2020, the year defined by a medical crisis that plunged the world into quarantine and fear, but the Covid epidemic overshadowed a more pervasive and more ominous social issue: the drug addiction epidemic. Covid-19 simultaneously drew attention away from the Opioid crisis and made it significantly worse, the number of deaths skyrocketed to 13 per day in Philadelphia alone making 2020 the worst year in recent history for drug deaths. The increase in drug use during the pandemic disproportionately impacts those affected by the loss of income and social isolation and this is where we see the greatest spike in drug deaths. The increase in unemployment, financial hardship, and social isolation during Covid has caused a substantial increase in addiction rates because these factors are shown to be highly correlated with people turning to drugs. These factors are especially dangerous for recovering addicts and individuals who suffer from addiction and are compounded by the additional stress of the dangerous risk of containment which leads many to turn back to drugs. The pandemic has accelerated and expanded the plague that is drug addiction in America, and the pandemic simultaneously drew attention and resources away from this crisis in a time when people needed it the most.

The keystone state of Pennsylvania has been hit hard by drug addiction and the opioid epidemic, significantly more than many other states. Pennsylvania’s opioid overdose death rate was nearly 40 percent higher than the nation’s during the peak of the opioid epidemic between 2016-2017. In 2016, 80 % of Pennsylvania’s counties had an overdose death rate higher than the national average. In 2017, the rate of increase for drug overdoses in Pennsylvania was higher than in any other state, and Pennsylvania was among 20 states with a higher rate of fatal overdoses. One area that has been hit especially hard is Philadelphia which has the fifth-most drug-related activity in the United States. The drugs are responsible for the drug crisis in Pennsylvania: fentanyl– 52 percent of cases, heroin – 45 percent of cases, benzodiazepines – 33 percent of cases, cocaine – 27 percent of cases, and prescription opioids – 25 percent of cases.

Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. In Philadelphia alone an estimated 1,100 people are counted in the year-end fatal overdose tally, a number climbing at a frightening pace with 2020 estimated to have surpassed 2017 as the worst year on record for drug overdose deaths.

The drugs responsible for the drug epidemic include opioids as a primary offender, but the overprescription of addictive medication in the United States has seen a swell in rates of addiction in America. OxyContin is the drug many people first point to when trying to understand the current opioid epidemic and with good reason. OxyContin was created for cancer patients at end-of-life care to deal with severe pain but has been over-prescribed for every pain under the sun and even marketed as a non-addictive alternative to opioids which has proven to be the antithesis of the truth. Another drug partially guilty of kicking the opioid epidemic into overdrive is Codeine. Codeine is an opioid used to treat moderate pain and is not nearly as addictive or overprescribed as OxyContin, but because it is less addictive, there is significantly less regulation of Codeine making it easy to acquire. Codeine can start very innocently with codeine-laced cough syrup and people are unaware that Codeine can be addictive and that drug use may escalate when tolerance develops causing people to seek stronger opioids like Oxy, morphine, or even heroin to chase that same high.

A drug that not many thinks of when they hear the words drug addiction but are certainly guilty of is called Prozac. An antidepressant used to treat depression, bulimia, panic disorders, and OCD, Prozac is the most prescribed antidepressant in history and yet is susceptible to addiction. Those who become addicted to Prozac develop a psychological dependence on the mood and behavior-altering effects. The barbiturate Xanax is extremely similar to Prozac because of its prescription for treating anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and how people develop a psychological dependence on the mood-altering effects of the drug. With an estimated 15 million people in the United States addicted to Prozac, Xanax, and similar prescription drugs, the drug abuse problem in the United State clearly spans beyond the opioid epidemic.

A drug that is frequently abused and easily accessible in America Adderall, a stimulant prescribed to treat ADD/ADHD. Adderall is commonly abused by students because of the high stress, pressure, and demand of school many students face like cramming for tests or writing lengthy papers and the stimulant allows students to stay awake for long periods of time and focus often called the “study buddy” or the “smart drug”.

The over-prescription of addictive drugs coupled with the high demand and high stress of modern life has caused a surge in drug abuse and addiction across America and this has only been worsened by the Covid-19 crisis.  During a time where an epidemic is used constantly, America is ignoring an epidemic that has been festering and growing for a long time and can’t be solved with a simple vaccine. With a measured 19.7 million Americans addicted to drugs in the U.S and that number on the rise, what can we do? How can we stop people from becoming addicted and help those who have already encountered these pitfalls? How do we make American’s understand the threat that addiction poses to our fellow citizens and the urgency with which we need to address this issue because the age people are becoming addicted is shifting, it’s decreasing? With the age people are becoming addicted to and abusing drugs affecting targeting the youth, it is imperative that we work toward helping and preventing drug addiction before it dismantles the next generation.

Written By: Sarah Frishman

Adderall is an amphetamine or dextroamphetamine that was originally made to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for school children. It does this by increasing activity in the norepinephrine or the “stress hormone” which increases heart rate and blood pressure and increasing dopamine which relates to motivation. This helps someone stay focused for long periods of time. It quickly became popular for college students who needed to stay awake and alert. It is easy to train the body and mind to depend on Adderall and not function without it, which is why it is risky to get addicted to the drug. The black market for Adderall continues to grow on college campuses.

College students are twice as likely to take Adderall without prescription than individuals of the same age who don’t attend college (National Survey on Drug Use and Health). The Malvern Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania helps detoxify the patients and take care of any withdrawal symptoms. Another treatment facility in Pennsylvania is the White Deer Run Treatment Network. They offer clinical treatment and support to overcome the addiction to Adderall including detoxification, individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy. These treatments have been proven to work by White Deer Run and other treatment facilities.

