Parent VS Patient: Who Should be in Control?

Parent VS Patient: Who Should be in Control?

When growing up, children are refused a lot of things: toys, money, sweets, etc. The loss of those luxuries is typically harmless. The worst that may happen would be a pout or hissyfit. If that child is refused something as serious as health care, the results are much more detrimental. Child neglect is when the basic needs of a minor are ignored or, in this case, rejected. Unfortunately for the victims, this kind of abuse is brushed over far too often. The American health care system is unaccommodating for minors as seen through its handling of abortion clinics/contraceptive services, vaccines, and mental health treatment.

Reproductive health care seems to be the most tolerable of minors making medical decisions. In all fifty states, minors are allowed to go through STD/STI testing without parental consent. The majority of states also allow them to access contraceptive and prenatal/delivery services. Unfortunately, this tolerance stops at abortion. Thirty-one states require at least one parent to be involved in the abortion process. In about half of those states, the minor must have parental consent. As reported by the Guttmacher Institute, the number of states that agree has, in fact, gone up during the past few decades. Changes need to be made in reproductive health care for minors, specifically relating to abortion.

Vaccines have also stirred up controversy. Due to the anti-vax movement being a rather recent topic, very few laws have passed to counteract it. As of right now, federal law does not have any explicit restrictions on a minor’s consent rights to vaccines. Due to the National Childhood Vaccine Industry Act of 1986, it is required for a parent, guardian, or “legal representative” to overview the appropriate VIS (vaccine information statement). As a result, they would have to know the child is receiving the vaccine at the very least. Most state laws, although still being sparse, put the power of decision making in the parents’. Current vaccination laws are not in the best interest of children.

Mental health care seems to be the most difficult for minors to access, even with aid from parents. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five children suffer from some kind of mental disorder. Only about twenty percent of those children are fortunate enough to get treatment, medication, etc. This is largely due to the lack of health care professionals willing to work with children. There are only eighty-three-thousand mental health workers for minors in the United States. That number on its own seems immense, but when compared to the fifteen-million children who need help, it does not measure up. In older generations, there is still a stigma surrounding mental illness. Because of this, few parents are willing to go through the effort to get treatment for their child in this regard. This outdated negligence is one of the reasons that, in 2019, roughly ten minors lost their lives to suicide per every hundred-thousand. By making mental illness treatment more accessible to minors, this generation could grow up happier and healthier.

Health care accessibility in the U.S. is a problem in regard to people under the age of eighteen. Examples, where this is especially an issue, is reproductive health care, vaccinations, and mental illness aid. Children should not be in complete control of their health care; instances concerning surgery or highly addictive medications are too dangerous to be left entirely in the hands of a minor. It should also be noted that not all services are covered financially by health care, and the person providing money, typically the parent, should ultimately be able to decide under those circumstances. Although, this does not mean the patient’s opinion should be invalidated. Many of the restrictions set on minors’ decision making are due to religious or old-fashioned biases. By removing those from court, the solution would very much be underway. It is important to note that there are already organizations set up to help these minors too. These organizations find loopholes in the law in order to assist kids who are in desperate need of help. Public donations to places such as Planned Parenthood can do wonders for this cause. Regardless of one’s view on maturity and decision making, the wellbeing of children should always be the top priority.

Sources:

"Access to Adolescent Mental Health Care | HHS.gov." 

https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/mental-health/access-adolescent-mental-health-care/index.html. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019.

"Explore Teen Suicide in the United States | 2019 Health of ...." 

https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/health-of-women-and-children/measure/teen_suicide/state/ALL. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019. 

"Healthcare Treatment Decision-Making Guidelines for Minors." 

https://www.practicalbioethics.org/files/ethics-consortium-guidelines/Minors-Decision-Making-Guidelines.pdf. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019.

"Improving Access to Children's Mental Health Care | CDC." 

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/access.html. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019.

