Opioids were the go-to prescription medicine for everyone who experienced any pain in their bodies. People relied on opioids a lot to the point it became a major problem in the United States. Addiction rates among people of all ages have become higher because people did not think that opioids were anything else rather than quality medications that help them with their pain. People believed in the pharmaceutical companies’ assurances that claimed that opioids would not cause any addictions. Opioids were legal drugs which doctors encouraged patients to use until the negative side effects began affecting the patients. The accurate results of the opioids became known when the first wave of the opioid epidemic began in 1990. Opioid addiction is a serious matter that should be dealt with because the lives of many people are at stake.
The first wave of the opioid pandemic was caused by the many prescriptions people got from their doctors. At that time, the drug was used as a pain medication for all people without knowing its dangers to addiction. Many people found themselves dependent on drugs that they could not function without two or more pills a day. Doctors did not realize the damage the pain medications they were prescribing to their patients were causing until it was too late. According to Liu et al. (n.d.), communities, where opioids were readily available and easily prescribed were among the first places to experience opioid abuse. Some people even began sharing their opioid prescriptions with other people, which is illegal. Sharing prescribed drugs is illegal and dangerous because people have different needs, and only doctors should prescribe medications. Many of the people who initially used opioids such as codeine, methadone, and oxycodone were cancer patients who experienced immense pain due to their cancer treatment. The pharmaceutical companies led to the first wave of an opioid epidemic because they encouraged non-cancer patients to use opioids for any pain. The second wave of the opioid epidemic started in 2010 when deaths involving heroin overdose increased. Heroin is a drug made from morphine, which is in the class of an opioid. When opioid prescriptions started to have limitations because of the high addiction rates experienced in the first wave epidemic, people switched to heroin. People who were dependent on opioids and no longer had access to prescriptions found a way to get heroin in their system. During this time, heroin addiction brought in new diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis, because heroin is mostly injected (Severance-Medaris, 2021). People shared heroin injections, which gave way to new diseases, making the opioid epidemic a more dangerous health threat. During this wave, many children born from women with an opioid addiction who used heroin were born addicted to the drug. Innocent infants suffered due to their mother’s addiction, which brought back concern for ways to help people beat their opioid dependency. People who have a dependence on opioids are more vulnerable to heroin addiction than those who have no prior use of any opioid drugs. The second wave claimed many lives because most of the people who used heroin had a dependency on an opioid drug which increased their risk. The third wave of the opioid epidemic was seen in 2013 when deaths due to the consumption of illegally manufactured fentanyl increased. The two waves of the opioid epidemic caused several opioids to be removed from the market due to their high addictive rates. People in the black market started to manufacture synthetic opioids to help meet the needs of many people who wanted access to opioids due to their addiction. Some of the synthetic opioids manufactured in the black market were not safe for consumption, leading to many deaths during the third wave. The three waves of the opioid epidemic led to the deaths of thousands of people. According to CDC (n.d), in 2019 alone, over 70% of the 70,630 deaths involved an opioid.
Once taken, opioids enter the body, and a person feels a sense of relief and pleasure. The opioids dull pain in the body, giving a person temporary relief. Opioids can be safe for use if people follow their doctor’s prescription and avoid taking more than they should. Cancer patients and people who have undergone surgeries need pain medication for them to cope with their day-to-day activities before they heal or recover. Small doses of opioids in the body can cause sleepiness, while higher doses can slow the breathing and heart rate, which may cause death (Krieger, 2018). People become addicted to opioids because they want the relief and pleasure the drugs offer them when in pain. Once they become addicted, they continue using the drugs even when they are not in pain, making them vulnerable to overdose. Opioid supplements can also lead to health complications if the doctor has not allowed their use. Heroin use has several adverse effects on the body, and once people inject themselves, they become high and experience ecstasy. Heroin is used by many people who are addicted to pain medication because it has the same effects. Opioids were encouraged mainly in the past because pharmaceutical problems did not advertise that they are addictive and may cause death. The complications that come with using opioids were ignored until it was too late, which contributed to many deaths in the country due to an opioid overdose. People also die from opioid withdrawal once they decide to stop the abuse without medical assistance. As much as it is advisable to stop abusing opioids, an addicted person should seek medical help for them to handle the withdrawal period without succumbing to death or giving up and relapsing. Some withdrawal symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, anxiety, and severe headaches. Withdrawal weakens the body, and without medical care, one might not survive the ordeal.
