Prescription Opioid Abuse And Its Effects On Heroin Use Essay

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

Canada is in the mist of opioid overdose. On a per-capita bases Canada is second only to the US in opioid consumption and overdose. No fewer than 2480 people died from opioid overdoses in 2016 across Canada. Among the hardest hit provinces are British Colombia, Alberta, and Ontario. British Columbia reported close to 800 overdose fatalities between January and June of this year, a jump of nearly 100 percent over the same period last year. In Alberta over 100 deaths were attributed to fentanyl overdose between January and March of this year. Similar trends are seen across the country.

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 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.

Opioids are being over prescribed in the United States resulting in increased deaths by drug overdose. Pain medication strategies are being looked into as substitutes for pain management. Over decades, the amount of medicine being prescribed has more than tripled. State policies regarding the medication were implemented and who'd a small decrease in the likelihood of opioid prescriptions. Nationally, death rates are on the rise. Studies monitoring prescription drugs do not account for illegal opioids and manufactured fentanyl. While not mentioned in this article, there is a possible correlation between young people prescribed opioids and illegal drug use seeing that overdoses are common in patients already abusing their prescription medication, yet overdose death being most common after

Just last year, the United States experiences an astonishing 60,000 deaths related to drug overdose—with roughly 33,000 of those deaths due to Opioids. That means that more than 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose per day, making it the leading cause of death for people under 50. As I have said over and over again, this crisis affects Americans across all socioeconomic levels in all regions of the country – including the 6th District of Virginia – and has rightfully gained the attention of Congress as well as the

For thousands of years, opiates have been used in the treatment of pain. Opium is believed to have been discovered 6000 BC, and since then, it has had a huge impact on both medicine and the recreations of those seeking euphoria. More recent than the ancient discovery of natural opium are the derivatives of opium, such as the alkaloids morphine, codeine, and thebaine. From these alkaloids, semi-synthetic opiates can by synthesized, such as hydrocodone, and oxycodone. Synthetic opioids are also quite prevalent, which include fentanyl and tramadol. Opium can also be processed into heroin, a morphine derivative. As advancements were made in science and engineering to allow for a wider distribution and usage of opiates, the problems of dependence and overdose also increased drastically. According to Hart and Ksir (2013, p. 302), the invention of the hypodermic needle for intravenous administration of morphine and other drugs allowed for a much faster and more potent dose of the drug. With this increased potency came an increase in the possibility of a recreational intravenous user to overdose. Hart also mentions that some of the wars surrounding the era of the synthesis of morphine may have contributed to the rise of morphine, seeing as a medic soldier’s motto was always “first provide relief” (2013). This relief-driven attitude and extensive use of opioid analgesics in medicine during the time, in addition to the large amount of patent medicines and remedies on the market may

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%.

Studies show that in the last 15 years the rate of opioid overdose deaths has paralleled the rate at which opioid prescriptions are given. Each year the number of deaths attributed to opioid overdose has increased, reaching 47,055 in 2014 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Still other statistics state that 4 out of 5 heroin users started on prescribed narcotics. When they could no longer obtain the drug legally, they turned to illegal means. Doctors at the American Medical Association, Hallam M. Gugelmann and Jeanmarie Perrone, state that “Individual use of prescription opioids increased 402% from 1997 to 2007. This increase in opioid prescribing parallels substantial increases in opioid addiction, fatal overdoses, and diversion of these drugs for recreational or nonmedical use.” The skyrocketing of overdose and death, as well as the millions of dollars expended for treatment has lead to a public outcry for change. Accomplishing this change seems daunting. How will America go about fixing such a pervasive problem? Logically, the only solution lies in changing the habits of the medical practitioners who are prescribing these medications and who started this

Both locally and nationally, the opioid and heroin epidemic is greatly affecting communities everywhere. People should care about this epidemic because it is changing the way you live more than you think. As drug use increases, the average income decreases, as that person can no longer hold a job. Opioid addicts cause psychological problems, which doesn’t only affect the person with the illness, but communities as a whole, as often times they no longer keep up with personal hygiene, or function as well as a healthy individual. Drug abuse also affects the child of the user. Children of drug abusers are more likely to become users in their futures, becoming a never ending

The clinical trials of heroin to evaluate feasibility and effectiveness of Heroin-assisted treatment in Canadian context.

The heroin epidemic is one of the most devastating things to face. Each year it seems as if it takes more and more innocent lives. Studies have shown that “the current opioid epidemic is the worstdrug crisis in American history.” Thousands of people die each year from car accidents, homicide, natural causes, etc., but “In 2015, for the first time, deaths from heroin alone surpassed gun homicides” (The New York

Heroin use has reached epidemic levels In the U.S. The overdose deaths have nearly quadrupled and has increased 63% within 11Years (CDC). Tom Friden, director of the CDC thinks that the addiction to prescription painkiller may be contributing to the rise of heroin use. According to the CDC, “most heroin users have a history of non-medical use of prescription opioid pain relievers...” (ReadWorks). The government needs to become more active in regulations relating to prescription drugs. The people using need help both in treatment and realization of what damage people are doing to their body buy using heroin. For the sake of others the continuation of this epidemic needs to be shut down and put on high priority. Heroin use has reached an unhealthy,

The most dangerous opiate there is, heroin is a potent and quick hitting drug that poses many risks to living an enjoyable life. Opiates like morphine are substances with qualities similar to opium, which derives from the poppy plant. To understand how tempting a painkiller like this might sound to the oblivious person, it is important to know what type of effects that using heroin will bring about. New users typically start by smoking or sniffing it, but like many opiates, developing a tolerance, becoming psychologically dependent, and eventual withdrawal symptoms are expected, leading to heavy usage within months. Annual mortality rates of heroin users are rising at two percent, but treatments are accessible (Andrew Wickens, 2009). A deadly drug indeed, so how does it manage to ruin so many lives year by year? Likewise, when heroin enters the body, it turns into morphine and when it reaches the brain, it binds to mu-opioid receptors (MORs) (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2016). These receptors stimulate the release of dopamine along the reward pathway of the brain, thus creating the mind-numbing euphoria and relaxed state, until the user acknowledges the impact and detriment that heroin use can have on the nervous system and overall life expectancy.

6. This graph shows the increase in Heroin overdose in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2013, 195 individual became victims of this epidemic, with this the state began to distribute the drug Naloxone which counteract the effects of Heroin, later in this proposal it will discuss exactly what law enforcement and law maker have either proposed or initiated to elevate the lasting affects of this crisis. Over 25% of victim were female, victims from Cleveland accounted for 97 of the mortality number, < 25% were between the ages of 19 to 29. And over 50% of the heroin overdose were related to individual living in the suburbs (Blackwell, 2014).