In an article in the Penn State Daily Collegian, one student said “stakes are high in college. I think that’s why people are eager to use it [adderall].” Should we hold the colleges accountable for the increase in Adderall abuse? It has become a norm for many students. Another problem that makes it more accessible is that the price ranges from $5 and $7 for a short release pill which gives a couple of hours of work or extended release which gives all-nighters. This could lead to Adderall being more easily abused since it is fairly cheap for a pill. The clinicals should be aware of this problem and reduce the number of refills or only prescribe under absolute necessity to decrease the potential for addiction. Doctors are the first step to limit the problem. Adderall prescriptions are given out to people who have proven ADHD. However, this is proven by symptoms that can be easily portrayed.

Another way people abuse Adderall is using it as a sports enhancement drug. Because it reduces your appetite, it causes weight loss which many wrestlers feel pressured to do. It is also considered a performance enhancer which leads athletes to use it if they deem it necessary. To decrease the number of athletes who use Adderall it starts with the coaches. The NFL, NBA, and MLB have banned Adderall along with a list of other substances. However, the pressure starts in high school and college where people’s future depends on it. High school and college coaches need to take action and are stakeholders in this problem. Adderall is banned under the NCAA policy, but it is permitted with a prescription. Like previously mentioned, it is not difficult to obtain a prescription. This then goes back to the doctors who need to make sure too much is not prescribed at once and perhaps only prescribed in extreme cases. The black market Adderall for athletes should be less appealing because the NCAA bans student athletes for a full year if tested positive for a drug test.

Lastly, people who use Adderall to solely lose weight have many health risks. A side effect of Adderall is rapid weight loss, however, as soon as you stop taking it the weight is gained back. This is what makes it so addicting because your body now depends on it to lose weight. If your body gets used to the drug and constantly needs a higher dose to have an effect, it could lead to heart problems and even anorexia. If someone decides to get off the drug there are withdrawal symptoms that make you gain more weight because of rebound hunger. Since Adderall is not prescribed for weight loss, many people have access to it through the black market. This poses another threat because you never know what is put into those doses that can have other harmful side effects. Again, the solution starts with the doctors. If a patient has weight loss concerns a doctor can advise them to safer alternatives. Many of the reasons people use Adderall are societal issues: the pressure of being a college student with too much to do, being the best athlete, or fitting standards of “skinny.”

Raising awareness and educating the public of the misuse of Adderall can be done by the addicts themselves and parents of addicts or counselors and doctors. College campuses addressing the problem is a large part of the solution. If this is done under the nose of an administrator rather than something that seems normal on college campuses.

Written by Anjali Rampersaud

Our topic for our civil issues blog is drug abuse. Currently, there is a large issue with drug abuse all over the United States, but especially in Pennsylvania. We thought the stakeholders were drug companies, the people policing the drug abusers, victims of drug abuse, and the people affected by them, such as friends and family members. Each group member chose one drug to focus on and I chose codeine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies codeine as a schedule II/IIN controlled substance. This means codeine is a drug that has a chance of being depended on or abused. The ‘schedule’ is determined by if the drug is used in the medical field for treatment in the U.S., their potential to be abused by patients, and how likely it is that a patient will create a dependence on the drug. The other names for codeine are morphine methyl ester and methyl morphine. This chart also brought to my attention that codeine is included in a few other drugs. A codeine combination with product 90 mg/du, otherwise known as Tylenol or Empirin, is a higher class of drug than straight codeine. There are also Codeine preparations, which are usually 200mg/100ml, or cough syrup. Cough syrup is a class five drug and is commonly used by rappers to make lean, but also used by normal people. Songs such as “Codeine Dreaming” by Kodak Black glorify the use of cough syrup to make lean.

Codeine is a narcotic opioid. It is a drug originally derived from the opium plant but can be man-made. Codeine is similar to but less powerful than, morphine. It was made in France in 1830 to help take the place of raw opium in the medical field when used as a cough remedy. It acts on the central nervous system. Because it is a narcotic, it gives users relief from pain, allows them to sleep, and creates dependence.  Codeine is considered a gateway drug to opioids and sometimes morphine and heroin.

The highest concentrations of codeine are found on the black market, but there are over-the-counter medications like Robitussin, Maxiflu CD, Maxiflu CDX, and Tylenol with Codeine that can still be abused.

If someone is in the possession of codeine without a prescription or more than their prescribed amount can result in being arrested, having your driver’s license suspended, criminal prosecution, drug rehabilitation programs, or incarceration. It could even end with fiscal fines or other legal repercussions. In Pennsylvania the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, in conjunction with the Commonwealth’s Act, allows offenders to be charged with federal and state drug crimes. This means if someone is caught with opioids without a prescription they could be charged with federal and state crimes. This can happen because opioids are federally controlled, so the charges coincide with the federal and state laws. Although, if the amount is small enough and it is the first prosecutors will bypass the federal charges and only charge the offender with state crimes.

