablers of the situations. When patients ask for pain medications, they do not take time to analyze the pain complaints or suggest alternative medications other than opioids. Even in instances when one doctor declines to offer a patient an opioid prescription for their pain needs, the patient is likely to find another who will give the prescription. However, there has been wide recognition of the opioid misuse endemic such that clinical prescribers are practicing more vigilant prescribing and are advocating opioid-free

Opioid abuse is a growing epidemic within the United States. Not only are people abusing the prescription forms of opioids (such as oxycodone - OxyContin, hydrocodone - Vicodin, codeine, and morphine) by taking more than they are supposed to, but they are also being bought, sold, and used on the streets illegally; such as heroin. Opioids are highly addicting because of the high they can induce in a person, causing a dependence and yearning for continued use (NIDA, n.d.) In 2007, the United States was responsible for over 99 percent of the global consumption of hydrocodone and 83 percent of the global consumption of oxycodone (United Nations Publications, 2009).

Dr. Blake Fagan gave a presentation on “The Opioid Epidemic” discussing the national, statewide, and local impact and magnitude of the dilemma. Overall, he addressed health concerns associated with the opioid crisis. Opioid painkillers are massively overprescribed by healthcare providers due to the lack of concern of prescribing 15 years ago. I remember hearing about this Opioid Epidemic a couple of years ago. In fact, I did a research paper in a previous class about it and while I was listening I found the presentation even more surprising. He mentioned that as of 2015, Buncombe County has distributed individual legitimate 17 million prescriptions in one year. I find this issue very relevant to me because I would like to speak and get the training to start a conversation about Opioid Awareness and share this presentation with others. As a former athlete who enjoys

Furthermore, in U.S., dealing with opioid addiction with opioid prescriptions is managed by Federal Regulation 42 CFR Part 8, which offers for an authorization and certification-based schemes for opioid treatment agenda. The guideline recognizes that dependence on a drug is a therapeutic disorder that may entail reverse healing procedures for dissimilar patients. The Division of Pharmacologic Therapies, which is an element of the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, is accountable for managing accreditation principles and official recognition methods. (https://www.samhsa.gov). Dependence to opioids is a mutilation that can harm and considerably spoil the major life activities of people. For this reason, Federal regulations are

In the United States of America, there is prescription drug abuse epidemic that continues to be a growing concern. Prescription drugs cause a large amount of overdoses and result in an abundant amount of deaths each year. A government study conducted shows this epidemic is scarily on the rise, “A recent government study found a 400% increase in prescription drug abuse between 1998 and 2008” (Schreiner 531). The excessive use of prescription drug abuse is leading to nonmedical use of the drugs, and creating addiction. Furthermore society is paying an extreme amount of money in this battle. With this drug abuse on the rise, legislators must create a law preventing doctors and pharmacists from over prescribing prescription medications as well a law to require they both participate in drug monitoring programs to prevent drug abuse. Now is the time that doctors and the pharmaceutical industry must be held accountable for their role in causing one of America’s worst addictions. The over medication of prescription drugs in the United States must be brought to an end by legislators creating laws to stop

According to research, the fastest growing drug-related problems in the United States is the abuse and distribution of prescription narcotics says Morbidity and Mortality Week Report (Gale, 2008, p. 1191-1192). This epidemic shows up in the stem from the emergency department. It is said that Narcotic abusers pay more attention to have unwarranted emergency department visits that cause effects on our nation's increasing health care cost and dependency. The question here is how can this problem be fixed? Providers need to unite and follow a linear progression of set criteria that directly focus on standardized screening, guidelines, and limits. To maintain this trend, manufacturers, pharmacies, clinicians, and patients should continue their efforts to improve pain management while exercising care so that the diversion of opioid medications for nonmedical use is minimized. If the abuse of opioid analgesics should increase, the sources of diversion should be addressed directly without interfering with medical availability of opioid analgesics, legitimate medical practices, or patient care.

Even though people need their prescriptions, the abuse of them is getting out of control and we need to find a way to regulate it better,because it can destroy a family, cause some to become addicted, or even kill them. Prescription drugs are no joke, they can be worse than illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and even heroin. The only difference is a doctor can prescribe these types of drugs. The problem we run into with prescription drugs is there is not enough being done to keep the person from becoming addicted or them selling to others. In 2007 2.5 million Americans abused just painkillers (Drug free world). That is not even including the other two types. Now it is starting to affect teens, one out of every ten teenagers admit to abusing a prescribed drug(Drug-free world).

Over the years many people have come up with many different ideas to prevent drug addiction in teens and knock it out of society once and for all. In my opinion, if we really do want to get rid of it then we could just enforce the death penalty for anyone in possession of drugs, however thats a strict policy discussion for another time. In this section I will be discussing the pro’s and con’s of Trump’s thoughts on how to decrease the use of drugs in the United States. President Trump believes that the best way to tackle teen drug abuse and overdose issues is to start talking to the youth about the dangers of drugs and the serious affects it can have on someone’s life. If the problem is tackled before it starts and the youth understand the complications common street drugs can cause in someone’s life then they may never start. Thus putting an end to drug abuse once and for all.

Ten to fourteen percent of people that try marijuana become addicted. When people try heroin they think that they will not get hooked, but 85 percent of the user do. Cocaine is a drug that most do not think is addictive, when in all reality it is very addictive. Methamphetamine is a very strong stimulant, and also very addictive. “About 16 million people in the United States abuse drugs.” (Hyde M., & Setaro M.D., 2003, 11). Ones using drugs often lead to difficulty managing money. Many teens are using and abusing drugs thinking that they are safe and not harmful.

A drug is a substance which can be taken by sniffing, injecting or inhaling, this chemicals travel through the body and to the brain which have a physiological effect on the person. Before drugs got criminalised they easy to get your hands on in the 19th century due to the fact people used them as treat sicknesses such as cough, injuries and women used them for menstrual cycles. Drugs such as heroin were could be bought from convenient shops to help cure someone’s cough which apparently sometimes worked but because there wasn’t any knowledge on this substance people often overdosed. Basically throughout my essay am going to try show you how drugs are good and how they could benefit us in the future.