Introduction
According to 2018 data in the United States, 128 people succumb, daily to opioid overdosing (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020). Notwithstanding that, as of 2018, drug overdose exceeded all other causes of injuries, including road accidents and firearm-related violence. Issues related to the utilization of opiate drugs can be traced back in the late 1990s when pharmaceutical institutions ascertained the medical fraternity that they (opioid) pain killers would not cause addiction when administered to patients, they were deemed safe. Opioids addiction is, therefore, a matter of concern in society. Opioids belong to a category of drugs that influence the nervous system to elicit feelings of pleasure and eminent pain relief. Among opioids administered by medical professionals for the reasons mentioned above include fentanyl, methadone, hydrocodone, morphine, oxycodone, and buprenorphine. Heroin is also a type of opiate drug that is illegal and abused. Statistics illuminate the seriousness of opioid addiction; roughly, between 21 and 29 percent of opiate prescriptions are usually misused, 8 to 12 percent develop opioid use disorder (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020). Interestingly, 80 percent of heroin drug abusers started by misusing opioid prescriptions. Opioid addiction is detrimental both to an individual and to the society as a whole. Dependence of the drugs begins when a patient has prescribed the drugs after experiencing severe pains, mostly emanating from an accident or daunting injury incidences.
Vulnerable Persons
When used over a long time, the effects of the drugs may become more suppressed, which may increase the chances of one becoming tolerant. Any efforts to increase dosage can cause dependence, a situation whereby patients need to continue using the drug for them to experience normalcy. It is from such physical dependencies that users develop gratifications whose ripple effect is addiction. The impact of medications on addicted individuals leads to a slowed rate of breathing, causing one to become unconscious and may culminate to death if it's not treated promptly. In regards to vulnerability, economic factors play a significant role. Declining financial situations are deemed significant contributors to opioid abuse. It is also worth noting that there exists a direct link between mental health and opiate abuse. In some instances, opioid abusers do so to alleviate important issues emanating from unrelated mental disorders, including anxiety and stress (National Institute on Drug Abuse, n.d; Root et al., n.d). People suffering from other forms of mental disorder are, therefore, at risk of abusing opioid drugs. Persons managing severe pains are also at a high risk of becoming addicted victims, particularly patients suffering from acute diseases such as cancer.
Characteristics of Those Affected
What are symptoms elicited by persons abusing opiates? Physical and behavioral red flags exemplify signs. It is common to see needle marks on arms and laps from users injecting themselves with the drugs. Constricted pupils are also a conspicuous phenomenon that is elicited by abusers. Physiologically, victims are troubled to stay awake or even finding sleep at times. In some instances, victims may experience itching skin. While abusing opiates, addicted persons are likely to withdraw from social activities that were initially enjoyed (Katzman et al., 2019). It may also cause bipolar like conditions where victims experience sudden mood swings that appear to veer off the character. Addicted persons engage in risky endeavors such as driving under the influence and are also likely to visit multiple medical facilities to amass more prescriptions. Opioid addiction is characterized by a strong desire to use the drugs after their medical requirements have diminished. Unfortunately, some people are likely to get addicted to drugs, even after they were administered appropriately and taken by prescriptions. Notwithstanding that, a substantial number of medicines are either misused or diverted to other persons.
Acceptance in the Society
Opiate addiction is a well-recognized issue in American society. A significant number of Americans, 43% of them ascertain prescription drugs pose a severe problem in their community. Additionally, 37% of them view heroin as a primary concern in the social spaces (The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, n.d). Opioid addiction is recognized by major medical platforms such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the problem is known as an epidemic that is spreading tremendously across the American population. The American society very well resonates with issues related to opioid drugs, illuminated by 13 percent of Americans reporting that they had lost a relative or a friend succumb to the epidemic. A substantial number of Americans perceive prescription drug addiction as a disease; conversely, a significant amount of them deem such dependencies a failure in behavior; hence, they can be curbed. According to a study conducted by NORC, 53 percent believe it is a disease; 42 percent relate opiate addiction to lack of willpower or innate retrogressive morals. Additionally, 32 percent claim that the condition emanates from defective intrigues or deprived parenting (The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, n.d). People in the community hold various opinions about opioid addictions, but the bottom line is that it is a recognized issue in American society.