In Pennsylvania, if someone is caught with 2 to 10 grams of opioids, they can face one to two years in prison, a $5,000 fine, and a loss of the right to carry a firearm. If the offender has any priors and they have 2 to 10 grams on them they can spend 3 years in prison, and face a $10,000 fine. If someone gets caught for the first time with 10 to 100 grams of opioids, they can face 3 years in prison, a $15,000 fine, and lose the right to carry a firearm. If they have any prior offenses, they could be put in prison for 5 years and have to pay a $30,000 fine. Finally, if someone is caught for the first time with 100 or more grams of opioids, they could face 5 years in prison, a $25,000 fine, and lose the right to carry a firearm. If they have any priors and are caught carrying 100 or more grams they will face 7 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

It has been proven that longer prison sentences do not reduce crime, then making these charges seem like a waste of time without rehabilitation programs. When the offenders that distribute go to jail they may seem like they have learned from their crimes, but once they are put back into the same environment as before and have no other options they get caught up in the same jobs as before. The junkies that go to jail usually find a way to get their drugs on the inside, prohibiting their sobriety that prison was supposed to give them.

In Pennsylvania, there is a worse opioid crisis than in the rest of the nation. PA has a rate of 18.5 related opioid deaths per 100,000 people, but the United States has a rate of 13.3 deaths per 100,000 people. In about 18 months, from January 2018 to June 2019, there were about 13,500 opioid overdose related emergency room visits in Pennsylvania. That means almost 800 died each month from opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania in that time period. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists PA as the third highest in drug-related overdose deaths. That leaves us behind only West Virginia and Ohio.

To help combat this drug epidemic the state has a drug monitoring program. It gets information about prescriptions and makes sure patients are monitored. Also, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has a program that allows patients to state they don’t want opioids for their medical records. This way, even if they aren’t conscious, their medical records state they do not want opioids, and then none are put in their bloodstream. In Philadelphia, the education on opioids, like codeine, is rising. This is helping to ensure that people know the risks of being involved with opioids and narcotics. This has also increased Narcan use, the drug that reverses most overdoses. This is good because fewer people are dying from using these types of drugs.

Written by Alexandra Strunk

Addiction. What is it? What makes a person an addict? Why are certain things addictive? Are there ways to combat addiction? Before I begin to answer these questions, let’s discuss the definition of addiction; addiction is the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. Within the past 5 years in Pennsylvania, oxycodone addiction has become a serious issue for millions of people.

Oxycodone is a type of drug that doctors typically prescribe to treat pain. It is a semi-synthetic opioid medication meaning that it uses chemical compounds isolated from natural sources as the starting materials to produce other novel compounds with distinct chemical and medicinal properties. Oxycodone is not just known as oxycodone; it is sold under the following names…

• Oxy
• Perc
• Ox
• OC
• Hillbilly Heroin

These nicknames for oxycodone are usually used on the street by people who are attempting to abuse the drug.

You might be thinking…why is oxycodone so addictive? Is it not similar to any other prescription drug prescribed by a doctor after a surgery or for a specific type of pain? The answer: NO! Oxycodone is an opioid medication meaning that it is extremely addictive, but, why? All opioid medications bind to opioid receptors in the body; by doing this, the medication allows the body to produce pain relief. Although opioids allow for the reduction of pain, they also result in the release of excess dopamine in the brain. What is dopamine, you may ask? Dopamine is often known as the “feel-good” chemical because it causes people to feel happiness or pleasure. Dopamine could most definitely be viewed as a positive chemical, however, when too much of it is present in the brain, it can cause a euphoric high within the body.

Consequently, when people overuse oxycodone or continue to use it longer than it is needed, that person may find it difficult to wean off the medicine due to the fact that coming off of the medication may make that person feel different in their own body. This is the first sign of addiction with oxycodone medication. It is also important to note that oxycodone addiction does not take long to fester with a person’s continued abuse of the drug; addiction to oxycodone could occur in as little as a few weeks.

Before I get into the types of treatments that are available in Pennsylvania for oxycodone addiction, let’s look at a few statistics for oxycodone addiction in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2017, the national average for oxycodone overdose deaths in the United States, as a whole, was 22 deaths for every 100,000 people. However, in Pennsylvania in 2017, the state average for oxycodone overdose deaths was 43 deaths for every 100,000 people. If we were to look at this statistic in the bigger picture, this would mean that there were 5,456 drug-related overdose deaths in the state of Pennsylvania in 2017. In 2016, the national rate for oxycodone prescriptions written was 66.5 prescriptions for every 100 people. However, in Pennsylvania, the state rate for oxycodone prescriptions written 69.5 prescriptions for every 100 people. Moreover, in 2017, Pennsylvania pharmacies filled more than 2.4 million prescriptions for this drug and was one of the two most prescribed opioid medications in the state.

These statistics admittedly demonstrate the truth that oxycodone abuse and overdoses are higher in the state of Pennsylvania than the average for the country. As a result of this statement, the state of Pennsylvania has implemented different types of treatments for individuals struggling with oxycodone addiction throughout the state.

The first type of treatment available in Pennsylvania for oxycodone addiction is a drug detox. Drug detoxification is variously the intervention in a case of physical dependence to a drug, the process and experience of a withdrawal syndrome, and any of various treatments for acute drug overdose.This is the first step needed in order for an individual to successfully begin their journey down the road of recovery. Detoxification is crucial in this journey because it allows people to withstand their symptoms that go along with withdrawal from the drug. Detoxification is not as simple as mentally preparing individuals for withdrawal and helping them through the withdrawal symptoms; most of the time, detoxification requires medication assisted treatment in order to propel an individual down their road of recovery. Medication assisted treatment includes the use of medications and behavior therapy; some of the FDA approved medications to treat oxycodone and opioid withdrawal are…

• Suboxone
• Buprenorphine
• Methadone
• Subutex
• Vivitrol

All of these medications allow individuals to get relief from their symptoms and even block the effects of oxycodone if they were to relapse.

