The Opioid Crisis

Opioid Addiction is one of the biggest problems going on right now, especially in
Utah. Utah has the seventh highest opioid overdose rate in the nation. Something must
be done about this.
Opioids are a group of drugs that include: prescription pain relievers, heroin, and
synthetic opioids. They work by attaching to opioid receptors that are found throughout
the brain stem, spinal cord, and other parts of the body. When a signal of pain is sent,
the opioid will block the message from entering the brain. The result is that you don’t
feel pain! They replace feelings of pain with a sense of pleasure. This is why they are so
appealing and addictive, and why we must be very careful when prescribing them.
Some people may think that the opioid crisis doesn’t really matter because it
doesn’t directly impact them. While these drugs may not have a direct effect on you, you
are still impacted by them. They have more of an effect on our economy then we think.
Last year, 78.5 billion dollars were spent on opioid misuse. These include funding for
rehab, treatment, criminal justice involvement, etc. (What is the US Opioid Epidemic).
Prescription drugs can be so dangerous because they are gateway drugs. Once
someone is addicted and cut off from their supply, they will try to find this relief from
other drugs. These drugs are a lot more dangerous, and lead to more crime.
The opioid epidemic is only getting worse. From July of 2016 to September of
2017 there was a 30 percent increase in opioid overdoses. This is due to more
physicians prescribing them. Since more people have access to them, more people are
also misusing them.
There are some things that are being done to try to combat the opioid crisis.
There are some “set” regulations in place. These are helping quite a bit, however they
are not specific enough and are not being strictly enforced. There has also been a drug
created called naloxon. This works by reversing the effects of an overdose. If you think
someone is in the middle of an overdose, you can inject them with this drug, and
hopefully stop it. This drug is saving a lot of lives, however, there are very limited
supplies, not everyone is going to have access to this drug, and it is extremely
expensive. The United States Department of Health and Human Services have also
created 5 priorities to solve the epidemic. “First, Access: Better Prevention, Treatment,
and Recovery Services. Data: Better data on the epidemic. Pain: Better Pain
Management. Overdoses: Better Targeting of Overdose-Reversing Drugs. Finally,
Research: Better research on pain and addiction.”(HHS, 5-Point Strategy to Combat the
Opioid Crisis). There are some things being done, but not enough!
There needs to be more awareness and education about opioid addiction. Most
people do not know how big of a problem opioid addiction is. We also need to educate
people more on addiction, how to recognize it, and what to do if you know someone
who you think may be struggling with addiction. If more people are able to recognize the
signs of addiction, the number of overdose related deaths will go down a lot. More
funding is also necessary to provide the most help. From 2007 to 2010, the Utah
Department of Health received state funding to help address the issue. The overdose
death rate went down 28 percent. Once all the funds ran out, it went back up 27%.
These funds were used to find other possible alternatives for pain management, help
provide treatment, and there was even a study that determined how different peoples
brains react to addiction. Finally there needs to be more strictly enforced regulations.
Right now it is way too easy to be prescribed opioids. Physicians need to think of these
drugs that should be prescribed as a last resort, and not just a possible alternative.
They should also be prescribed only the amount necessary based off of different
factors. Different people will react differently, so it is important to understand how
someone will react and prescribe them based off that.
In conclusion, Opioid addiction is a gigantic problem that is taking the lives of so
many. There are things that can be done to help combat this. We need to educate
people more, raise awareness, provide more funding, and have set regulations. Millions
of people are dying, and we can help stop it, and we need to do that.
 References

Park, A., & Moakley, P. (2017). The Life of an Addict. TIME Magazine,
190(21), 40–47. Retrieved from
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&db=buh&AN=126134870&site=eds-live

Public Affairs. (2019, September 4). What is the U.S. Opioid Epidemic? Retrieved
December 9, 2019, from https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-
epidemic/index.html.

Rothberg, R. L., & Stith, K. (2018). The Opioid Crisis and Federal Criminal
Prosecution. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, (Issue 2), 292.
Retrieved from
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&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.medeth46.34&site=eds-live

STELLIN, S. (2018). Turning the Focus from Opioid Addiction to Treatment

and Recovery. Nieman Reports, 72(1), 34–43. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true
&db=ufh&AN=128189538&site=eds-live

Utah Department of Health, (November 1, 2016). Utah’s Opioid Crisis.

Utah Business, 34(11), 28. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true
&db=bwh&AN=119785290&site=eds-live