Opioid Epidemic By: Taryn Hailey

Taryn Hailey  

May 10, 2017

English 1302

Professor Hammett

Opioid Epidemic

Introduction

A mother walks into her house ecstatic, overjoyed because her son who she has not seen for months is sitting there watching television. As she walks over to him her excitement grows because she is so eager to talk to him. As she gets closer, she notices needle marks down his arms and sweating. When she asks him what’s wrong she sees his pupils are dilated and speech is slurred. She realized at that moment that her son was addicted to heroin, something that effects, “an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States” (America’s Addiction to Opioids: Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse). 

History

The history of opioids can date back far beyond the 21^st century. Opium dates back to 3400 BC, where it was used in lower Mesopotamia in the form of a poppy. It was referred to as the “hul gil” or the “joy plant” by the Sumerians because of its euphoric effects (A Brief History of Opioids). The Sumerians would then pass on the plant and its effects to the Assyrians who then gave it to the Egyptians. Around 460 BC Hippocrates, the father of medicine, acknowledged how opium could be used as a narcotic and how useful the drug could be to certain internal diseases.

Moving along to 1300 AD opium was removed from Europe because many believed that anything from the east was linked to the devil (A Brief History of Opioids). Then in 1527 A Swiss- German alchemist named Paracelsus introduced opium pills called Laudanum, which is still available in America by prescription. After Paracelsus invented the first opium pill, Thomas Sydenham introduced his version of the opium pill containing sherry, opium and herbs in 1680.

In 1806 German Chemist Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertuner isolated morphine from opium and soon after morphine became a mainstay in medical treatment in the United States. The drug stayed in America through the nineteenth century because was used to treat pain, anxiety, respiratory problems, and women’s ailment. Since morphine was commonly used to treat pain, it was used during the Civil War to treat the soldiers’ pain. Because the soldiers used the drug so often, they became addicted to it and it became known as the “Soldier’s Disease” (A Brief History of Opioids). After the hypodermic needle was invented morphine was used during surgical operations, but people were worried about its addicting qualities. Heroin was made as a safer alternative to morphine because many believed that it had non- addicting qualities.

In the 1900’s, a community group by the name of the Saint James Society sent heroin through the mail so morphine addicts can start to kick the habit. In 1909 congress passed the Opium Exclusion Act stopping the transportation of heroin for smoking. People believed that this was when the United States started their war on drugs. After congress passed the Opium Exclusion Act in 1909, the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, which was passed in 1914, puts a tax on opiates and requires a physician or pharmacist registration on the distribution on opiates. In 1916, Bayer stopped mass producing heroin and German chemists started to synthesize oxycodone.

In 1924 heroin sales were stopped due the Heroin Act which made the importation, manufacture, possession, and medicinal use of heroin illegal in the United States (A Brief History of Opioids). When this act was passed, people started to have a different outlook on addiction with many physicians believing that opiates were a substitute for people who were addicted to alcohol. In the 1950’s Percodan, a drug that is a mix of oxycodone and aspirin was introduced in the United States (1). In 1969 the World Health Organization abandoned the fact that morphine could lead to dependence (1).  Soon after in 1973, President Nixon declared a war on drugs in the United States saying that “America has the largest number of heroin addicts of any nation in the world (1). In 1978 another drug called Vicodin, which contained hydrocodone and acetaminophen, was introduced to America by a German pharmaceutical company called Knoll (1). In the 1980’s President Ronald Regan and First Lady Nancy Reagan asked Americans to not tolerate drugs by anyone, any time or any place (1). At the time about four to five millions people were using cocaine than the 500,000 that were addicted to heroin. Moving ahead to the present, pharmaceutical companies and the FDA now made formulas that contain abuse- deterrent properties and now try to educate people on opioid abuse.

Causes and Effects on Society

There were several causes of the opioid abuse that many Americans deal with today. Even though many people saw opioids as a wonder drug that could stop any pain and would make you feel great, they didn’t realize that it could cause dependence. Four reasons why someone becomes addicted to opioids is genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological (Opiate Abuse and Addiction Signs, and Symptoms). Effects. The genetic factor states that if you have a first- degree relative that has an addiction, you will be more likely to have addiction. Even though this is not entirely true, it can happen on occasion due to the fact you have seen it happen so it could be embedded in your brain that having addiction is normal. The biological factor states that since some people are born with a lack of endorphins, they use opium narcotics to self-medicate themselves and to het the neurotransmitters they don’t have (1). The environmental factor states that individuals that grow up in a chaotic home environment and are surrounded by addiction are more likely to become dependent on opium (1). Lastly, the psychological factor states that the individual tried to self- medicate a mental disease with opioids (1). Even though some individuals can hide their addiction, some cannot and this can have major effects on society.

Opioid addiction has had a severe effect on society and has become possible than ever. The number of opioid addictions have quadrupled since 1999 and ninety- one Americans die every day due to an opioid overdose (Understanding the Epidemic). Even though influential figures such as Ronald Reagan tried to stop the flow of drugs into the United States and lessen addiction and overdoses, the numbers continue to grow and addiction continues to hurt more people and families in the United States.  

Addiction to opioids isn’t just a problem in the United States, China has also had its problems with drugs. China has had historically high rates of opioid dependence over the years, but it died down after the revolution in 1949 (Yang). Soon after the dependence made reappearance in the 1980’s and has spread (Yang). In 2015, there were more than 3.2 million registered addicts in China and more than 14 million people in China have abused narcotics at one point (Einhorn). The sale of Oxycontin has also went up in China due to rising cancer rates and aging people (China’s OxyContin Boom is a Gold Mine for this Drug Maker). Due to the spike in the sales of opioids it can cause more people to become addicted to it.

