Opioids Research Paper

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The opioids are a class of prescription drugs that physicians use to treat pain. Common opioids include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet), morphine (Kadian, Avinza), and codeine. When in the amounts prescribed, these drugs are helpful to the body in relieving pain. However, when individuals abuse these drugs and take them in a larger quantity than needed, they can act similarly to and produce the same effects as illicit drugs. (National Institute on Drug Abuse1) The extent of the opioid abuse crisis is clear. Opioid drug abuse has increasingly become a major problem. The problem is currently so concerning that it is currently one of the leading causes of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “…drug overdose, particularly due to the increase in nonmedical use of prescription pain-relief drugs, is the second leading cause of deaths from unintentional injuries in the United States, exceeded only by motor vehicle fatalities.” (Kirschner1) In fact, the CDC classifies the abuse problem as an ‘epidemic’.
This dangerous problem is by no means new, however. Since 1999, the number of deaths from prescription opioid abuse has …show more content…

If an individual becomes addicted to one or more opioids, they need to detox from the opioid(s). Withdrawal from an opioid is difficult to stand, and is one of the main reasons why it is common for those with opioid addictions to relapse. Methadone, while being an opioid drug itself, is a treatment option that is commonly used to eliminate withdrawal symptoms in opioid addicts. It is currently the most effective treatment. The patient is given a consistent dose of methadone, which is slowly tapered off over time so that the patient does not become dependent on the substance to

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