The number of pregnant women who abuse opioids or use heroin has increased, which is evident from the number of infants born with withdrawal symptoms. Many women addicted to opioids do not seek treatment, and they continue taking pills or injecting themselves with heroin which affects the health of their babies. Regarding the opioid epidemic, pregnant women contribute significantly to the increase of people dependent on opioids because they introduce their babies to the drugs before they are born. Babies born with the addiction suffer once they experience withdrawal symptoms because they are dependent on the drug. Many of the children born with drugs in their system do not survive because of the pain and discomfort they feel when undergoing withdrawals. Future generations are being affected by the opioid epidemic, and if nothing is done to control the use of opioids and heroin, future generations will continue to suffer. Innocent children should not have to suffer from withdrawal symptoms caused by the mother’s actions. The issue of opioid misuse among adults in the United States should be addressed to avoid more waves of the opioid epidemic that may cost more lives.
The start of the Covid pandemic brought up another alarming surge of opioid abuse and overdose. According to Erica Ernst, the country is experiencing not an opioid epidemic but an overdose epidemic (Caine, 2021). Many people died as a result of opioid or heroin overdose during the first year of the pandemic. The increase in overdoses was attributed to the stress levels people were experiencing and the fact that most physical doctor visits were prohibited. People ended up self-medicating, increasing their addiction which left them vulnerable to an overdose. Researchers have found out that most drugs that people abuse have been combined with the synthetic form of opioid, fentanyl. Heroin was the number one drug that was found to have the most amount of fentanyl than heroin components. During the pandemic, people opted for drugs laced with opioids, increasing the number of overdoses reported in the country. Drugs laced with fentanyl are more deadly than when used by themselves. Every state in the country experienced an increase in overdose deaths in 2020, which was the pandemic year. The increase in opioid overdose death during the pandemic has been attributed to social isolation and mental illness. People were asked to stay in their homes, which may have created an opportunity for people to develop drug habits that led to their overdose. Mental illness needs constant care because it often clouds people’s judgment from knowing what is right or wrong. People with mental illness already using prescribed opioids may have changed their drug habits which increased their risk of an overdose. People do not have to be addicted to overdose using opioids. Taking more than is required at one time can lead to a severe overdose that can cause death if medical assistance is not administered.
The opioid epidemic needs a permanent solution that will help save the lives of people who have become dependent on pain medication because of the pain they experience from health issues like surgery. Many people addicted to opioids or heroin did not willingly want to be dependent on those drugs, but their lack of knowledge of the dangers of the drugs made them vulnerable. Private and public health organizations should come up with strategies to help people overcome opioid and heroin addiction. The government should also take measures to ensure opioid drugs, heroin, and other drugs laced with fentanyl are not readily available for people to buy and consume. The government can help deal with the opioid epidemic by ensuring the Food and Drugs Association (FDA) is strict on its tests and medicine approvals. Many of the opioids that have claimed the lives of countless American citizens were approved by the FDA. The FDA also allowed pharmaceuticals companies to market the drugs without adequate tests to know for sure whether they were dangerous or not. The United States will remain vulnerable to opioid addiction and overdose if such mistakes by the FDA are not addressed and corrected (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, 2021). Before approving any drug and allowing companies in the pharmaceutical industry to promote it, the FDA should be sure of its effects to help develop the proper doses to avoid patients’ addiction.
