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Opioid crisis in united states essay
Thesis for opioid crisis
Thesis statement on the opioid crisis
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Drug abuse is a rampant problem in the United States because drugs can be abused in a variety of different ways by people. The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced. An overdose may result in a toxic state or death. People everyday are dying from consuming drugs that are harmful to their body. The drug epidemic is more important than people presume, many deaths can be prevented if more people spoke up about the topic and tried to help. America should deal with the drug epidemic that is taking over the country in several ways, one for example would be to increase the availability, affordability and access to drug treatment programs. Humans have the ability to help and prevent unneeded deaths, if citizens are able to stick together through the arduous …show more content…
Drug abuse takes an enormous toll on our society at many levels. One way to help America deal with the drug epidemic is by reducing overdose deaths by providing easy access to naloxone. This may come off as a strange way to aid and assist but it will certainly support many people who are struggling. Naloxone, immediately blocks the deadly respiratory suppression caused by heroin, methadone and narcotic pain pills and it should be made easily available to first responders, families and those dependent on narcotics and their friends. “In 2014, overdose deaths from prescription pain pills reached nearly 19,000, a more than threefold increase from 2001. Over 47,000 people total overdosed that same year.” (Sederer) This simple but effective method should be made more easily available and known to the public so lives could be saved. Overdosing and losing a friend or family member can seem like the worst thing possible and for some it is, but with naloxone, the drug abuser could have a second chance on getting help and becoming
This is being done in hopes to decrease the number of overdose deaths that are occurring in West Virginia. The law does have restrictions. Those who buy naloxone OTC must be trained by a pharmacist on how to recognize an overdose, when to administer the antidote, and how to properly inject or inhale the drug. Pharmacies must also provide educational material telling customers how and where to access treatment programs (Brown, A., Para. 1, 2016). West Virginia being the number one state in overdose deaths, I personally believe that it is a good decision to pass this law. However, I think people should be trained properly on how to administer, when to administer, what to do, what signs to look for and how to respond. Narcan is a life savior and it should be readily available over the counter. Just because they have addiction or uses drug, they don’t deserve to die. If there is already a drug to save someone’s lives, why not use it. It is ridiculous how expensive the drug cost compared to other countries. Lower class and middle class people cannot afford to buy a drug for 500 to 600 dollars. I think it is a control by the big drug industries to make more money but being greedy is just hurting everyone. If country like Australia and Canada can sell cheap as a dollar, how come it costs 500-600 dollars in USA. People have stereotype belief that only druggies gets overdosed. However, it is not true. Older people who sometimes forget what medicines they took, light weight people who had never taken any drugs when started on pain medicines because of accidents or even though if it is overdose by someone trying to get high, saving life is a miracle. With the scientific achievement, people can make clone, skin graft, synthetic valves or many ways to save or repair human body, but no one can bring a soul back to a dead body. Many people doesn’t get overdosed to kill
Almost one hundred years ago, prescription drugs like morphine were available at almost any general store. Women carried bottles of very addictive potent opiate based pain killers in their purse. Many individuals like Edgar Allen Poe died from such addictions. Since that time through various federal, state and local laws, drugs like morphine are now prescription drugs; however, this has not stopped the addiction to opiate based pain killers. Today’s society combats an ever increasing number of very deadly addictive drugs from designer drugs to narcotics to the less potent but equally destructive alcohol and marijuana. With all of these new and old drugs going in and out of vogue with addicts, it appears that the increase of misuse and abuse is founded greater in the prescription opiate based painkillers.
Since the year 2000, there have been nearly 250,000 deaths caused by an overdose on opioids, which are painkillers, and heroin (Katel). Many have suffered through the pain of losing a loved one and have pushed for the idea of injection sites. The purpose behind a safe injection site is to produce a safe environment that gradually reduces the addictive mentality and the possibility of an overdose. These centers are a place where addicts are permitted to shoot up with doctors and medical advisors supervising. A group of health providers, police and social services in Seattle are proposing opening two injection sites in response to a
Opioid addiction is becoming an increasing problem that is being ignored by the world and we can't seem to find an effective way to stop it from happening. Opiate addiction isn't solely focused on the adult population, each year there are more adolescents that begin to experiment with the use of opioid drugs such as Oxycodone, and it is ruining their lives. They think that they have nowhere to turn to get any help so they can get over their addiction, so they just continue to do opioid drugs without any guidance on how to stop and rehabilitate themselves. We need to help these adolescents relieve themselves from their addiction, so they can make it through life without having to rely on an addicting medication. The adolescent population is what is going to help influence how our future turns out.