"Legal Basis of Consent for Health Care and Vaccination for ...." 

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/121/Supplement_1/S85.full.pdf. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019.

"Limiting Parents' Rights in Medical Decision Making - AMA ...." 

https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/limiting-parents-rights-medical-decision-making/2006-10. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019.

"Medical decision-making in children and adolescents - NCBI." 8 May. 2017, 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5422908/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019.

"Minors and the Right to Consent to Health Care | Guttmacher ...." 1 Aug. 2000, 

https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2000/08/minors-and-right-consent-health-care. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019.

"Minors' Rights in Medical Decision Making - CEConnection." 

https://nursing.ceconnection.com/ovidfiles/00128488-200707000-00013.pdf. Accessed 23 Oct. 2019.

 "Teen Abortions - Child Trends." 13 Dec. 2018, 

https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/teen-abortions. Accessed 31 Oct. 2019.

Why Life Skills Should Be Taught In School

Why Life Skills Should Be Taught In School

Bella Kieran       B1

America is not as smart of a country as the world makes it out to be. This may seem false but when looking at the intelligence of other countries, the rates are not even close to comparable.

For example, in the New York Times it reads “Each year, nearly one in four American teenagers drops out of high school. Twenty other countries now have higher high-school graduation rates.” The unemployment rate in America is much higher than many countries too. Learning more life skills in school may benefit employment rates, aid individual development, and help social lives. 

The United States has an insanely high rate of unemployed workers. The population is approximately 327.2 million. If about 4.4% of this population in unemployed, this means that there are about 74.3 million people left without jobs just in America alone.

By learning more life skill related topics in school, it may decrease this number by a lot. Instead of teaching students about what the square root of nine is, they should learn how to work with other people and keep themselves inline. Many jobs require people to work together to solve problems or creating something. Also keeping some inline will help them be able to focus to work on trying to get a job.

Individual development is an important factor. Most high schools do not offer financial aid programs to students. A study shows that “odds are your children will graduate from high school without being taught basic money lessons, including how to create a budget or write a check.” Only 13 out of 50 states require a financial class in school. A poll was taken and over 80% of students would rather learn how to be able to manage their money then to learn about factoring. Also, how will these young adults learn to survive if they can not pay their bills correctly? Teaching this simple topic may decline debt problems. Life would become much more simple for new adults. It could also help prevent homelessness. Many of the homeless are out on the street begging for money because they did not originally deal with money the proper way.

As the years go on, more and more people are starting to become anti-social. Many, especially the younger generation, get anxiety answering the phone or door. They usually do not answer because they do not want to talk to anyone. They would rather be sitting in their room watching Netflix. Fewer people are going outside and playing with their friends. Technology has started taking over the country causing the younger people to want to stay inside all day. Teaching kids talking to new people in school may help with their social skills. It may cause them to be able to get into their dream school or job. Public speaking is a huge fear of citizens. They become scared to talk in front of professional people because they may feel like they are going to be judged for every word they say. If they are learned to speak in front of others then they will have no problem adapting to interviews. They will be less nervous which will actually cause them to speak better. Giving presentations in front of the class and doing mini interviews with each other will create these skills. 

In the end, it is important to teach students more about life skills then the basic things that are taught today. It will increase the country’s employment rate because people will actually know how to be able to work individually and with others. It will also help individuals how to be more independent financially.

Citizens will be able to know how to deal with money and they will not  end up wasting it on something that wont help them in life. Lastly, it will also create more social ties between people. More people will be able to survive out in the real world being able to talk to people in person. All in all, learning more social skills in school should be required more than the basics we learn today.

“The Importance of Life Skills.” Why Are Life Skills Important?, 2018, www.macmillanenglish.com/life-skills/why-are-life-skills-important/.

“COUNTRY COMPARISON :: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 2017, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2129rank.html.

Bortz, Daniel. “Why Most High Schoolers Don't Know How to Manage Their Money.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 9 Oct. 2012, money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/10/09/why-most-high-schoolers-dont-know-how-to-manage-their-money.