The second type of treatment available in Pennsylvania for oxycodone addiction is inpatient treatment. Inpatient treatment requires patients to check themselves into a controlled environment to overcome their addictions; this environment is typically a clinic with 24-hour medical and emotional support. Inpatient treatments help addicts fight addiction because it provides those individuals with a higher level of care and support that they cannot receive at their own homes. Inpatient treatment is typically the second step in the recovery process and often the first type of treatment people receive for addiction recovery. When patients are admitted into an inpatient treatment center after receiving help with drug detoxification, they are generally given the opportunity to undergo various types of therapy. The different types of therapy that are offered in these treatment centers are individual treatment, group treatment, and family sessions. These forms of treatment help an individual identity and come to terms with the underlying cause of their addiction.

The third type of treatment available in Pennsylvania for oxycodone addiction is outpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment services are medical procedures or tests that can be done in a medical center without an overnight stay. There are three main types of outpatient treatment available to people in need of addiction recovery…

1. The first type of outpatient treatment available is Partial Hospitalization Programs, otherwise known as PHP’s. PHP’s help provide treatment for individuals who are in recovery and run during the daytime hours.
2. The second type of outpatient treatment available is Intensive Outpatient Programs, otherwise known as IOP’s. IOP’s are forms of treatment that run during the evening hours and offer a plethora of therapy and support. Many recovering addicts enjoy this form of treatment because it allows patients to continue their everyday life during the day and receive treatment at night.
3. The third type of outpatient treatment available is Outpatient Therapy. Outpatient Therapy offers occasional one-on-one appointments with a therapist. This form of treatment is commonly offered to people who have had a higher level of care in the past.

The final type of treatment available in Pennsylvania for oxycodone addiction is Long-Term Rehab. Long-term rehab programs allow individuals to receive support in their recovery process for an extended period of time. This type of care is recommended for people who have a history of relapsing.

All in all, oxycodone addiction has become a major issue in Pennsylvania within the past 5 years. Although oxycodone addiction is a problem in society today, there are discrete forms of treatments that are offered to help individuals battle their addiction and begin their long journey down the road of recovery.

Written by Rachel Seiden

Fluoxetine, commonly known as Prozac, is a frequently used antidepressant medication. It is categorized as a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). That means that it is typically used to treat major depressive disorders along with some others. This drug works in the brain and balances its chemicals to create a more positive and happier mood. Prozac can also be used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bulimia nervosa, panic disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Fluoxetine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1987, and was set out into the market in 1988. It was titled under the name Prozac. This was the first SSRI to be marketed in the United States. This all began after it became evident that serotonin plays a role in treating depression. Scientists began to learn that increasing serotonin levels would benefit patients suffering from this disorder. Before this was discovered, other medications were being used to treat depression. These medications, however, were doing more harm than good to the brain. The effort to change this began with Eli Lilly in the 1970’s.

It took more than 16 years to successfully develop the fluoxetine drug. It is now the most widely prescribed antidepressant. It is one of the easiest drugs to get prescribed. The discovery of this drug was a huge step according to scientists. It provided a safe, effective way to treat depression. There are few side effects and the dosage is one tablet once a day. Easy enough, right? Scientists even expanded its use to treat other disorders as well. Prozac is one of the most popular prescribed SSRIs in the United States. It is approved for children and teenagers to use as well as adults. It is typically very difficult to get a drug like this approved by the FDA for younger people to use.

Because of its stimulating effects, Prozac can become addicting and can become abused. It is not technically considered an addictive drug, however, the psychological addiction can be created. Although there are not many cases of Fluoxetine abuse in Pennsylvania, there are several around the United States. Over 15 million people in the United States abuse an antidepressant drug. Prozac can easily become misused to generate that happier effect. People will often take more pills than they were prescribed to feel a sort of rush. This can lead to violent actions and thoughts by the abuser, as well as suicidal thoughts and/or actions.

Prozac is typically not studied for its abuse because it is not extremely common. It has several nicknames. Some of these include the “wonder drug”, “miracle drug”, “happy pills”, and “bottled smiles”. The drug is typically rated about a 7 out of 10 on effectiveness by its users. It has been prescribed to over 54 million people throughout its lifetime. One in eight Americans have taken an SSRI antidepressant.

Psychiatrists are beginning to question continuing to push Prozac. They believe that America is becoming an overmedicated society. They believe that people are resorting to medication at the first sight of any sort of mental illness. This could be very dangerous as these medications do have side effects that could affect the patient and others around them. Researchers are calling this a “massive uncontrolled experiment” as doctors have been prescribing drugs to patients who are not diagnosed with a mental illness. This obviously is a problem as they are taking the “easy way out”. Prescribing medication rather than getting to the root of the issue is the lazy solution. Doctors should be figuring out what illness or issue their patient is actually dealing with and then propose a solution from there. Immediately prescribing the medication can lead to several other problems.

The use of antidepressant drugs has increased by 400% in recent years. This is a tremendous jump. Although there has been extensive research regarding Prozac, continuously prescribing this medication can be dangerous, as mentioned before. In a study of 700 patients who were prescribed an antidepressant, only 20% of them actually had a mental illness. This means that 70% of the patients in the study did not need the medication. This is just another example of the over prescription of antidepressants. However, this does not raise a concern to many psychiatrists. They defend their argument by stating that letting the depressive disorder go untreated has far worse effects than just prescribing the medication right away, even if they may not need it. Although this may be a valid point, the drug does have side effects that could unintentionally harm the patient. There is no point in putting someone through that if it is not necessary to their well-being. Some of these side-effects can include decreased interest in sex, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and even anxiety. Occasionally, an increase in suicidal thoughts may be caused by this medication. It is useless to take a medication and experience its negative side effects for no particular reason.

