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Why Are Opioids Are Addictive?

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Before opioids, the most common pain killer was morphine, which is technically an opiate. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, opiates work by blocking the opioid receptors in the brain. This causes the receptors to create lots of dopamine. Dopamine makes people feel pleasure and contentment. It is these feelings that make morphine and all opiates highly addictive. Opioids are simply synthetic versions of the more natural opiates, and while they may appear to be different, they are just as addictive as their more natural counterparts. It is not a mystery that these opioids are severely addictive. Heroin, one of the most addictive drugs in the country is an opioid, and had 200,000 users addicted in 1925. It is outrageous to believe that pharmaceutical companies had no idea that their opioids were addictive in the 80’s or 90’s when they pressured their product on the country. These pharmaceutical companies face lawsuits …show more content…

pharmaceutical market in 2015 had 87 Billion dollars worth of imports, and exports worth 47 Billion. Overall the drug industry spent over 100 million dollars lobbying congress on various bills during 2014-2016. In the United States the medical field is an industry. These companies are built off of monetary incentive. In order for their product to gain popularity and make more money they pressured doctors to prescribe their products. People in our country are suffering at varying levels because of these opioids, and these big companies can afford to provide relief from those who have been prescribed with them. There are some instances of opioids being effective. For example surgeries, cancer patients, and other life threatening issues. It becomes an issue when doctors trust their patients to take large portions of these drugs home. Many people have spoken of how month long prescriptions are often gone within the first week. Until a better replacement for opioids can be discovered, these opioids need to be more tightly

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