Interestingly, one in five Americans is connected to someone addicted to drugs, either a friend, associate or neighbor. Social media opinions also suggest that many adult Americans on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and snapchat appreciate the presence of opioid addiction in society. Among 74 percent reporting on the platforms mentioned above, forty-one percent of these claimed they had seen messages concerning the epidemic of overdose fatalities (The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, n.d). It is therefore crystal clear that the opioid addiction is deep-rooted in the society, and most people are privy to it. It is also apparent that a significant number of Americans agree that opiate addiction is a major social issue in the country. The involvement of the various levels of government also indicates that the government is purposed to combat the crises, exemplified by increased funding. Cohesiveness has also been observed, particularly through cooperation between the government and the private sector.
Opposers and Supporters of Opioid Use in the United States.It is already in the limelight that the United States of America has seen increased opioid abuse cases in the country for the past two decades. Expanded prescription and advertisement of opioids in the early 1990s is deemed to be the most significant catalyst of all time. Various federal governments have enacted laws that are targeted at curtailing opioid prescriptions. The federal government has been on the front page on matters of tracking opioid drug abuse. It was reported that in 2018, October, the federal government enacted another law to monitor prescribers and financiers (Miron, Sollenberger & Nicolae, 2019). Congress is also contemplating additional control, like limiting the first dosage administered and reducing packaging sizes. Opposers suggest that too many restrictions are detrimental to the fight against opioid overdose. The most complicated part about imposing too many restrictions is that they cause abusers to turn to deserted or illicit opioids, which exacerbates the issue more because the authenticity of the underground markets cannot be ascertained. Since 2011, the United States has seen deaths emanating from heroin synthetic opiates escalate, and this is despite laws aiming at curtailing its prescription being passed. Opposers are of the view that the more the restrictions, the more the number of casualties. The utilization of synthetic opioids is a stumbling block to existential prescription measures. Semisynthetic opioids such as Oxycontin have been consumed in a more significant margin since 2010. The blame is pointed towards the numerous prescriptions of the drug. From the start, doctors thought that they are used only for short-term pain and palliative care for cancer patients.
In terms of safety restrictions, significant emphasis has been on inappropriate opioid prescriptions. They can be categorized into three categories as follows: policies and regulations, those aimed for clinical purposes, and patient-oriented interventions. State-level monitoring programs grant prescribers the mandate to manage substance use and identify absurd patterns that could indicate abuse. Such policies have previously been proved to reduce prescribed rates (National Institute on Drug Abuse, n.d). Clinical oriented interventions have mainly focused on educating medical practitioners on the safe administration of opioids. Clinicians believe that the drugs should be used to manage short-term treatment that should be administered in the form of immediate dosage only during unavoidable circumstances. The CDC outlined existential guidelines. They have been deemed to have significantly contributed to the marked decline in opiate prescriptions national wide. Clinicians have also focused on nonopioid interventions in curbing severe pain. The Veterans Affairs health system is a notable example of a program that attained significant milestones on matters of opiate restrictions on prescriptions. The program's success stems from nonpharmacologic and none-opiate therapies as the bedrock of holistic pain management plans. Patient-focused mitigations have been about ameliorating harm caused by opioids to abusers, particularly by increasing access to naloxone. Screening exercises have also been introduced as a measure of identifying opioid disorder patients. The Department of Health and human services has also contributed significantly through a five-point strategy it the fight against opioid overdose epidemic. The national government is the chief financier, as elicited by Trump's administration incessant contribution towards the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The American government supports efforts of increasing the capacity to enable access to treatment and enhancing quick access to overdose cases. The substance abuse and mental service administration is also a significant contributor to funding anti-opiate subscriptions. It contributed around $932 million to all the states in the form of grants amid the opioid epidemic (The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, n.d). The federal government is also contriving to collaborate with the private sector.
Existing Programs and Policies
The opioid crises continue to affect a significant number of people in the United States. An increase in the number of deaths related to opioid overdose has been consistent for at least one decade. The number of opioid prescriptions has, however, been mainly witnessed in the country. It is commendable for the efforts partaken by both the national and federal governments; however, the efforts are not absolute in solving opiates' underlying issues. Critics have asked questions concerning the possibility of having patients who are given underdose. Thus, they do not benefit, as they should be benefiting as per the existential guidelines. It has been argued that reducing prescriptions has deterred with the quality of pain management, which is essential in curtailing the epidemic (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2019).