As mentioned before, psychiatrists are more worried about undertreating patients, rather than overusing antidepressants. But that perspective is not the safest as one can assume. Patients should be evaluated by a licensed professional before they are prescribed a medication that will alter their mental state. Many of these patients could begin seeing a therapist rather than resorting to drugs to help them through their problems. Seeking counseling may be a better option as it obviously does not come with side effects. It also does not affect the mental state of the patient through the use of drugs. There is a large amount of research supporting the statement that the antidepressant is not what is helping to treat patients with mental illness. It is simply the placebo effect. People believe that the drug is working for them so they start to get better. It is all in their minds.

The use of Fluoxetine (Prozac) has increased tremendously throughout the past couple decades. This drug, however, has been overprescribed to patients who do not necessarily need the medication. There are several opinions and proposals on how to address this issue, but professionals seem to not see the problem at hand.

Written by: Jaylynn Davis

The first issue we would like to discuss is the overprescription of drugs. It is shown that doctors distribute refills as long as the symptoms are there. In order to be prescribed certain drugs, the patient fills out a form listing all their symptoms of a medical condition. For example, when tested for ADHD the patient fills out a survey about how they feel and are given Adderall to help with the condition. Adderall is a highly addictive drug and as soon as there is a hint of this mental condition doctors will prescribe the drug. Not often is there a medical test to see if the person has ADHD or is trying to obtain the drug. Many people go from doctor to doctor to try to obtain medication and there is no background check to see what another doctor has already prescribed to the patient.

Additionally, even if someone is not lying on the form people tend to get addicted to these drugs because of the short term sensation and once the body gets used to it, higher dosages are required to feel an effect. This means instead of taking the drug in increments people take it non stop and have to up the dosage each time the body adapts to having the drug in their system. The clinics should be aware of this problem and reduce the amount of refills or only prescribe under absolute necessity to decrease the potential for addiction.

In a study done with 700 patients who were prescribed an antidepressant only 20% actually had a mental illness. This means 70% of the patients did not need the medication. Doctors allow this to happen because there are not enough tests done or they are too willing to sign a prescription for minor discomforts. This overprescription is dangerous and doctors and professionals should be held accountable for this disproportion. In 2017, Pennsylvania pharmacies filled more than 2.4 million prescriptions for oxycodone and were one of the two most prescribed opioid medications in the state. The same year, there were 22 overdose deaths for every 100,000 people in Pennsylvania. This number has risen since then. Because you can’t determine mental illness through blood tests or other medical data it is easy to overprescribe to anyone who says they feel some symptoms of a mental illness. This is a problem worth discussing and finding ways this over prescription by doctors can be reduced.

Further, doctors get paid more the more they prescribe. Three years ago in Pennsylvania, there was a doctor who over prescribed opioid medication to addicted patients that led to an overdose death. There were 160 federal court cases between 2016 and 2018 where physicians were prosecuted for overprescription during the opioid epidemic nationwide. Over 1,000 physicians faced consequences from the medical board, but many still see patients. Whether these prescriptions were given to known addicts or not, this is a mistake that the community cannot afford and should be looked into further for health safety. This shows that there is a major problem in the overprescription by doctors and them not checking for addiction symptoms. These drugs are known to be addictive and patients are warned of this before being prescribed. But why do doctors continue to prescribe these harmful drugs to people who abuse them? A new limit needs to be instated on how many refills are allowed and weekly tests to see if the person is getting addicted. For health issues, the drugs shouldn’t be taken continuously because then the patient will experience withdrawal symptoms and will be more difficult to stop taking the drug.

Prescription drugs are too easy to obtain. Any time a patient is ready for a refill there are minimal requirements to see if the patient is performing okay on the prescription. These drugs are known to help with health concerns but are also very addictive. This is especially present in young adults because it numbs the pain to other issues and experiences a high when taking it. If these drugs are extremely addictive and could lead to overdose deaths then there should be specialized doctors to help with this if prescribed the medication for health purposes.

The Pennsylvania Drug Monitoring Program has helped limit overprescription over the years, but its success in the opioid epidemic has not been the best since overdose deaths are increasing. Physicians are only one part of the problem because if they are not prescribing, there are other ways to obtain the drug. Oversight from programs like the PDMP and other organizations to eliminate this problem is needed as well as education of the dangers of overprescription. This is a problem worth discussing and finding solutions as a state and nation to limit the drug epidemic. Physicians and other doctors also should acknowledge their part in the epidemic and adjust their ways to reduce overprescription.

Written by Anjali Rampersaud

Throughout the past 5 years, a drug epidemic has plagued the individuals residing in the state of Pennsylvania, an epidemic that has been far worse in Pennsylvania than in many other states. There are several reasons as to why this drug epidemic has persisted throughout the years, however, I am not here to delve deep into the causes of the epidemic, I am here to present possible solutions to the problem.

A major problem in today’s society, and especially in the state of Pennsylvania, is the overprescription of drugs. The overprescription of drugs is likely one of the main reasons as to why the drug epidemic has prevailed throughout the state of Pennsylvania within the past 5 years.