The other measure that should be taken to help solve the opioid epidemic is for health care providers to develop pain treatment therapies for patients experiencing chronic pain instead of prescribing pain medication. People who constantly take pain medications can quickly become dependent on them, even if that is not the intention. To avoid accidental addictions through prescribed pain medications, doctors should develop ways for the patients to deal with the pain instead of using the pain medicines. Some of the pain treatment therapies that doctors should recommend to their patients are constant exercise and yoga sessions. Exercise and yoga help keep the patient occupied, and it helps they gain control of their body’s feelings (Harvard Health, 2017). The other treatment therapy that can be used as a substitute for pain medications is music therapy. Patients should find their favorite genre in music and use it to ease their pain after surgeries, chemotherapy, or any other health situation that may cause pain. Patients who can swim are encouraged to engage in the activity because it helps strengthen the body and fight the pain they feel. Therapeutic body massage can also help patients relax and learn to deal with pain without using pain medications. Patients who use pain treatment plans instead of pain medications have a good chance of recovering without the risk of opioids addiction.
Creating awareness of the effects of prescription drugs and how they can affect one’s health is essential in the fight against the opioid epidemic. People should know how opioids affect their lives and how they can resist the urge to consume them. Creating awareness and educating people on opioids will help people understand the actions to take once they become dependent on a drug their doctor prescribed. The government and other private health care facilities should partner up with hospitals and other health facilities for the campaign on creating awareness to work. Funds should also be designated to create awareness regarding the opioid epidemic. A campaign for pregnant women with opioid addiction should be held because the lives of innocent infants are at risk. Treatment plans for such women should be laid out for them to help themselves and their babies live a drug-free life. The government should ensure that drugs such as heroin are not on the market. Heroin makes an excellent substitute for opioid medications, and its availability will derail the efforts of reducing the opioid pandemic in the country. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the country should conduct a raid on all drug distributors in the black market who enable drug users to continue with their dangerous habits. The eradication of opioid drugs and heroin in the black market will reduce their availability and reduce the spread of the epidemic. The government should allocate funds to the DEA to ensure they perform their duties efficiently and effectively. Most of the cases of an opioid overdose will reduce once such measures are taken by all the relevant people in the health sector. Rehabilitation centers for people who wish to get treatment and rehabilitate from opioids should be cheap to ensure everybody in the country can afford treatment. Counseling sessions should be given to all patients who need to learn how to deal with pain without using painkillers.
In conclusion, the opioid epidemic occurred in three waves; the first one in 1990, the second in 2010, and the third in 2013. The three waves saw an increase in opioid-related deaths at different levels and due to various factors. Thousands of people in the United States have an opioid use disorder, and many others have died of an opioid overdose. Pregnant women addicted to opioids and heroin are at risk of giving birth to babies suffering from withdrawal. During the covid pandemic, opioid overdoses increased drastically. Many people opted to self-medicate because of the fear of visiting hospitals and the loneliness caused by social isolation. Pain treatment plans such as yoga, therapeutic massage, and music therapy can be substitutes for pain medications for patients experiencing pain. The FDA is responsible for ensuring all the medicines prescribed to people are well researched, and all the side effects are known. The opioid epidemic is claiming many people’s lives in the United States, and its increase is alarming. Everybody in the country should be aware of the opioid epidemic and work towards ending it for the benefit of all people.
References
Caine, P. (2021, October 25). US Overdose Deaths Surge to an All-Time High. WTTW News. https://news.wttw.com/2021/10/25/us-overdose-deaths-surge-all-time-high
CDC. (n.d.). Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic | CDC’s Response to the Opioid Overdose Epidemic | CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. (2021, March 29). Opioid Medications. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/opioid-medications
Harvard Health. (2017, July 28). 8 non-invasive pain relief techniques that really work. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/8-non-invasive-pain-relief-techniques-that-really-work
Krieger, C. (2018, March 21). What are opioids and why are they dangerous? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prescription-drug-abuse/expert-answers/what-are-opioids/faq-20381270
Liu, L., Pei, D., & Soto, P. (n.d.). History of the Opioid Epidemic. Poison Control. https://www.poison.org/articles/opioid-epidemic-history-and-prescribing-patterns-182
Severance-Medaris, C. (2021). The Other Epidemic: COVID-19 and Opioid Overdose. NCSL. https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/the-other-epidemic-covid-19-and-opioid-overdose-magazine2021.aspx
write