ipl-logo

Essay On Opioid Addiction

1794 Words8 Pages

Over-Prescription Causes Drug Addiction

In recent years, the opiate and opioid epidemic has been on the rise. Various types of opioids are involved in the casualties resulting from this epidemic. Prescription opioids are most to blame for this rise, as they are causing the majority of deaths and are possibly the origins of new addictions. Any normal person in their day-to-day life would not walk out of their home and randomly decide they are going to abuse opioids. It usually starts with someone who has been prescribed opioids by their doctor. Eventually, growing their addiction to harder more illegal drugs. “Pooling data from 2002 to 2012, the incidence from heroin initiation was 19 times higher among those who reported prior non-medical pain reliever use than among those who did not” (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Opioids are overly-addictive And are overly-prescribed by doctors. “All opiate …show more content…

350,000 of those Deaths were by overdose of prescription opioids. throughout 2016 alone, 160 people died every day from overdosing on opioids. These numbers cause more than 42,000 deaths in the US over the course of the whole year. “These numbers are staggering in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now officially labeled prescription drug abuse as an epidemic” (Berry, Paragraph 1). Young adults make up the majority of those addicted to prescription opioids. Around 70 percent of 18 to 30-year-olds in treatment centers have admitted that they began using these drugs at the ages of 17 or younger. (Sheikh) While these numbers are quite large and continuously growing, some of the prescribed opioids being taken are going unnoticed. “Shockingly, no one knows who might be taking opioid painkillers unnecessarily” (Gornall). Many can keep their addiction to opioid painkillers a secret, and can keep their Numbers from affecting large scale

Show More
Related

Theme Of Drug Addiction In Fahrenheit 451

970 Words | 4 Pages

These pills, such as xanax and oxycodone allow people for short periods of time to withdraw from the harsh reality faced today. “Between 1997 and 2002, sales of oxycodone and methadone nearly quadrupled” (Okie). Around 15 years later and the prescription pill problem is continuing to skyrocket. Since prescription pills are dispersed out to anyone by doctors, many people do not realize that it is as much of an illicit drug as cocaine and heroin is. “Misinformation about the addictive properties of prescription opioids and the perception that prescription drugs are less harmful than illicit drugs are other possible contributors to the problem” (NIDA).

Read More

Argumentative Essay On The Opioid Crisis

935 Words | 4 Pages

Underlying Causes: The increase in the sale of opioids is considered to be the root of the opioid crisis, as the drugs have been proven to be highly addictive. An addiction to prescriptive opioids, however, can lead to an addiction to synthetic, illegal opioids, such as heroine or fentanyl, which are less expensive and easier to acquire. In fact, in their journal article, “Associations of nonmedical pain reliever use and initiation of heroin use in the United States” Pradip Muhuri and associates discovered that “the recent (12 months preceding interview) heroin incidence rate was 19 times higher among those who reported prior nonmedical prescription pain reliever (NMPR) use than among those who did not (0.39 vs. 0.02 percent)” (Muhuri et. al). In other words, abusing prescription opioids significantly raises the chances of abusing illicit drugs, such as heroin.

Read More

Argumentative Essay On Opioids

737 Words | 3 Pages

Within the last 22 years, from 1991 to 2013, the prescriptions written by doctors for opioids have increased from 76 million to 207 million. Opioids are a drug class that were developed originally, to treat severe pain for people who are dying of cancer or other severe illnesses. This began when pharmaceutical companies assured the medical community that people would not become addicted to opioid pain relievers. As a result doctors began to prescribe opioids more frequently. There are different kinds of opioids.

Read More

Opioids Persuasive Speech

523 Words | 3 Pages

Right now many people of all ages are taking prescribed and non prescribed drugs. It will be hard to stop them from doing this crisis; however, providing the new generation of the side effects opioids take on one's body will scare them into not doing the drugs. Taking prescribed or nonprescribed drugs when not needed can cause horrible side effects, and the new generation needs to be aware. Warning the new generation will put a stop to the addiction because it will aware them of the effects before they get the chance to become addicted.

Read More

The Pros And Cons Of Opioid Prescriptions

1295 Words | 6 Pages

There is a serious drug epidemic in the United States and it does not seem to be decreasing, as drug overdose-related deaths keep on increasing. In 2000 there were around 17,500 deaths from drug overdose, while in 2015 there were approximately 52,500 from a drug overdose. Out of the approximate 52,500 drug overdose deaths, 63.1% of them were due to opioids. Opioid use for acute pain can often lead to long-term dependence (Rose, 2016). Studies have shown that the probability of long-term dependence dramatically increases on the 3rd, 5th, and 31st day of an opioid prescription, and it dramatically increases again after the first refill.