In order to help you understand the severity of this issue, I would like to tell you a story about a man named Christopher. Christopher was a dedicated student and a talented baseball player. He was the guy everyone wanted to be and the guy that everyone looked upto. He was a family guy, he found serenity in spending time with his mother and sister.

After 20 years of living an influential astonishing life, Christopher’s life changed. To think about the fact that one event can completely change an individual’s life is absurd, but it can, and it did happen to Christopher. When he was 20 years old, he was in a minor car crash, a crash that resulted in horrible back pain. Christopher was prescribed opioids for his pain, by his doctor, following the crash.

As Christopher continued to take the opioids he was prescribed for his pain, his tolerance to the drugs continued to grow, and grow quick. Christopher found himself attempting to seek out doctors who were willing to prescribe him more opioids. He always told the doctors that his pain was getting worse and that he needed more medication, however, that was not true. At that point, Christopher was in the early stages of addiction. His family was so worried about his pain that they overlooked the first signs of drug addiction, and focused on helping Christopher rid himself of the “intense back pain” that he was “feeling” after his car crash.

At the start of the prescription of his meds, Christopher was taking 1 pill a day. However, as he continued to consult doctors about prescribing him more medication, he increased his intake from 1 pill a day to 25 pills a day. After a while, Ann Marie, Christpher’s mother, began to notice her son’s problem. She attempted to help him by admitting him to various treatment facilities, but he was either rejected or kicked out for poor behavior. Ann Marie stated that “[t[hese pills and his addiction completely changed her son: everything he had worked for no longer mattered to him, he had trouble sleeping, often did not come home at night, and became defensive and combative toward the people he loved.”

Christopher received no professional help for his drug addiction, which led his addiction to only persist on for years and intensify in the process. Two years after Christopher took his first opioid pill, he overdosed. Unfortunately, the paramedics were not able to save him, and Christopher died at just 22 years old.

How can this story help us understand the prescription drug epidemic that is currently suffocating our country? Yes, Christopher’s addiction intensified, as he refused to receive help for his issue. However, where did the issue start? The answer: the doctor’s office. If the first doctor that he saw never prescribed him with opioids and rather, decided to put him through physical therapy, Christopher would likely not have become addicted to opioids, overdosed, and therefore, died. In order to help reduce the overprescription of drugs within our communities, we need to start by looking at the heart of the problem: the doctors.

According to the Pennsylvania Peace Valley Recovery Center, in 2016, the national rate for oxycodone prescriptions written by doctors was 66.5 prescriptions for every 100 people. However, in Pennsylvania, the state rate for oxycodone prescriptions written by doctors was 69.5 prescriptions for every 100 people. This illustrates the fact that in Pennsylvania, doctors are overlooking the addictive capabilities of prescription drugs in order to successfully treat their patients. I understand why doctors feel the need to treat their patients using, what they likely believe, is the most effective way possible, however, prescribing their patients with addictive prescription drugs might not be the best possible option out there, as it may result in overuse and abuse of drugs.

In order to reduce the overprescription of drugs within society, we recommend that doctors be more strict about who they prescribe drugs to. Doctors can do this by completing a more intense background check on their patients. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, “[m]ultiple national population surveys have found that about half of those who experience a mental illness during their lives will also experience a substance use disorder and vice versa.” Since many individuals diagnosed with mental disorders also develop substance use disorders, it’s important that Pennsylvanian doctors, and doctors throughout the country, execute a profound examination of past mental and physical illnesses of their patients. I believe that it would also be beneficial for doctors to require their patients to answer a questionnaire that contains questions about their mood and mental health. This would give the doctor a better idea of the patients current mental health status, therefore, giving them an even better idea as to if they should prescribe that patient with drugs or not. These background checks could help doctors get a better idea of who is truly eligible and prepared to be prescribed with an addictive medication in order to treat a specific condition. This could very possibly reduce the overprescription of medication in Pennsylvania, therefore, decreasing the overuse and abuse of drugs.

In our opinion, doctors are not the only group that we can look at and monitor in order to reduce the overprescription of drugs in Pennsylvania.The second option that we recommend in order to reduce the overprescription of medication would be to improve the FDA’s ability to approve and monitor prescription drugs through increased funding. If the FDA’s funding was increased, then those professionals could spend more time, money, and effort researching the addictive capabilities of prescription drugs. This could lead to a better understanding of what prescription drugs are addictive, giving doctors a better understanding of which drugs they need to prescribe less or monitor more.

Written by Rachel Seiden

A major issue with the prescription drug epidemic is the accessibility to drugs on the street. Whether it be friends, drug dealers, or the black market, someone is always willing to sell. A study in 2007, called The “Black Box” of Prescription Drug Diversion, found that 75% of patients in treatment centers due to opioid addiction had been getting their drugs from drug dealers. This statistic pales in comparison to the 39% that got their opioids from family or friends, and the 20% that got them from their doctor.

It is interesting to think about how the dealers and companies and people involved with the black market get their drugs. They come in such large quantities to the higher up people involved, and then the amount slowly disperses until it trickles down to the local dealers who supply people with what they want. Although, it seems like the local drug dealers still have such a large supply that the dealers higher up do not even exist. I tried to do some digging to find out where drug dealers get their drugs, but I could not. Even though I am supposed to be researching facts, it is hard to imagine where these drugs are coming from, especially in such large quantities, when prescription drugs are usually made in factories where they keep an inventory of what is in stock. Even if someone wants to take one or two pills off the conveyor belt, I think someone else would realize they are missing and say something. I guess that it may be easy for someone to take a few off every once in a while because they are defective, but I am not sure someone could steal enough to make themselves a big-name drug dealer. Also, would they not try to recycle those pills so they do not lose more money? That leaves me with one more question; Are heads of big drug companies selling some of their product on the black market?

