What Is the Opioid Epidemic?
You know heard the term opioid epidemic get thrown around in the news. The opioid epidemic, also known as the opioid crisis. has become a hot-button issue in the media. However much may not know what the crisis actually is.
The opioid epidemic specifically refers to the growing number of deaths and hospitalizations from opioids, including prescriptions, illicit drugs, and analogs. In recent years, death rates from these drugs have ramped up to over 40,000 a year, or 115 a day, across the US. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, because of the opioid epidemic.
What Are Opioids?
Opioids are a classification of a drug that is derived from, or a synthetic version of, opium. Morphine, the most abundant natural opioid found in opium, was used for years as a pain reliever. As medicine advanced, we found ways to replicate the effects of morphine to strengthen it or weaker depending on need. Some opioids, like methadone, were developed due to a scarcity of morphine, while others, like heroin, were made to make less addictive drugs but would later be made illegal to produce. Today, opioids are almost synonymous with pain relief. Examples of common Opioids include:
How the Opioid Epidemic Started
Many trace the issue back to the late 90s. As pharmaceutical companies were looking for new pain killers, they began to push synthetic and semi-synthetic opioids to doctors. The companies would say that the drugs were either less- or non-addictive in comparison to morphine and had no dangerous side effects. Naturally, doctors began pushing these drugs as they saw no repercussions to patients taking them. This growth in the prescription opioid business directly pushed the distribution of opioids to levels that remain to this day, contributing to the epidemic we are now dealing with.
Who the Opioid Epidemic Affects
In short, the opioid epidemic affects people in all demographics and from all walks of life, including teens, seniors, veterans, and the LGBTQ community. Even those who do not use or abuse opioids can feel the effects if opioid abuse is common in their area or if their loved ones have addiction issues. The economic burden, and the emotional burden put on families, has been dragging many down.
What Can We Do?
The opioid epidemic isn’t one person’s problem, and so it will take everyone to beat it. Knowing the dangers, signs, and symptoms of opioid abuse can save someone’s life. Talk with your loved ones openly and remove the stigma of addiction. It isn’t something that only happens to the weak. It is a biological reaction that can happen to anyone, with or without their knowledge.