The war on drugs in our culture is a continuous action that is swiftly lessening our society. This has been going on for roughly 10-15 years and has yet to slow down in any way. Drugs continue to be a problem for the obvious reason that certain people abuse them in a way that can lead to ultimate harm on such a person. These drugs do not just consist of street drugs (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy), but prescription medications as well. Although there are some instances where drugs are being used by subjects excessively, there has been medical research to prove that some of these drugs have made a successful impact on certain disorders and diseases.
Drug abuse is part of everyday life, most of us know someone who is or was abusing drug at some point. A way to simplify a difficult time in our life, we find an exit in a product that numbs our brain to the surrounding. People find addiction through drugs, activities and action that creates chemical reaction within our bodies. Whether you love jumping off the empire state building or inject yourself with a drug, you are looking for a high that your body enjoys. The body creates chemicals which stop our self-control. According to the CDC website, “Deaths from drug overdose have been rising steadily over the past two decades and have become the leading cause of injury death in the United States.” (Birnbaum HG, web).
Substance addiction is becoming an epidemic. While some people can quit using a substance without any help, most people need help to their recovery. Narcotics anonymous is an important support group for our society. There are many different narcotic anonymous programs to join that have meetings throughout the week. The members of the support group all share one thing in common, they suffer from different types of chemical dependency. Members help each other because they have the same problems and worries that everyone in the room has. Though they may be struggling with different stages in their life, for the most part, they all relate to what each is going through. Just as AA, NA focuses on the 12-step program. The members of
A treacherous killer has found its way into the homes and communities of many Americans, destroying the lives of millions. An epidemic is ascending resulting in the addiction and overdosing of many Americans of all ages. Opioids are unpredictable and can affect a huge number of people in a small amount of time. The opioid epidemic is not a battle specifically targeting a particular area; ethnicity; age; gender or social status they are affecting well-respected individuals. The opioid epidemic has led Criminal Justice Officials to make accommodations to meet the needs of opioid users.
“The decision to provide naloxone kits to schools was really about the increasing number of opioid overdoses that we're seeing across the country,” says TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird. He says, “everytime you turn on the news, you’re hearing about the opioid overdoses. The numbers keep going up and up”.
The issue of opioid abuse and dependence is an issue that we must deal with. Too many people are misusing and abusing these serious drugs. Currently, here in the United States 142 people die every day as a result of drug overdose and opioids make up about two-thirds of them ("Opioid Abuse," n.d.). That is an absurd number. The main demographic that is at risk for narcotics addiction and abuse is teenagers in high school, who are have their wisdom teeth removed. These adolescents or teenagers are 33% more likely to abuse and misuse narcotics later in life due to the prescription of opioid and narcotic painkillers (Miech, Johnston, O'Malley, Keyes, & Heard, n.d.). Narcotics are a huge issue and we must deal with this problem, promptly. This narcotics crisis is monumental and staggering, and thus needs to come to an end.
The previously denoted “Opioid Crisis” has reached the level of an epidemic and has thus captured the attention of the entire nation (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Opioids, which include a variety of drugs from OxyContin to heroin, are most commonly introduced to people as prescription pain-relievers. Opioid-based drugs, however, are extremely addictive. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, eight to twelve percent of opioid users develop a disorder. This results in large number of addicted patients, who then, following the termination of their prescription, seek out ways to feed their addiction with more opioids. The severity of the issue grows as the number of addicts rises, and with that, the number of overdoses.
Prescription drugs are a huge weight on the U.S. and many deal with drug abuse and its effects. According to Rx Safely Matters, 1,600 teens abuse drugs every day, over 16,000 people die each year from a prescription drug overdose according to the Nation Institute on Drug Abuse. The Washington Post reports that 59 percent of Americans have a have a drug prescription. All of these factors combine to hurt the United States, as our health care system spends 26 billion dollars a year on prescription drugs. These drugs aren’t good for your body and after years of abusing them, you will see the effects. The reason it is such a challenge for our country is the fact that so many people use them and therefore might need them, which makes a solution harder
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.
Perhaps most substance abuse starts in the teen years when young people are susceptible to pressure from their peers. One of the main concerns when dealing with substance abuse is the long term problems with substance such as addiction, dependency and tolerance. The physical state of an individual, who is addicted to a substance, will deteriorate over a long period of time. This is due to the chemicals that are being put into an individual body. One of the most important aspects of the effect of substance abuse on society includes ill health, disease, sickness, and in many cases death. The impact of substance abuse not only affects individuals who abuse substances but it affects our economy. Our government resources are negatively impacted by individual who abuse substances. According to (Lagliaro 2004) the implication of drug users extend far beyond the user, often damaging their relationships with their family, community, and health workers, volunteer and wider
Drug addiction is a very big problem in today’s society. Many people have had their lives ruined due to drug addiction. The people that use the drugs don’t even realize that they have an addiction. They continue to use the drug not even realizing that their whole world is crashing down around them. Drug addicts normally lose their family and friends due to drug addiction.