It may be more realistic if someone was making these drugs at their home. I guess someone could bring all of the ingredients to make prescription drugs at their houses, but it would probably be very difficult to find everything and measure it exactly without laboratory equipment. They may need to have a special license in order to get certain chemicals and more licenses to buy the materials they need to make the medicine. When I think about shows like Breaking Bad it helps to normalize a person who is perceived as normal going off and making drugs, but it also makes you realize anyone around you could be doing it. Even then, it took Walt lots of equipment and special circumstances to make meth without getting caught (for a while). I am not sure if making prescription medication is different, but I would assume you need to blend certain things correctly, sometimes with fancy equipment, in order for the medication to work the way it was intended to. In order for the users to continue their addiction, someone has to either be making or stealing prescription drugs to supply the people who are illegally selling them.

Currently, there is an underground market for prescription pain medication. Once people have been labeled as “drug seeking” by their doctors or insurance company, their supply gets completely cut off. Although the prescriptions stop, the patients still have pain, or have an addiction, then causing them to seek out someone else to fuel their relief. People may take some pills in a cabinet that they find, but that stash does not last forever. These people can either look on the dark web for people or companies willing to ship them the drugs that they want, or they can look for drug dealers local to them. Dealers sell street drugs like marijuana, molly, and cocaine, but people also communicate with them to get prescription drugs that they cannot get, or can no longer get, from a pharmacy or doctor’s office. Dealers are also commonly used for students to get Adderall or other central nervous system stimulants to encourage more intense concentration during studying, projects, and exams. If enough people are asking for a certain drug, the dealers are usually able to supply their customers with what they want. This means if there are enough people asking for certain prescription drugs, the dealer will begin or resume selling them, all to make the most money they can. It seems to be that most drug dealers sell for the money, and they do not take into account the hard they could cause themselves or other people in their area.

In an attempt to help, there are currently prescription drug disposal programs in place in Pennsylvania. These programs allow people to give away their unused prescription medication in order to help themselves and the people who may be around it in the future. By creating these disposal sites, there is not an option to take a pill you got for after surgery if you are bored or having your family and friends search in your cabinet to try the same. People are more likely to start using medication readily available to them, so getting rid of old pills is a good option. There are even a few programs in the state that recycle these pills and give them to people who cannot afford them. This way the less fortunate can get the pain relief they need and do not have to worry about payment. People may this would cause more addiction, but they give such small amounts that there has not been an issue yet. After the drug disposal program was implemented in 2018, there was an 18% decrease in drug related overdose deaths when compared to the previous year, but there are still more things we can do to help. Users will continue to find people to supply them with drugs they want to use, so we must try to limit the people selling these drugs.

Written by Alexandra Strunk

Buying drugs on the street has become a lot simpler in this generation, especially on college campuses. It’s easy to buy illegal drugs as many students use them at parties or use them to relax or to focus more. These drugs being easily available to students has become a problem. The easier it is to access the drugs; the more people use it. Beginning to use these drugs at a young age leads to possible addiction as the students get older. In places other than colleges and universities, illegal drugs are still easily available. Buying drugs on the street has become easy as social media has become more popular (lindakegey.com). Social media has become the perfect platform for people to buy and sell drugs. Most apps delete messages right after they are sent, leaving no trail. Dealers also frequently post the supply that they have so that users can see what is available. Social media accounts are also rarely monitored by parents and they are available to people of any age. The use of social media to buy illegal drugs is something that is difficult to stop but monitoring your child’s friends on each of these platforms could help. It is important to make sure they are not meeting up with anyone to go buy these drugs. Many dealers turn their location on while they are using the app so buyers can find them. This is extremely dangerous. Meeting a stranger in a random place could lead to violence and more illegal activity. 

As stated before, easier access to drugs in younger people may leader to later substance abuse (drugfree.org). A study found that teens who started using drugs earlier in life were more likely to use them when they got older. Through this study, it was concluded that the availability of drugs at home is a significant factor as the child grows up. It is crucial to be careful what your child is surrounded by. Teens getting illegal drugs at home is one preventable way they are accessing these drugs. It is not uncommon to see teens finding medications in their house and taking them. This is illegal as it is not prescribed to them. Adderall and opiate painkillers are commonly abused drugs by teenagers. Getting rid of any unused medication is crucial to help prevent these things from happening. Prescription drugs at home are fueling the teenager’s addiction. Marijuana was proven to be the most accessible illicit drug that people have access to. It is closely followed by prescription drugs. Although many states have made marijuana legal, it is not yet legal all over the country. In Pennsylvania, marijuana is only legal for medical use.  

In order to solve this easy access to prescription drugs through black markets and street selling of drugs, the Government should enforce stricter laws against illegally selling prescription drugs. People in positions of power starting to enforce more intense laws and restrictions would make it a lot more difficult for individuals to buy illegal drugs on the streets. This could be done by government officials enforcing stricter punishments. Being more strict with punishing those who break these laws would evoke more fear in people buying and selling these drugs illegally. If they see someone being punished for doing the exact same thing that they do, it would most likely make them second guess their actions. People learn by watching others. If people are being prosecuted for this illegal activity, it would set the tone for the rest of the citizens. This, hopefully, would make them a lot more fearful of breaking the law. Another solution could also be increasing funding for drug crime units in communities that are plagued with the opioid addiction. Bringing more awareness and funding to this cause would make it easier for drug crime units to prosecute those are selling the illegal drugs. Hopefully, this would lead them to get the help that they need through rehabilitation services.  

