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Essay opioid epidemic women
Opioid crisis case study
Thesis statement and outline for The Opioid Crisis in America
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Summary: The opioid crisis is a quickly increasing epidemic of drug use. In trump's campaign he promised to declare a national emergency on opioids. He did not declare this early in his presidency and had not request any financial aid. Now, he is saying that drug abuse can affect anyone young and old that “This epidemic is a national health emergency.” Trump is encouraging Americans to not start using opioids to beginning with and is going back to using Nancy Reagan’s 1980’s anti-drug campaign slogan, “Just Say No.” Trump wants to overcome addiction in America. Because the Opioid Crisis is designated as a public health crisis, the health secretary can allow for some grant money to be use to deal with the opioid issue. This will allow
The rise of HIV cases in certain parts of the United States has caused some policymakers to re-evaluate the benefits of these programs. In Indiana, there is a rise in poverty and employment, and a rise in the number of HIV cases. Since these programs have been proven to be effective at reducing HIV transmission, The Harm Reduction Coalition encouraged governor Mike Pence to issue an emergency 30-day needle exchange program (Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, 2015). Although their current plan is to have this program for only 30 days, it does show that politicians are realizing the importance of these
The United States of America accounts for only 5% of the world’s population, yet as a nation, we devour over 50% of the world’s pharmaceutical medication and around 80% of the world’s prescription narcotics (American Addict). The increasing demand for prescription medication in America has evoked a national health crisis in which the government and big business benefit at the expense of the American public.
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.
The opioid crisis is Canada’s worst public health crisis since the emergence of HIV in the 1980s. The epidemic is dangerously pervasive, affecting Canadians of all ages and income brackets. The Government of Canada has taken several steps to address the crisis, but many doctors and public health
In previous years, there have been efforts to try and address the Opioid Crisis, but they have hardly put a dent in the issue. For example, in 2016 the Obama administration passed a billion dollar bill to fix the issue, and it was fully funded. The results were more policies and restriction in hospitals, and did not address the issue of opioids on the streets. However, President Donald Trump and his administration plan on further addressing his issues through various approaches
Every year, 2.6 million people in the United States suffer from opioid abuse and of that 2.6 million, 276,000 are adolescents, and this problem is only escalating. An individual’s physical and emotional health suffer as well as their personal lives as they lose employment, friends, family, and hope. Opioid addiction begins with the addictive aspects of the drug. People easily become hooked on the relieving effects of the opioids and suffer withdrawal symptoms if they stop using the drug completely because their nerve cells become accustomed to the drug and have difficulty functioning without it; yet the addiction to the drug is only one aspect to the complex problem. The stigma about opioid addiction has wide-reaching negative effects as it
In 2016 Americans are turning to heroin to deal with their despair, pain and turmoil in their lives, subsequently causing an opiate epidemic. This point is further evidenced by the following statement
The victims of the crack crisis of 30 years ago were mostly people of color and the victims of the opioid crisis today are mostly Caucasian (Keller). While the approach to the crack cocaine crisis of 30 years ago was to criminalize and jail the people suffering from an addiction through the mandatory minimums, the approach towards the opioid crisis is to take a public health response. There is a clear racial bias that is being shown as stated by the article: “For the first time the, the rate of opioid related over dose deaths among non-Hispanic white Americans is comparable to the rate of cocaine-related overdose deaths among African Americans” (Keller). This racial inequality in regard to the way we approach people with a drug addiction seems like it will continue to be a problem considering that our current attorney general wants to continue to rage war on street drugs like cocaine and marijuana while the president declares the opioid crisis to be “a national emergency”
The harsh punishment for drug crimes in the United States of America is not working. “With roughly half a million people behind bars in the U.S. for nonviolent drug offenses, drugs are as plentiful and widely used as ever” (Grenier, 2013). Even with very harsh long sentences and many people imprisoned drug use is as common as ever in America. ‘We cannot close our eyes anymore’ to the cost in human lives destroyed and taxpayer dollars wasted” (Holcomb, 2015). Harsh drug penalties are destroying American citizens lives and is costing a lot of money from taxpayers. “Yet, people who want treatment can often expect to endure an obstacle course just to get help” (Grenier, 2013). The Unites States government is spending a large amount of money on arresting and imprisoning drug users, yet are putting little to no focus on funding drug medical help for
Kaufman, Stephen. "Obama Drug Strategy: Prevention to Reduce Demand." America - Engaging the World - America.gov. 12 May 2010. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. .
President’s Drug Policy (2004). National Drug Control Strategy. Retrieved on April 13, 2005 from www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
The rate of death due to prescription drug abuse in the U.S. has escalated 313 percent over the past decade. According to the Congressional Quarterly Transcription’s article "Rep. Joe Pitt Holds a Hearing on Prescription Drug Abuse," opioid prescription drugs were involved in 16,650 overdose-caused deaths in 2010, accounting for more deaths than from overdoses of heroin and cocaine. Prescribed drugs or painkillers sometimes "condemn a patient to lifelong addiction," according to Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This problem not only affects the lives of those who overdose but it affects the communities as well due to the convenience of being able to find these items in drug stores and such. Not to mention the fact that the doctors who prescribe these opioids often tend to misuse them as well. Abusing these prescribed drugs can “destroy dreams and abort great destinies," and end the possibility of the abuser to have a positive impact in the community.
The drug control policy of the United States has always been a subject of debate. From Prohibition in the early 1930’s to the current debate over the legalization of marijuana, drugs have always been near the top of the government’s agenda. Drug use affects every part of our society. It strains our economy, our healthcare, our criminal justice systems, and it endangers the futures of young people. In order to support a public health approach to drug control, the Obama administration has committed over $10 billion to drug education programs and support for expanding access to drug treatment for addicts (Office). The United States should commit more government resources to protect against illegal use of drugs by youths and provide help for recovering addicts.
What has the government’s response been? The rise in fentanyl addiction, along with the broader opioid abuse crisis currently plaguing the United States, has posed a unique challenge for both medical professionals and law enforcement officials. Payne has stated that the DEA’s mission is to destroy all illegal fentanyl production, saying that ‘there is no such thing as a safe amount of fentanyl.’ Other have taken a more nuanced approach to the crisis, believing that the best way to tackle it is to understand the underlying causes of addiction and address them adequately.
REGIONAL – Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced his initiative to combat opioid abuse and reduce supply and demand in the United States. “We will work to strengthen vulnerable families and communities, and we will help to build and grow a stronger, healthier, and drug-free society,” said Trump.