I. How did it all begin?
A. Understanding of what Opioids are and what they do
1. Opioids are potent, addictive drugs that inhibit the transmission of pain signals in the brain.
2. A few common opioid pain killers are called hydrocodone and oxycodone. They are chemically very similar to opiates derived directly from the opium poppy
B. Understanding addiction
1. Those addicted to opioid medication are considered to have a chronic medical condition and will be treated like diabetes.
II. The Problem in Modern Times
A.
III. How Can We Stop the Epidemic?
A. A way is to take other specific medications to prevent the cravings and stop effects of opioids from addicts.
1. Medical Assisted Treatment include buprenorphine, methadone or naltrexone. They
In medical school/pharmacology school, medical professionals are taught to treat severe pain with opioids. However, opioids should be prescribed with the possibility of future dependency in mind. Physicians often struggle with whether they should prescribe opioids or seek alternative methodologies. This ethical impasse has led may medical professionals to prescribe opioids out of sympathy, without regard for the possibility of addiction (Clarke). As previously stated, a way to address this is use alternative methods so that physicians will become more acquainted to not not treating pain by means of opioid
codeine. Opiate is made of opium. Opiate can be used to reduce pain or cause sleep.
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.
Most people want to succeed but today nobody wants to put in the hard work hence Adderall sounds like the perfect solution except no one stops to think of the consequences or even bother to do some research on the drug they are placing in their body. Advertisements are used to manipulate the reader into thinking they need Adderall, or as if they have ADHD. This manipulation works because not many people challenge advertisers instead the consumer takes it for what it is. The consumer silences themselves by not challenging and researching the drug that is being ingested. If the claim being made by the advertisement fits their problem and it has a fix many will fall for the ruse. If a product does more good than bad and is supported by scientific
Granted, opioid based Pain killers like OxyContin have been invented and used for centuries. It was Hippocrates who first used opioids as a form of medicine. He used opium to stop the pain of internal illnesses, like "women’s diseases" (Blachford and Krapp). But as time went on chemists were able to actually separate and isolate more compounds from the opium plant, such as the chemical Thebaine, the main substance used to make Oxycodone (Meier 57). Oxycodone is the chemical in OxyContin that gives it the pain killing effects, it was developed in Germany circa 1916, and they labeled it under the name Eukodal (Blachford and Krapp). From there, the FDA first approved the use of Oxycodone in 1976 (Blachford and Krapp). Then In 1996 a drug manufacturer by the name of Purdue Frederick started the sale of Oxycodone under the brand name OxyContin, in order to sell the drug he opened a special unit known as Purdue Pharma (Meier 12). Following the release in 1996, it became highly sou...
Opioids are used as pain relievers and although it does the job, there are adverse side effects. Opioids are frequently used in the medical field, allowing doctors to overprescribe their patients. The substance can be very addicting to the dosage being prescribed to the patient. Doctors are commonly prescribing opioids for patients who have mild, moderate, and severe pain. As the pain becomes more severe for the patient, the doctor is more likely to increase the dosage. The increasing dosages of the narcotics become highly addicting. Opioids should not be prescribed as pain killers, due to their highly addictive chemical composition, the detrimental effects on opioid dependent patients, the body, and on future adolescents. Frequently doctors have become carless which causes an upsurge of opioids being overprescribed.
Opioids are prescribed to help people; prescription opioids can be used to treat moderate-to-severe pain and are often prescribed following surgery or injury, or for health conditions such as cancer (Prescription Opioids). When taken as directed, opioids are safe and effective treatment options for relieving debilitating chronic pain (Highsmith). Doctors have screening protocol they follow before prescribing an opioid. Doctors ask patients about their past to see if any substance abuse was present, to rule out patients with a higher risk of becoming addicted to prescription opioids. Nonetheless, if the medication is used as directed, not only is your risk of addiction minimal, the odds of enjoying a better quality of life will be in your favor (Highsmith). In other words, doctors are doing their part to prevent prescription opioid drug abuse. Actually, dishonest people are the ones at
In the United States, opioid addiction rates have majorly increased . Between 2000-2015 more than half a million individuals have died from Opioid overdose, and nearly 5 million people have an opioid dependence which has become a serious problem. The Center for Disease control reports that there are 91 deaths daily due to opioid abuse. Taking opioids for long periods of time and in
Topic: Addiction to social media General Purpose: To persuade Specific purpose: To persuade my audience that social media is hurting us mentally and our social lives. Thesis: Social media can cause serious problems to you and your health, so we need to put addiction to social media to rest. I. Introduction A. Attention-getter: The ages of 55 and 64 year olds who use social media fell “worried or uncomfortable” when they can’t access any type of social media accounts (Wright, 2015).
It doesn’t matter if these patients will become addicted, because these doctors are so sure of it that they overprescribe just so the patients won’t come back asking for more in the near future. Due to the inconsideration and selfishness of these doctors “Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing form of substance abuse”(Hanson). To make matters worse, a majority of these doctors aren't even warning their patients about the type of drug they are dealing with. According to the National Institute on drug abuse, opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, causing them to be highly addictive(Thomas et al). Not only is it clear to see that these doctors are at fault here for even prescribing a drug they know can be as addicting as heroin, but also because they aren't doing anything to fix their mistakes, much less admit that they are at fault here. Doctors are to blame for these addiction, not the patients. Doctors are also to blame for not giving these unhealthy addictions the attention they deserve. After all, they are required by the FDA to give risk evaluations when the risks of the drug outweigh the benefits(Blake). Yet on the contrary to popular belief these doctors aren’t giving those evaluations out, if they were more deaths could
By the year 2000 opioid medicine containing oxycodone etc., are being abused and misused and more than doubled in 10 years’ time.
Prescription drugs are making parents more overwhelmed than ever before about their teenaged child! Why must they worry so much about their teenaged child? “When you can stop you don’t want to, and when you want to stop, you can’t…” (Davies). This quote signifies that adolescents and adults have the option to quit or not try the drug when being introduced, but when they get started on the drug and they are thinking abouting quitting, they cannot because of the addiction they have on the drug. Each day they try to stay away from the drug, but they are having really bad withdrawals. Rockingham County Schools should inform parents about the strategies for preventing, recognizing, and addressing prescription drug abuse.
The next time you consider popping ibuprofen, for a headache or joint pain, understand that relief may come with a deadly price — heart attack, stroke and potentially life threatening gastrointestinal bleeding.
Doctors can prescribe drugs that can be as addicting as street drugs. When a patient is at the hospital, doctors will prescribe many drugs to help the patient get better, like ...
Many people that we know and love are participants in the opioid epidemic. People everywhere are strung out on prescribed painkillers and/or heroin. How do we help these addicts break free from the restraints of such drugs? In 2002 the miracle drug, Suboxone, was ready for public consumption. The purpose of this drug is to make withdrawal symptoms bearable. However, is it becoming apparent that some patients receiving Suboxone sub consequently inherit a new addiction. Basically, they are trading one addiction for another.