Although we can hope that bringing awareness to drug crime units would lead users to getting the help that they need, that is not always the case. Sometimes, people with addictions will end up in jail for longer periods of time rather than the necessary rehabilitation. That is an issue that many users face. Once they are prosecuted, they go to jail instead of rehab. They do not get the help that they need in these jail facilities. As strict as these facilities can be, people always find different ways to obtain their drug of choice. Giving users the opportunity to go to rehab instead of doing more jail time would benefit society tremendously. Drug treatment would help users more in the long run so they do not resort to drugs in the future. Bringing more funding to this cause is a beneficial solution to the issues at hand.   

Written by: Jaylynn Davis

Drug abuse in America has swelled over the past year with the pandemic and even over the past decade whether you look at opioids or heroin or prescription medicine, substance abuse has ballooned in America to the tragic levels we see today. Drug overdose deaths have more than tripled since 1990. Almost 21 million Americans have at least one addiction, yet only 10% of them receive treatment.

But if so many people need treatment for drug abuse, why are so few receiving this treatment? Rehab is crucial to the lives of millions of people but so few are able to actually receive treatment. Drug abuse centers have the potential to change the lives of millions who suffer from addiction, but does it?

The main issues with drug treatment are it is not accessible, not affordable, and not successful.

But if the drug treatment and rehab industry making a $42 billion profit per year, how could the treatment center be unsuccessful?

In America, there is no national standard for addiction treatment with very few regulations regarding addiction treatment. On top of the few regulations, there is also relatively no enforcement of the few standards that are in place meaning that there is no accountability for facilities that provide treatment that does not meet the medical standard for effective addiction treatment and some facilities provide treatments with little to no scientific backing, like equine therapy.

The rehab centers also frequently use treatments that are outdated and treatments from decades ago despite the considerable scientific advancements that have been made in the research of addiction. The reason that facilities continue to use these outdated treatments is that there is accountability or incentive to improve and expand and adapt these new more effective treatments which can be difficult or costly to implement; meaning if a rehab center is already financially successful then there is no incentive to update to more effective rehab.

The minimal regulations also mean that rehab centers have the ability to increase the cost with expensive treatments with little scientific backing. Typical inpatient care is extraordinarily expensive and the high cost of rehab means that many families are unable to afford treatment past 30 days. Because the cost is so high and people are unable to stay past 30 days, this short-term care is shown to reduce the success rates of the patients. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, research shows that 3 months of treatment is required to reduce and stop addiction. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that in 2018 314,000 people in the US needed addiction treatment but were unable to get this treatment because they didn’t have the health coverage to afford the substantial price tag of these facilities. 100,000 people in 2018 weren’t treated, not because they didn’t have health coverage, but because their health care could not cover the cost of treatment at all or didn’t cover the full cost.

The unregulated nature of the drug rehab centers means that these facilities are able to mark up the cost of patient care using expensive and outdated treatments like equine therapy with little to no scientific backing and the price tag means that people are unable to complete the program or access addiction programs causing sufferers to go untreated or leaves patients more susceptible to relapse.

The lack of a regulating body to monitor and hold treatment centers accountable for the care of their patients is ruining lives and damaging our society. People in the United States go to rehab for medical care, for help to better their lives, and the places they are sent can be difficult to access physically and financially and once they overcome that hurdle, the care they receive is not bound to any standards for treatment, our society has abandoned these sufferers. There are no federal standards for counseling practices or rehab treatments which gives these facilities free rein to mark up prices for treatment with little scientific backing and there is no one to stop this which has made rehab an extremely profitable industry at the expense of people’s lives. Our current addiction treatment system has failed disastrously as shown by the rates of addiction are rising and the average age people become addicted is dropping and we must create national standards for this type of medical treatment and they must be enforced.

One solution is that the national government should create a standard for what qualifies as rehab treatment and hold rehab centers to this standard. If the government is responsible for the oversight of treatment facilities then they will be accountable for the failures of treatment centers. The numerous stories of inadequate medical care in rehab facilities leading to deaths of patients will drop because the government will be held accountable meaning they will be incentivized to hold rehab centers accountable. If national legislation is created to establish restrictions on whether or not an addiction treatment facility can actually call itself a rehab center and treat patients then this will cause rehab centers to focus more on meeting standard care rather than keeping treatments that are outdated but cheap so they can make the most money. Treatment centers that are financially stable and feel no need to update the treatments because it would be expensive or difficult to install would now be required to treat patients with care that is consistent with research and studies of effective treatments rather than the extremely outdated treatments which are still in place in many rehab centers.

Millions of people in America need addiction treatment but are unable to access this treatment because of the inflated cost which has been compounded by the lack of standards of care for the industry and the care they receive is inadequate and ineffective because of the outdated treatments which continue because of the lack of oversight. Drug addiction has been rising substantially in the last decade and it is expected to skyrocket because of the Covid-19 pandemic which causes significant stress and social isolation as well as many of the other risk factors associated with becoming addicted and relapsing. The system is in drastic need of oversight and regulations because this addiction pandemic has been building for decades and can not be fixed with a simple vaccine but rather by creating ways for people to receive the proper help and care that they need before it’s too late

Written By: Sarah Frishman