Gun Control in America

 Guns claim thousands of lives each year in events of senseless murder. Will you be next? A rise in mass shootings and gun deaths has politicians threatening to take away many, if not all of our guns. With this idea sweeping the nation and gaining much traction, it is imperative that I point out how flawed it in fact is. Gun control will not solve our problems since many gun deaths are caused by suicides and gang violence which skews statistics, it will leave our law-abiding citizens unarmed and defenseless, and criminals are criminals so if they want a gun, they will find a way to get one.

Statistics used by people to advocate for gun control are often skewed and untrue due to the high amount of gun deaths being from suicide and gang violence. In 2012, 64% of all USA gun deaths were suicides. This is a very large majority and removing those takes the total amount of deaths from 33,636 to only 12,461. The thing about suicide is that even if guns were banned, people would still find a way to do it. Guns happen to be the most painless and efficient way to do so. Therefore over half of the annual gun deaths are mostly void in a debate about the topic. Furthermore, if we only look at gun homicides, which is the easier statistic, we find another problem, gang violence. 8,900 of 11,100 gun homicides in 2010 and 2011 were caused by gang violence. That statistic shows how there were just 2,200 non-gang-related firearm murders in both years in a country of over 300 million people and 250 million guns. This puts into perspective how gang violence is the real issue here and not regulating guns. 

Banning guns and confiscating them will only put average law-abiding citizens in danger. Normal everyday people who own guns for the sake of shooting as a hobby, hunting, self-defense, or all three will hand over their guns or have them taken away and that will be the end of it for them. Those who use guns for criminal purposes won’t just give up and look for another weapon, they will illegally acquire a firearm by whichever means necessary. It isn’t as hard as one may think as the internet black market has many guns available for purchase and regulation from the government is very difficult. This leaves average people without the best and safest self-defense measure while those using guns against them have an immediate advantage facing off against defenseless citizens because criminals will be criminals.

Elaborating on the last paragraph, there is a multitude of statistics proving criminals get guns illegally. To start off with one of the most important points, 86% of children in juvenile detention centers are reported to have owned a firearm,

which of course is illegal since they are not old enough to own one. This is such an eye-opening statistic as it shows the large majority of troubled kids who end up in jail were carrying a deadly weapon, and many of them probably ready to use it which is rather concerning. A study done in Rochester, NY concluded with the fact that 22% of all males in the city owned an illegal gun. Imagine 1 of every 5 men you see on the street (who could easily be of the age to own a gun legally) are carrying an illegal gun. For criminals, this just shows how it’s probably easier to have an illegal gun. It is untraceable by the government and there are no necessary background checks that delay or may cancel the sale. 

Another study done concluded with the statistic that ⅚ gun possessing felons came about their gun through the secondary market or theft. These all further the point on how criminals using guns for crimes don’t care to follow the laws for getting one. They will get it whether the government says they can’t or not.

Due to there seemingly being a rise in mass shootings and gun violence, many politicians are threatening our second amendment rights. Looking at the facts and proposing logical arguments dismantles these ideas rather easily as demonstrated in the paragraphs. Taking away guns leaves law abiding citizens defenseless. Gang violence is a problem that far outweighs the gun deaths. The majority of criminals who use guns for crimes acquire them illegally. These three points are why you can’t and shouldn’t take away our guns.

Sources: https://gun.laws.com/illegal-guns/illegal-guns-statistics
https://lawcenter.giffords.org/facts/gun-violence-statistics/
http://jpfo.org/articles-assd03/gun-stats-perspective.htm

Demolish Dress Codes

Demolish Dress Codes

Did you know that 90% of students at Washoe County School District in Northern Nevada said that they didn’t like the school uniforms? Millions of students want to wear whatever they want but are restricted by school dress codes. A lot of schools have their own personalized uniforms to enhance the “school pride,” but there are multiple other problems with sticking to the dress code. Although school uniforms allow students to express school pride and can contribute a better atmosphere, students should be able to wear what they want in order to freely express themselves and become comfortable; additionally, school dress codes unfairly assail female students than male students.

