Opioids Crisis In the United States
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Opioids Crisis In the United States
Over the last few decades, drug and substance abuse has been on the rise, especially in developed countries. An opioid is a class of drug that consists of morphine, heroin, Codeine, among others. Some of the drugs in this particular class are legally prescribed by medical practitioners as they have been proved to be medicinal. An example of such drugs includes morphine and oxycodone. However, prolonged exposure or use of opioids is harmful as it causes addiction. In the last few years, opioid use in the United States has been on the rise, and it is a time bomb waiting to explode. It is an epidemic that must not be ignored. In order to understand this opioid crisis, it is crucial to go back in time and see where opioids came from and how we found ourselves in this mess.
It is believed that opioids were made available after proving that they have medicinal values in the year 1775. Almost one century later, during the civil war, opiates were used to treat soldiers by relieving bullet pain(“History of the Opioid Epidemic – Dual Diagnosis”, 2020). However, many soldiers became addicted to drugs and began to use them leisurely. Due to the increased rate of addiction, the Harrison Narcotics Act regulated the use of opioids. With time, doctors realized that opiates were highly addictive, and the people affected were being stigmatized. For these reasons, doctors opted for surgical methods of reducing pain, such as operating on the nerves to block the pain signals. In the 1990s, however, opioids began to be used again as they were more effective than surgical methods. Today, opioids are prescribed as painkillers to chronically ill patients.
Overdose deaths caused by prolonged use of self-prescribed doses of opioids have been on the rise. According to data collected by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2018, in a day, approximately 128 people in the United States succumb to opioid overdose(Espanol, 2020). The tragic increase of overdose deaths brings us to the question of what needs to be done to counter the opioid crisis in the United States? What strategies need to be used> what are the policies and regulations to curb the rate of addiction?
Addiction affects not only the individual but also the surrounding environment. Due to this factor, it is important to ensure that the solution to this crisis is multi-edged; in a way, it will solve problems for both sides. When asked, some would suggest that those addicted should be left alone to die of overdoses since they wished it upon themselves, while others would say that there should exist federal laws that provide guidelines for the use of opioids. As we look at the solutions, it is important that we should look at the side effects of the solutions. Solutions can be destructive to the family members of the individual addicted while being constructive for the individual. Understanding the reasons why opioids are administered in the first place will help us come up with a win-win situation.
What was once thought to be heaven-sent is proving to be a disaster in the United States. For more than half a century now, opioids have been the aid and salvation for some while proving to be a death sentence to others. The act of mercy and sympathy that was once shown to those in pain have since turned to be the cause of havoc in families. The enticing feeling of pain relievement for chronically ill patients blocks the long term side effects of opioids. Also, due to the rise of carcinogenic diseases such as cancer, the need for opioids has been on the rise. Although clinically prescribed, Slowly, the sick begin to get addicted to the drugs, and this leads to an increase in dosage so that the same effect is felt. A 2004 statistical study showed that prescription opioids were the main causes of opioids related overdose deaths compared to other opioids such as Cocaine and Heroin.
So what exactly do the abusers and users of opioids feel? Opioids initiate the feelings of Euphoria and tranquillity. Euphoria is the state of being excessively happy, while tranquility is the feeling of being calm. Also, the use of opiates results in poor judgment and hallucinations. After a feeling of Euphoria, patients, and other opioids, users feel a type of lowliness that might lead to the feelings of nausea and flu-like symptoms.
For more than a decade, the fight against the use of opioids proved to be fruitless as all the efforts to mitigate the danger ahead failed. Experts fighting against the use of opioids felt discouraged once Fentanyl was made available in chemists and hospitals. By declaring it a legal painkiller, it increased its availability hence increasing its abuse.
Duties of various stakeholders in the fight of this crisis
Change asks for critical thinking and decisive decision-making skills. Although past actions against the crisis have not worked, it is time to try again and specify the various activities expected from each stakeholder expected to provide a solution for the crisis(Bolliger $ Stevens, 2019). Also, more research is needed to prove and enhance the understanding of opioids side effects. For the research to be successful and efficient, funds and support from the government are needed. Below are five key elements necessary for the fight against opioids abuse in the United States. If the steps are implemented with the right monitoring of activities, then maybe this time, we will overcome the crisis.
Of the five steps, raising/creating awareness comes first. Creating awareness involves educating the society on what opioids are and their uses. Making the society aware of both its benefits and side effects helps raise a generation that can take care of itself and reduce the burden and the resource strain in health facilities(strum, 2020). Educating the society on its benefits helps the society understand why some patients might actually need the opioids and why excessive use of them may lead to addiction. Also, raising awareness and educating the young generation reduces the incidences of new overdoses. Those addicted will also focus on treatment as they do not want to succumb to the addiction.
The second step is involving the government and ensuring that the department of justice prosecutes all drug dealers found guilty of illegally transporting and selling opioids(Arcas-Salvador, 2017). Also, the government should ensure that there are federal laws set in place to guide the manufacture, distribution, and use of opioids. The third step is increasing the involvement of professional and religious organizations. A religious group fits this situation. Some of the religious structures include the church, the synagogue, or the mosque for those who are Muslims. Religious structures provide emotional support by showing compassion while encouraging and fighting for the truth. Programs set by the church promote recovery and a sense of identity.
The fourth step is to develop or rather look for an alternative to opioid use. For chronically ill patients, such as a cancer patient, the pain from chemotherapy is too much, and normal painkillers are not strong enough to soothe them. So it is true that some people really need them. However, since the patient might be in pain for long, they end up being addicted to their painkillers. The government should invest in research and come up with other types of painkillers that work as well as opioids but are not as addictive. The advancement in technology will come in handy during such studies and researches. The fifth and final step is to mandate that all police officers and other law enforcers should always carry an antidote with them. For this specific type of addiction, Naloxone is the best antidote. It reverses the harmful side-effects of an opioid overdose.
Conclusion
The United States opioid crisis is manageable and preventable in the future. However, managing the already formed crisis is not easy and takes the effort and cooperation of various stakeholders. Providing both financial and emotional support for people struggling with opioids addiction is essential. Welcoming reformed or rehabilitated addicts back to society should be done in a slow and gradual way. Although the press for a solution never stops, it is the duty of everyone to work towards a better society as we all reap the fruits together.
References
Arcas-Salvador, M. (2017). US DEA Report Indicates Tripling of Heroin Consumption Over Seven Years. Chicago Policy Review (Online).
Bolliger, L., & Stevens, H. (2019). From opioid pain management to opioid crisis in the USA: how can public-private partnerships help?. Frontiers in medicine, 6, 106.
Espanol, e. (2020). Opioid Overdose Crisis | National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis.
History of the Opioid Epidemic – Dual Diagnosis. Dual Diagnosis. (2020). Retrieved 6 August 2020, from https://dualdiagnosis.org/infographics/history-of-the-opioid-epidemic/#:~:text=Opioids,to%20limit%20their%20recreational%20usage.
strum, j. (2020). How to Bring Awareness to World Drug Day. The Recovery Village. Retrieved 6 August 2020, from https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/drug-addiction/news/world-drug-day/.