Read More

Opioid Crisis Essay

737 Words | 3 Pages

For these reasons one can agree that addicts are not to blame for the opioid crisis because opioids are imprudently and over prescribed, produce money, and (FDA) approved.    Americans are being overprescribed with medication to self-medicate oneself 24/7 for three (3) weeks according to the article by Mc Greal. With the mass prescribing it can lead patients to become less tolerant thereby leading them to take more

Read More

Opioid Crisis Essay

474 Words | 2 Pages

Since the opioid crisis is so widespread and vastly growing, attention is brought to a nation level. Victims of the opioid crisis mainly stem from normal lives, obtaining opioids as a form of legitimate pain management for medical reasons. Upon prolonged use of these opioids

Read More

Arguments Against Big Pharma

1087 Words | 5 Pages

Prescription drugs (opiates only) have caused over 165,000 deaths within the last 15 years and is currently on the rise. Over 2 million Americans in 2014 were addicted to Opiate prescription narcotics. The most troubling fact is listed directly on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: “As many as 1 in 4

Read More

Opioid Epidemic Research Paper

685 Words | 3 Pages

Opioid Epidemic in the United States              The opioid crisis has risen over the years here in America. The addiction to painkillers has caused many drug overdoses across America. According to the Vox," In 2015, more than 52,000 people have died from drug overdoses from linked to opioids such as Percocet, heroin, Oxycontin or even fentanyl. This problem did not become an overnight health crisis, but it has become quickly known in America.             Expanding our drug treatment centers across America would provide the support to those who are addicted to drugs.

Read More

Opioid Overdose Crisis Essay

582 Words | 3 Pages

“Everyday, more than 115 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids,” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018, Opioid Overdose Crisis). Opioid drug abuse has become a growing issue in the United States since the late 1990s. “In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers, and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates,” (Public Affairs, 2018, What is the U.S. Opioid Epidemic?). Opioids can be either prescription medications such as morphine, however heroin is also considered to be an opioid. Opioids have been proven to be highly addictive, and there has been an increase in misuse and overdose of opioid drugs.

Read More

Opioids Persuasive Essay

1505 Words | 7 Pages

There are about two million people in the United States who are addicted to opioids, and ever since the 1990’s, the problem has continued to increase. Thousands of people are dying from overdoses every year, and unborn children’s lives are being put at risk. Shawn Bishop, a resident at Hope House (an addiction treatment center in Boston) who is just one of two million, became addicted after a prescription of opioids from his dentist. Most people started abusing opioids after getting a prescription from their doctor or dentist as well. If opioids are so dangerous, then why do doctors, dentists, and clinics continue to prescribe them?

Read More

Persuasive Essay On Opioids

579 Words | 3 Pages

Opioid usage is an immense problem that is rapidly increasing in today's society. The painkillers such as, oxycodone, percocet, heroin (which is made of morphine), percodan (which are all opioids), are prescribed to patients who are experiencing pain. Many people believe that taking opioids will help them with pain management, however, overdosing and the misuse of these drugs have now become major problems and have led to numerous causes of deaths. This has become an enormous issue that people are not aware of and have caused not only health issues yet financial welfare likewise. The amount of people affected by this devastating crisis is an outstanding number and is not considered a serious issue people undoubtedly should be alert and informed about.

Read More

Persuasive Essay On Opioids

1689 Words | 7 Pages

America is in the midst of an epidemic that is growing at an exponential rate: opioid addiction. Despite laws and regulations, the use and abuse of opioids is increasing at an alarming rate, raising the death toll with it. America’s opioid epidemic affects the the lives of roughly two million citizens and counting each year. Contrary to past popular belief, Doctors and pharmaceutical corporations are among the largest distributors of opioid substances and deadly narcotics. Painkillers prescribed by doctors are some of the most addictive and deadly substances in the narcotic industry.

Read More

Persuasive Essay On Opioids

1533 Words | 7 Pages

According to the CDC, the highest overdose rates are among people between 24 and 54 ,but there has also been an increase in the misuse of prescription opioids by teens. The situation has gotten so severe that it has been deemed “the deadliest drug overdose epidemic in U.S history” by NPR and our current President, Donald Trump, “declared it a

Read More

Persuasive Essay On Opioids

1942 Words | 8 Pages

In the United States, a 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that “1 in 10 Americans” over the age of 12 was addicted to an illegal drug (Statistics on Drug Addictions 2018). Since 2002, opioids have seen the largest increase in usage. Opioids have caused numerous overdoses, with one opioid, fentanyl, contributing to “44 %” of NYC overdose deaths in 2016 (Schwartz 2018). Today, the likelihood of one knowing a drug addict or someone who has overdosed is around 15%. If one hasn’t been directly affected by the epidemic, it can be spotted on any given day in NYC.

Read More

More about Essay On Opioid Addiction

Related Topics

Open Document