Many administrators make their students wear school uniforms is because they claim uniforms
promote school spirit and unity. A man named Arnold Goldstein who is the head of
the Center for Research on Aggression at Syracuse University stated that “uniforms help
troubled students feel they have the support of a community.” Forcing students to wear the

same two or three items of clothing for school make the school dress code very limited and make teens want to rebel. 81% of middle school students in Long Beach in California, Unified School District said uniforms did not reduce fights, 76% said they did not help them fit in at school, 69% said they did not make them feel more connected with the school community, and 71% said they felt no safer traveling to and from school. Although uniforms make students look more professional not all teenagers enjoy wearing skirts with long socks and khakis as an everyday outfit.

School dress codes prevent teenagers from expressing themselves. Teens at Wilmington High School are extremely lucky because the school does not prohibit most clothing. The high school is very laid back when it comes to their dress policy. On the other hand, schools like Austin Prep and Waldorf School of Lexington will not pass the simplest outfits. Austin Prep requires girls to wear chapel dresses, plaid skirts, and khakis which all must have their school logo Girls cannot wear black leggings unless there is a skirt over them. The same rules apply to male students who must wear a polo shirt and khakis with their school logo.

All students must wear one out of the two options for footwear- either boat shoes or Sperry shoes. It is outrageous to find out that sweatshirts, hoodies, full zip-up jackets, and scarves are not permitted while attending school. At Waldorf School of Lexington, the girls can only wear black leggings if their top is covering their butt, nail polish is taboo, any writing or logos can not be presentable in school, shorts have to be six inches inseam, and no showing off the stomach is allowed.

A fourth-grade teacher named Marci Kutzer at Bertha Ronzone Elementary School in Las Vegas,
Nevada says “while school boards couch dress codes as preparing students for the workplace
and adult life, their real purpose is to

prevent “distractions.” Women all over the world would oppose that statement. Girls wearing a skirt or spaghetti straps does not create a distraction, but when getting called out on it they feel uncomfortable and humiliated after. Why is it considered “athletic” when guys wear a tank top, but when a girl wears a tank top it is prohibited and scandalous. For example, you are at a local pep rally and a boy is shirtless with painted letters of his school on his stomach.

Throughout the whole time being there he does not get judged or harassed. Yet if a girl is seen in a sports bra and the same letters painted on her stomach she is considered an “attention seeker” or “asking for it.” In the photo above it is being extremely biased, both teens are preforming the same action, but the girl is getting more hatred because of her gender. Events like this are seen everywhere in the world especially degrading women when they wear the same clothing boys wear
When students have to wear school uniforms and stick to a strict dress code they want to rebel

constantly. Teenagers all over the world express themselves through their outfits choices. It is
proven that if people wear stylish or comfortable clothes they will feel more confident, hence the
quote “look good, feel good.” School uniforms present unity within the school, but also contribute
freedom and comfort; dress codes also show bias towards men and women on what they choose
to wear in their everyday life. 

Soucres:

https://school-uniforms.procon.org

https://www.debate.org/opinions/school-uniforms-yes-or-no

https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2013/school-uniform-study

http://artdaily.cc/news/106451/The-Impact-of-Fashion-Trends-on-Teenagers#.XaSe6OjYrnE

http://neatoday.org/2018/07/24/when-school-dress-codes-discriminate/

Pictures:

https://bcomber.org/editorials/2014/09/11/enforcement-if-dress-codes-is-sexist-arbitrary/

https://www.masterfile.com/search/en/school+uniforms+boring+classroom

https://www.austinprep.org/page.cfm?p=506&eid=73

http://www.educationaloutfitters.com/a-message-to-school-leaders/

https://www.thepearlpost.com/11617/showcase/dress-code-between-genders-starts-to-seem-unfair/

