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Drug abuse in society
Drug abuse in society
Outline of prescription drug abuse
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We are in a society where we take a pill for everything, i.e., to lose weight, to get rid of a headache. Whatever we need a pill for, it is there. In United States, the abuse of painkillers and other prescription drugs has reached epidemic levels and become one of the top causes of death every year. In 2010, more than 38,000 deaths were due to overdosing. These include drugs like methadone, oxydone, or morphine. Death rates from prescription drugs were highest among people from middle-aged groups. The Obama administration released a plan in 2011 called the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan to deal with the problem of drug abuse. Some abusers have sought help in many places like recovery centers. They learn exercises and other methods
Prescription and pharmaceutical drug abuse is beginning to expand as a social issue within the United States because of the variety of drugs, their growing availability, and the social acceptance and peer pressure to uses them. Many in the workforce are suffering and failing at getting better due to the desperation driving their addiction.
The documentary states that over 27,000 deaths a year are due to overdose from heroin and other opioids. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015 prescription pain relievers account for 20,101 overdose deaths, and 12,990 overdose deaths are related to heroin (Rudd et al., 2010-2015). The documentary’s investigation gives the history of how the heroin epidemic started, with a great focus on the hospice movement. We are presented with the idea that once someone is addicted to painkillers, the difficulty in obtaining the drug over a long period of time becomes too expensive and too difficult. This often leads people to use heroin. This idea is true as a 2014 survey found that 94% of respondents who were being treated for opioid addiction said they chose to use heroin because prescription opioids were “more expensive and harder to obtain (Cicero et al., 2014).” Four in five heroin users actually started out using prescription painkillers (Johns, 2013). This correlation between heroin and prescription painkiller use supports the idea presented in the documentary that “prescription opiates are heroin prep school.”
Almost one hundred years ago, prescription drugs like morphine were available at almost any general store. Women carried bottles of very addictive potent opiate based pain killers in their purse. Many individuals like Edgar Allen Poe died from such addictions. Since that time through various federal, state and local laws, drugs like morphine are now prescription drugs; however, this has not stopped the addiction to opiate based pain killers. Today’s society combats an ever increasing number of very deadly addictive drugs from designer drugs to narcotics to the less potent but equally destructive alcohol and marijuana. With all of these new and old drugs going in and out of vogue with addicts, it appears that the increase of misuse and abuse is founded greater in the prescription opiate based painkillers.
It was the late 19th century when a lot of conflict for families from the Industrial Revolution and illegal drugs had easy access to anyone in the United Sates. These illegal drugs like morphine, cocaine, and alcohol were available through manufacture, delivery, and selling. It was proved that the over use of alcohol and violence in families’ homes were linked together around the 1850’s and that women and children were being abused by the father and husband from the letters and journals that were wrote. These were times when women were stay at home mothers and it was the man’s responsibility to be the provider for the wife and children. Because of the abuse in the household it led up to the temperance movement. The purpose
Daniel is a 43 year old Caucasian male who identified as heterosexual. Daniel is currently married to Sandy for year and together they have a son. Daniel drinks a gallon of Vodka every day. He wakes up around three AM to drink to avoid withdrawal sickness. Daniel sickness includes seizure, shaking, heart rate and sweat perfurcelly. Daniel reported that he needs to have alcohol in his system in order to function at all. Daniel also abuses multiple prescription medications on a daily basis; 15 prescription a day narcotic and opines for pain control. Daniel is also abusing cough syrup.
Drug abuse has been around for many years, since the early 1800’s and has increasingly gotten worse. The dependency of heroin and opiates has succeeded in breaking down barriers in color and classes, you could say it is a habit of equal opportunity with whoever wants to try it. Methadone has been used to treat heroin abuse for many years, but is now used to treat opiate dependency also. Although it has been found to be very addictive, the doctors claim it is the most successful in helping some addicts lead functional lives. It seems strange that a drug that is addictive is given to take the place of another addictive drug. You might ask yourself, why should I care if a better treatment is found to replace methadone if it doesn’t affect
How many times have you turned heard a rap song on the radio glamorizing the uses of prescription drugs. Recently the opioid epidemic has been declared a public health emergency. Many people agree that opioid addiction has become a problem throughout America. There are many factors that has led to this crisis. There still questions about what exactly are opioids. Why are they so addictive, and what is being done to solve the issue?
Yet, many become addicted unintentionally, The Recovery Village reports, “By the time they no longer need the drugs for their pain, however, opiates have taken hold in the brain and cause a physical dependence starting an opiate addiction.” Since first introduced, many health care providers have been over exposing patients to new opioid options: Oxycodone, Fentanyl, Meperidine, etc. Doctors are well aware of the many alternatives to narcotic pain medication. Many adolescents are being prescribed opioids for pain relief, but end up becoming addicted. Putting these medications at the hands of young patients can lead them to misuse them, such as sharing with friends and overdosing. As stated by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, “People often share their unused pain relievers, unaware of the dangers of nonmedical opioid use. Most adolescents who misuse prescription pain relievers are given them for free by a friend or relative.” Society sees these pain medications as acceptable just because they are prescribed and recommended by a doctor. According to a national survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2016, 116 people died every day from opioid-related
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’.
Many people around the world have pain they are dealing with. Sometimes the pain in unbearable, other times it is easily taken care of, and then there are times when people become addicted to medications because of the pain. “More than 30% of Americans have some sort form of acute or chronic pain,” noted by Longo, Volkow & Mclellan (2016). Opioids are one of the main pain medications given to patients who struggle with acute or chronic pain. Longo, Volkow & Mclellan (2016) discuss, opioids are widely distributed and used improperly, and the wide distribution of this drug has resulted in many deaths and overdoses around the world. This has caused the opioid crises in pain management (Longo, Volkow & Mclellan 2016).
CNN stated, “One person dies every 19 minutes from a prescription drug overdose in the United States.” In an effort to combat misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing new restrictions that would change the rules for some normally prescribed narcotic painkillers (Bentz).
What is a drug addiction? A drug addiction is something that is hard to overcome. Sometimes it happens intentionally or sometimes it happens by accident and by accident I mean someone is prescribed a medication by a doctor and they become addicted to it. Intentionally, on the other hand, is when a doctor prescribes a medication and they intentionally abuse it. Prescription drugs aren’t the only things that are addicting, drugs like marijuana and heroin are addicting as well. In a more specific definition drug addiction is a dependence on an illegal drug or a legal medication.
Substance (including alcohol and drugs) misuse is a serious problem in the United States. It is likely that either someone misuses, or knows of someone who misuses substances. This is also true for the young adult population. According to Hingson, Heeren, Winter, and Wechsler's (2005) study, substance misuse may be one of the most serious health issues facing young adults. In their study, Hingson et al. (2005) noted that substance misuse is a major contributor to mortality (e.g., suicides), unintentional injuries (e.g., car accidents), and illnesses (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases due to unprotected sex) among young adults. Hingson, et al. and Pugh and Bry's (2007) studies found that young adults that were in college drank more heavily
A patient comes into the clinic and the first thing I notice is that the patient looks a little tired, uncomfortable, anxious, slightly pale and is underweight. As the clinical session continues, my patient is slightly irritable in his remarks, has a sadistical outlook on life, and is sweating. I ask if he’s alright and he replies with a sarcastic yes. Looking at the medical history he’s filled out, there’s no list of any drugs he’s currently taking. I suspect he’s lying or is unwilling to share the information due to an addiction or dependence on a drug. I asked him if he’s taking any sort of painkillers, anti-anxiety medications; anything. Under his breath, he replied that he’s on Vicodin but didn't see
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.