Every day, 128 people in the United States overdose and die from taking opioids. For over a decade, prescription opioids have been the primary treatment for chronic pain. Opioids are found in the opium poppy plant, which then are implemented in common drugs such as hydrocodone, oxymorphone, morphine, codeine, and fentanyl. Opioids relax the body and relieve pain quickly, which is what sparked the Opioid Crisis. In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies and medical professionals were sure that patients would not become addicted to opioids, so they prescribed more and more opioids to satisfy patients who were in extreme pain. After many opioid medications were prescribed, doctors came to the realization that opioids are highly addictive because accidental overdose rates were dramatically increasing. Ever since the decision was made to prescribe more opioids, overdose rates and criminal rates have been on a steady incline. Without stricter regulations and resources put into place, the next victim within the Opioid Crisis can be your parent, sibling, child, or even yourself. It takes one intake of an opioid to be on the verge of an addition, a potential overdose, or illegal action. It is difficult to remove opioids completely, so more resources and organizations need to be available to guide people onto the right path.
The use of opioids is not coming to an end, in fact more and more people are becoming addicted. Addiction is something that is very difficult to escape, and most people don’t know how to get help. A 2019 study conducted by BMC Health Services Research showed that adopting preventative strategies, such as prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), is highly effective and showed a reduction in opioid-related consequences. The study was broken into categories- opioid dependence, opioid-related care outcomes, opioid-related adverse events, and opioid-related legal and crime outcomes. As a result, applying PDMP programs limited the number of overdose deaths because help that was not available was now easily accessible (Rhodes par 1). By taking a closer look at what is being prescribed and giving other alternatives is what made this study successful. By implementing these programs, insightful information was shared, and it saved lives in the end.
Mental health and opioid dependence can become connected and can jeopardize someone’s health. Someone who is mentally unstable is at a higher risk of failing to meet the demands of opioids, therefore putting them at a higher risk of overdosing. An article written by Stephanie Watson, and medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD, CRNP, ACRN, CPH said, “A 2016 study in the Annals of Family Medicine found that about 10 percent of people prescribed opioids developed depression after a month of taking the drugs. The longer they used opioids, the greater their risk of developing depression” (Watson par 8). There is a clear link between mental health and opioid dependence, so it is important to address it now before more people are negatively affected. It is important that opioids are not prescribed unless they are needed. People with mental health disorders will struggle recognizing the negative effects of opioids and ignore them. People with depression and other similar mental health issues may use opioids more often than prescribed to escape from reality which could lead to addiction, an overdose, or death.
The use of opioids has been a problem for quite some time now and death rates have not decreased, so more changes need to be composed. Better regulations and strategies have been implemented in the medical world regarding opioids, but it just is not enough. More regulations within the legal system need to put into place to eliminate the selling and unnecessary usage of opioids. Anyone can be affected by opioids, rather they do it willingly or they are prescribed it. The expansion of opioid availability has made it an activity for people which is incredibly life threatening. One can observe these behaviors and replicate it, which relates to Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory, and increase opioid related deaths. As more people take advantage of opioids, it will increase the amount of criminal behavior due to creating/using illegal drugs, selling illegal drugs, etc. Opioid usage can have biological influences, which can also lead to higher levels of crime and risks of aggression. As someone who has lost a loved one due to the overuse of an opioid, making small changes can make a huge impact, can change society’s perspective on opioids, and will save a life.
References:
Rhodes, Emily, et al. “The Effectiveness of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs at
Reducing Opioid-Related Harms and Consequences: A Systematic Review.” BMC
Health Services Research, vol. 19, no. 1, 2019. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1186/s12913-019-
4642-8.
Watson, Stephanie. “Mental Health and Opioid Dependence: How Are They Connected?”
Healthline. March 29, 2019. https://www.healthline.com/health/opioid-
withdrawal/mental-health-connection#1
Tags: Crime, Mental health, opioid, overdose