Illicit Drug Use and Addictions: Neoliberal versus Social Democratic Ideology Individual hold beliefs and values that shape thought processes and actions pertaining to different realms of their lives. Political ideologies are a set of assumptions and practices that provide a framework for political action and are often used to describe or interpret the world via making assumptions about human nature, present realities, and future possibilities and identifying acceptable means of achieving social and economic development (Jost, Federico, & Napier, 2009; Orlowski, 2011). In Canada, three main ideologies are liberalism, conservatism, and socialism. Each ideology can take different forms and be positioned in a wide range of the left-right …show more content…
The 2015 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Survey (Statistics Canada, 2016) found that 13% of the population use at least one illicit drug, which is a 2% increase from the previous year. The six main drugs include cannabis, cocaine or crack, ecstasy, speed or methamphetamines, hallucinogens or heroin. Cannabis continues to be the most prevalent and the use of all illicit drugs are most common among youth (aged 15-19) and young adults (aged 20-24) compared to adults aged 25 and older. Canada is currently facing an opioid overdose crisis, including abuse of both prescription and illicit forms. Specifically, fentanyl-related deaths have rapidly increased across Canada and have varied by substance, such as using fentanyl alone or combined with other drugs, and by route of administration, such as intravenous injection (Fischer, Russell, Murphy, & Kurdyak, 2015). Furthermore, fentanyl has commonly been mixed and sold as other drugs, like OxyContin and heroin, by street dealers (Fischer et al., 2015). In 2016, there were 2458 apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada and Western Canada experienced a higher proportion of deaths. British Columbia and the Yukon had the highest rates of over 15 opioid-related deaths per 100,000 population while 10 to 14.9 deaths per 100,000 population occurred in the Northwest Territories and Alberta (Government of Canada,
In the United States of America, for instance, American liberalism and conservatism are two main ideologies common within the state. However, both ideologies originated from more generic liberalism (Shively, 2014). Apart from these two ideologies, the socialism and fascism are other forms of ideologies that are prominent in the
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 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.
What drug is most commonly abused by young adults (as determined by recent surveys noted in the text)?
The opioid crisis is not just now becoming an issue, but recent numbers of overdoses are raising even more concern and attention. The issue is with how citizens deal with the crisis because opioids are finding their way into the wrong hands. The crisis is so severe that “everyday more than 90 people die overdosing on opioids” (“Opioids”). That number will only grow if nothing is done to stop people from overdosing. The entire opioid crisis started from patients misusing opioid medicines. In the year 2015 alone “33,000 Americans died from opioid overdose” (“Opioid”). So many Americans fall victim to opioids and they can become extremely addicting. Once a patient's body is exposed to opium, the body will then adjust to needin opium by the larger quantity and patients will soon take more and more causing an overdose. Unfortunately, synthetic drugs are on the rise (Katz). Fentanyl is a prime example of a synthetic drug that is taking over America by storm. It can be mass produced in a
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
This leads to a bigger problem for our youth, where 81% of OTC drug abusers also end up using marijuana and hallucinogens (King 68). Over a million arrests are made every year for
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.
Many people may not realize this but multiple states, including Michigan, are facing an epidemic. It is not a disease, however, it is a heroin epidemic. In a country where addictive opioid pain-killer prescriptions are handed out like candy, it not surprising heroin, also known as smack or thunder, has become a serious problem. The current heroin epidemic Michigan is facing, as are dozens of other states, has spiraled out of control in recent years. In Michigan, some of the areas hit hardest by this drug are in the southern portion of the state, like Wayne, Oakland, and Monroe Counties. The connection between painkillers and heroin may not be clear, but this is because both are classified as opioid drugs, and therefore cause many of the same positive and negative side effects. As a country, we are currently the largest consumer of opioids in the world; almost the entire world supply of hydrocodone (the opioid in Vicodin) and 81% of the world’s oxycodone (in Percocet and OxyContin) is used by the United States (Volkow). Along with consuming most of the world’s most common opioids, we have gone from 76 million of these prescriptions in 1991 to 207 million in 2013 – constantly increasing except for a small decrease starting in 2012 (Volkow). This widespread use has caused numerous consequences from increasing emergency room visits – for both painkillers and heroin – to sky-rocking overdose cases all over the country (Volkow). Michigan, unfortunately, currently has one of the
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.
Once more, the lives of Canadians are being claimed by addiction and overdose of a new drug in the streets. For those of you who don’t know what fentanyl is, it’s a powerful opioid, 100 times stronger than morphine, that is often prescribed to help patients manage moderate to severe pain. As a highly addictive substance, many are now dependent on it, and it is one of the most frequent causes of drug overdose. Readily available for purchase online are quantities of pure fentanyl from China, but when improperly diluted in clandestine labs, it can lead to an immediate overdose. Recently, an antidote for opioid overdose called naloxone has become available without prescription, so that anyone can use it. Fentanyl has become a severe problem in the past few years, and while we yet to find a way to eliminate dependence on this drug, we must keep those who use it safe.
After reviewing several online articles, the issue of fentanyl continues to come to the forefront for the community of Abbotsford. In creating a problem-oriented policing plan, I will be using the SARA model. Fentanyl is a strong opioid prescribed drug used to treat patients with severe pain and to cope with the pain of surgery. Fentanyl makes the neurotransmitters of the user a sensation of rewards. Fentanyl is a cheap drug which is easily accessible. Fentanyl is a hundred times more toxic than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl can lead to an overdose. Scanning: So far in 2017 Abbotsford has 29 deaths caused by overdosing on fentanyl alone. In 2016, there was a total of 922 fentanyl deaths in British Columbia (CBC
This article by Rudd et al. describes the statistics of drug overdoses between 2000 and 2014 in the United States, and highlights the dramatic increase particularly with opioid overdoses. The article also demonstrates that this increasing epidemic does not discriminate with gender or race. However, the article points out
In more than 70 years after the World War 2, we have been spoon fed with the lies of the Allied Powers regarding the Axis Powers, particularly about Nazi Germany (Or should I say, NS Germany)..Lies about their evil intentions evil deeds evil everything blah blah, and that Adolf Hitler is evil and his ideology also evil blah blah. Maybe now its the chance for us to learn the truth about what is really the nature of Hitler's ideology and why is it consigned for destruction by the forces of the dark - the Allies.