Prescription Drug Addiction Paper

While our major access to these drugs is doctors, we cannot simply lay blame on them, as there is not enough knowledge about these treatments to correctly appropriate drugs, and therefore extra is given (Hemphill 373). Alexander of the Department of Epidemiology of the Journal of the American Medical Association, states that “There are serious gaps in the knowledge base regarding opioid use for other chronic nonmalignant pain” (Alexander 1865-1866), which leads to the unfortunately large number of leftover drugs. In fact, the main place that people get their drugs are from leftover prescriptions (Hemphill 373).

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

Many people have developed an addiction due to an injury and which were prescribed painkillers to manage and treat the pain. Prolonged use leads to dependence and once a person is addicted, increasing amounts of drugs are required to prevent feeling of withdrawal. Addiction to painkillers often leads to harder drugs such as heroin due to the black market drug being cheaper. Prescription drugs remain a far deadlier problem and more people abuse prescription medication than cocaine, methamphetamine heroin, MDMA and PCP combined. Drug abuse is ending too many lives too soon and destroying families and communities.

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.

Prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in the United States especially among the youth of our country. The Partnership for a Drug Free America says that 2,500 teens a day abuse prescription drugs. Abuse of these narcotics can lead to serious mental and physical consequences. Why is this such a problem, what can we do to solve it, and how is it affecting our social lives?

Many articles I have read say that both law enforcement agencies and state officials suspect that the rise of heroin abuse is due to many reasons. One theory is that because local and federal drug agencies have been shutting down illegal prescription pill mills, and that drug abusers that were hooked on prescription opiates are seeking out cheaper alternatives such as heroin (Kounang, 2015). “Heroin seems to be the drug of choice right now for a number of reasons. Users can inject it, they can snort it and it’s very, very inexpensive and easy to obtain. We’re are seeing that it is cheaper in Providence than it is here in Massachusetts.” stated Ramos when I asked him why it’s so popular. In my opinion, one thing is clear. Both national and local authorities are making an effort to combat this growing issue. They are not turning a blind eye to this epidemic.

The opioid epidemic that has taken over the United States is likely the largest public health crisis that our country has faced in the 21st century. It has torn countless families and small rural communities apart in its wake, and does not currently show signs of slowing down anytime in the near future. In the last couple decades, the United States’ government has addressed the epidemic as a criminal problem. Treating those affected by the opioid crisis like criminals has not yielded positive results overall. For some time, the public opinion has predominantly been that this epidemic should not be blamed on anyone other than those who take these opioids, and that it is their own personal downfalls and bad judgement that is responsible for their specific situation. While opioid abusers certainly deserve some accountability for their actions, there is abundant evidence of greater forces at work that have a lot of influence on their decisions.

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.

In the US, according to CQ Researcher, the number of those that used heroin had more than doubled between the years of 2002 and 2004 and doubled again between 2011 and 2013. It is a growing issue especially due to

Does anyone you know and or love currently struggle with opioid addiction? Have you witnessed the loss of a life due to opioid addiction? Opioid addiction is a major issue we are all facing the United States either directly or indirectly. The opioid epidemic has continued to grow yearly, and shows no real solutions in the trend of it slowing down or it coming to an end. Doctors are well aware of this information and are working to reduce the number of opioid abuse cases created at the source. There are options available to addicts including but not limited to inpatient rehabilitation programs, detoxification programs/facilities, and outpatient counseling support. These options cost a significant amount of money, unaffordable to most addicts,

The relationship between the rising rates of prescription-opioid abuse and heroin use has led to increases in crime, incidences of HCV and HIV, and drastic increases on overdose and death. In fact, between 1999 and 2010 opioid-related mortality increased 415% among women and 265% among men (King et al, 2014). According to King et al (2014), the main causes of this increase in deaths can be attributed to prescriber error, user behavior and characteristics and systemic determinants. Their research found that opioid prescribers may have played a role in the increase in deaths by prescribing higher doses of opioids and at higher volumes, and by prescribing oxycodone and methadone. In fact, between 1999 and 2010, sales of prescription opioids to U.S. hospitals, clinics and pharmacies increased four-fold, and with it an accompanying increase in opioid-related mortality (King et al, 2014). They also found that between 1997 and 2006, U.S. retail sales of methadone increased 1177%, oxycodone 732%, fentanyl 479% and sales of hydromorphone, hydrocodone and morphine increased between 196% and 274%.

Modern day America is plagued by a surplus of tragedy, most may have seen viral videos of these “zombies” slumped in cars or streets and yet it continues. In fact, this terrifying epidemic was created by drugs that were intended for pain relief, Opioids. This includes prescription pain relievers like oxycodone, morphine, methadone, and hydrocodone. Ironically, the well-known street drug, Heroin, is one of the most serious offenders of the Opioid crisis (Anderson). With each day, more mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers are witnessing and losing loved ones from overdoses, which is why the focus of society absolutely needs to be on a path of action towards the rising deaths, excessive prescriptions and governmental influences in opioid addiction.

Opioid epidemic have led to the use of heroin. Heroin and Opioid are silent killers that effect all levels of society and economic status. Prescription drugs alone is a 25 billion dollar business. “They are prescribed and sold illegally through street style pharmacists or “doctor shopping” by individuals who visit numerous physicians to obtain

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

Over the past 10 years we have seen prescribed opioid narcotics being abused more often than before. In our society doctors prescribe different types of drugs to control a certain pain or for medical reasons. Most narcotics have the potential to numb pain, relieve stress and overall have the feeling of pleasure. The rates for addictiveness is very high therefore physicians under-prescribe narcotics. Narcotics have been present ever since time was recorded so we can't really say our narcotic problem just came up. For example, narcotics like morphine were commercially available to purchase during the 19th century. In our history narcotics were not something classified as dangerous or bad therefore it was never viewed that way. Whenever narcotics