Opioid dependence cannot be blamed on a few countries, all the countries in the world deal with opioid dependence. Worldwide more than 13 million people use opium and eighty percent of the drug deaths in Europe are caused by overdose (Statistics on Opium Use and Abuse Around the World). With many people trying to figure out where the opioids are coming from, Afghanistan was responsible for ninety- three percent of the world’s opium supply (1). Opioid addiction is a big problem in the world even with the possibility of treatment.

Examples

Even though opioid dependence can affect the person taking the drug, such as sweating, nausea, and dilated pupils, it can affect the people around them such as their family and friends. One example of how addiction can affect the family of an addict is Alana’s:

"My ex-husband was addicted to Oxycontin. He would be prescribed 90 mgs three times a day and STILL have to purchase of the street just two weeks later. He then found out about a methadone clinic and at first he did well, that is until they let him go home with two weeks worth at a time, he started overdosing himself which in a little less than three months turned his mind to Mush. He then became a very angry abusive man, which led to our divorce!!

However, I have chronic Pain syndrome, and fibromyalgia, and my left knee is going to have to be replaced. I get pain meds monthly, but I take them when I need them which is daily, I don't take more than prescribed."(Staff)

Many people don’t document their stories about their addiction, but the ones that do help save lives because it lets people know that it’s okay to find help. People also become addicted due to an injury on the job or they were introduced to it by someone they know. Many believe that it will be fine and that they will be able to get rid of the habit by themselves, but they can’t and they soon realize that they need help.

Solutions

Throughout the years, many believed that opium was a wonder drug that could cure anything, but now we are trying to figure out solutions to stop the abuse of opium. They’re different solutions that can be used to solve this problem: treatment, stop the illegal transport of opium, stop prescribing opiates, and demolish all opiates. Demolishing all opiates is virtually impossible because the supply and demand of opiates is skyrocketing, many people need the medication for pain, and the production opiates can be fund all over the world.

 The one solution that seems to help people the most is treatment. There are five steps of treatment: detoxification, behavioral counseling, medication, evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues, and long term follow-up (Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction). When someone goes through detoxification, the person must rid themselves of the drug to start the process. Then they go through behavioral counseling to treat mental disorders and sometimes the patient receives medication to help treat addiction. After that the patient is evaluated to see if they have a re-occurring mental disorder and if they do, they receive treatment for it. After the entire process the patient goes back for a follow- up meeting to make sure the patient didn’t relapse. For many people treatment is the way to go because it helps many people, but some believe that they can kick the habit by themselves.

Another solution that is possible is stopping the illegal transport of opiates. Ronald Reagan and many of his predecessors issued a war on drugs to put an end to addiction. Sadly, all their efforts did not work because the rate of addiction and use of opiates have soared over the years. Even though many physicians doubt prescribing opiates to their patients they soon realized that their patients needed the drug to ease the pain of their injury or surgery.

Absurdity

Albert Camus, a philosopher and anarchist who died in 1960, believed that it’s impossible for a man to rationalize an irrational world. What he means by this is that you can’t find a rational conclusion on an epidemic. This can relate to the problem the world has with opioids because many people try to rationalize where the massive supply of opioids are coming from and how to stop all the people in the world from being addicted to opioids. Trying to rationalize how to solve this problem and to stop it is virtually impossible for anyone to do.

Conclusion

Opioid addiction effects an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States (America’s Addiction to Opioids: Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse). It can affect anyone at any time and the addiction rates are continuously rising every day. Even though we would like to get rid of addiction and stop people from abusing the drugs, we must face the fact that we cannot fix the problem because it has spread all around the world with millions of people depending on the drugs. If you think you’re immune to becoming addicted, you should think again.

Works Cited

 “America's Addiction to Opioids: Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse.” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 14 May 2014, www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opioids-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.

“A Brief History of Opioids.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 2013, www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/purdue-health/a-brief-history-of-opioids/184/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2017.

“Opiate Abuse & Addiction Effects, Signs & Symptoms.” Mount Regis Center, 2017, www.mtregis.com/opiates/effects-signs-symptoms. Accessed 21 Apr. 2017.

“Understanding the Epidemic.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Dec. 2016, www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Tang, Y L, et al. “Opiate Addiction in China: Current Situation and Treatments.” Addiction (Abingdon, England)., U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2006, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16669899. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Einhorn, Bruce. “China Comes to Grips With Opioids.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 31 Mar. 2016, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-31/china-comes-to-grips-with-opioids. Accessed 2 May 2017.

“Statistics on Opium Use and Abuse Around the World.” Opium.org, 6 Apr. 2016, www.opium.org/statistics-opium-use-abuse-around-world.html. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Staff, KOCO. “State of Addiction: 10 Oklahomans Share Stories of Opioid Addiction (Long Form).” KOCO, KOCO, 23 Feb. 2017, www.koco.com/article/state-of-addiction-10-oklahomans-share-stories-of-opioid-addiction-new/8800944. Accessed 2 May 2017.

“China's OxyContin Boom Is a Gold Mine for This Drugmaker.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 18 Dec. 2016, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-18/china-s-oxycontin-boom-is-a-goldmine-for-this-drugmaker. Accessed 10 May 2017.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction.” NIDA, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction. Accessed 2 May 2017.

“America's Addiction to Opioids: Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse.” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 14 May 2014, www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opioids-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017