Homeschooled Kids are Missing Out

Lilly Rubin

Homeschooled Kids are Missing Out

Parents of homeschooled kids are setting them up to be less successful in life.  About three percent of kids in America are homeschooled and do not attend the traditional  idea of a public or even private school. Many say this will keep kids on a better track than those who attend school outside of the home  by keeping them away from distractions. Homeschooled kids are missing out on many aspects of their life and teenage experience by not attending school such as extracurriculars like sports and clubs, diversity, easy access to ap/honors classes, and social experiences.  They are generally very sheltered from real world experiences.

By being homeschooled, kids are missing important extracurricular activities and clubs. Sports and the team aspect of a sports team is unavailable to someone who is homeschooled in most cases. Only two states in the US allow homeschooled students to be active on high school sports teams. In West Virginia students are allowed to participate in high school sports if they attend half a year of school. To abide by this, some students choose to do half days.

Butch Powell, WVSSAC assistant executive editor, says, “Some choose the half day, while others do not,” he said. “But we believe to participate on school-based teams, you must walk the halls of the school you play for.” Massachusetts happens to be among the two states that fully allow homeschooled students to play for public schools. That is as one in twenty five chance the state you live in will allow you to play sports in public school. It is proven that doing a sport releases chemicals to your brain making you feel happier. Yes, homeschooled students can do athletics outside of school but are missing the team aspect. Being on a team promotes teamwork and fosters relationships. It also helps kids to become better at communicating. It is obviously important to get the everyday exercise a sport provides but also experience situations that will prepare students for real life.

Another problem with homeschooling is the lack of diversity and exposure to new people.  The idea that homeschooled students are isolated is a common complaint of people who do not support

homeschooling. This is easy to see because they are not spending time with other kids. One of the best examples of this is group projects. From experience, you are often put into groups by teachers and do not know or are not friendly with others in your group. This is an experience that is helpful to kids in the future. They will learn how to interact with new people, collaborate on ideas, and grow as a thinker. It is a learning experience that cannot be matched when students do not attend school. It is also needed for adults and prepares students for their futures in the real world. It is expected of adults in the workforce to be able to collaborate with their coworkers and this is preparation for that.

Many view a problem with homeschooling, the level of learning and students not being challenged. Homeschooled kids can take AP and honors classes online. A class that is labeled as an honors class, can be any class you are taking you just put the label on. A homeschooled student, Sarah McLaughlin says the classes she was taking, were just labeled honors and “my mom has her own standards for what she labels as “honors,” proving homeschooled educations are not equal and students may be given unfair advantages by labeling their classes as honors and not doing much or any extra work. She continued saying they might get a little more homework to label it an honors level class.

Students who do not attend school and are homeschooled are missing out on social situations and challenges people their age are dealing with. Many parents want to homeschool their kids so they can avoid parties, drinking, and drugs. This makes sense until the child is faced with a situation they do not

know how to handle because they have never been faced with it. This is just one example of many real world problems many people face and learn through experience how to deal with it. If kids are being sheltered, they will not know how to responsibly respond to this type of situation and could end up in trouble or in a scary situation.

Homeschooled students are missing out on important life skills and academics. They are unfairly being shorthanded opportunities with students their age and everyday encounters. They are not getting the socialization kids need to succeed in the world and prepare themselves for their future. They are also not given the challenges of working with people they do not know on school work. Overall, students should not be homeschooled because they are missing out on important aspects of life students that attend school are able to experience.

"How do homeschooled students do AP or Honors courses? - Quora." 7 Jul. 2018, 

https://www.quora.com/How-do-homeschooled-students-do-AP-or-Honors-courses

"Opportunities My Teens are Missing Because We ...." 

https://www.annieandeverything.com/homeschool-high-school-missed-opportunities/

"Homeschooling Pros and Cons - Calvert ...." 

https://www.calverteducation.com/should-i-homeschool/homeschooling-pros-and-cons

"Negative Effects of Homeschooling | LoveToKnow." 

https://home-school.lovetoknow.com/Negative_Effects_of_Homeschooling.

