Opiod Epidemic
The Opioid Epidemic, also known as the Opioid Crisis, has been a problem in the U.S. for many years now, but awareness of the problem is gradually increasing. The Opioid Epidemic is the rapid increase in the use of prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs beginning in the late 1990s and continuing throughout the first two decades of the 2000s.
Opioids are a diverse class of moderately strong painkillers. The potency and availability of the substances, despite their high risk of addiction and overdose, have made them popular both as formal medical treatments and recreational drugs. There are two kinds of opioids: Oxycodone and Fentanyl. Oxycodone is the most widely used opioid. Fentanyl is 50-100x more potent than morphine and 30-50x more potent than heroin.
Due to their sedative effects on the part of the brain which regulates breathing, opioids in high doses present the potential for respiratory depression and may cause respiratory failure and death. According to Wikipedia, in 2016, more than 289 million prescriptions were written for opioids. Death rates from synthetic opioids increased by 72% from 2014-2015. 33,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2015. Most victims are white or Native American.
Many state leaders and state officials have been taking action against this problem. In July 2016, governors from 45 states entered in a formal “Compact to Fight Opioid Addiction.” Governor Scott Walker said, “We’ve taken serious steps to combat this issue, including creating the Governor's Task Force on Opioid Abuse, but we won’t stop until there are zero opioid overdoses in Wisconsin.” Prescription drug monitoring programs exist in every state.
These are a variety of ways to treat an opioid addiction. There are are three medications that one can take: Naloxone, Methadone, and Buprenorphine. Naloxone Binds to opioid receptors, but doesn’t turn them on. Methadone binds to opioid receptors and spinal cord activating them, reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings while suppressing the “high” that other opioids can elicit. Buprenorphine is similar to methadone, but it is safer and less regulated. Behavioral therapy is also a way to help with an opioid addiction. You can get group or individual therapy. You also have the option to go to residential treatment centers.
The Opioid Epidemic has been a problem in our society for about 25 years, and it will continue to to be a problem until we decide to do something about it.