"A House Divided: Homeschool Students on School ... - NFHS." 

https://www.nfhs.org/articles/a-house-divided-homeschool-students-on-school-sports-teams/.

"How Homeschooling Doesn't Help With Socialization ...." 12 May. 2018, 

https://www.popsugar.com/family/How-Homeschooling-Doesnt-Help-Socialization-44028681
"Homeschooled Kids, Now Grown, Blog Against the Past." 11 Apr. 2013, 

Lowering College Tuition

Should College Tuition Be Lowered?

Is there a way we can make everyone a little less stressed out? College tuition is one of the top reasons why kids are stressed out. College tuition around the world should be lowered because everyone would have the same opportunities for jobs and teenagers would have less stress. Everyone deserves an education, and everyone would benefit from the youth being educated and prepared for the world. 

Teenagers all around the world that cannot afford to attend colleges do not have the same opportunities as the people that are able to. According to trade-schools.net, young adults in the United States earn 57% more if they have a bachelor’s degree than if they only had a high school diploma. Although having a high school diploma can get you good jobs, lots of higher level jobs require a higher level of education that only a college could provide. The Imagine America Foundation states that one of the top 5 reasons some kids do not attend college is because they are either unable or think they are unable to afford the tuition. More people would consider going to college if they noticed a price reduction. Also, when these students get jobs with higher salaries, they are able to pay off the student debt they possess, which takes years for people to pay off. 

Lowering the prices of college would also encourage more people to get their master’s degree or higher. Obviously, taking the extra year or more of school would be more challenging, so for the amount of money you are spending, some people are hesitant. In 2018, around 21% of people had their master’s degree, and this number would only increase with prices that allow more people to learn the necessary material. More people with their master’s degree would have these higher paying, advanced jobs, and also create a high educated generation. People living in destitution would be able to take their family out of miserable conditions if they were able to attend college and get a stable job to support their family. Everyone benefits from it, so more colleges should look into the idea of lower tuition costs. 

Students not only benefit from higher paying jobs, but they would also have less stress. The American Psychological Association released the result from a survey that students during the school year are more stressed. Tuition is one of the main causes of stress in students, so lowering the price of this financial burden would help relieve stress in thousands. According to the 2010 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment, more than 25% of students reported that stress lowered their grades. Student families are already paying an absurd amount of money for their education, and it is deteriorating their performance in school. A student with poor grades would only get more stressed about bettering their grades, and also may consider dropping out. To conclude, the stress from tuition only brings more stress to students.

With all considered, the wise decision would be to lessen tuition costs for the benefit of students, families, and colleges. In a survey according to The Hechinger Report, seven in ten parents eliminated colleges from their children’s consideration because of costs. Lowering the cost used to only be a dream, but now tuition free schools are becoming a reality.

Works Cited

“70 Percent of College Students Stressed about Finances.” 70 Percent of College Students Stressed about Finances, 30 June 2015, news.osu.edu/70-percent-of-college-students-stressed-about-finances/.

A., Teresa. “Why College Tuition Should Be Free or Lowered?” Letters to the Next President, 7 Nov. 2016, letters2president.org/letters/13193.

Beelineweb.com. “Should College Be Free? Here's What You Need to Consider.” Trade, Trade-Schools.net, 5 Feb. 2019, www.trade-schools.net/articles/should-college-be-free.asp.

“Free College - Top 3 Pros and Cons.” Free College - Top 3 Pros and Cons, ProCon.org, 19 Mar. 2019, www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005432.

“Making College Debt Free for All Americans .” Making College Debt Free for All Americans , 8AD, martinomalley.com/policy/make-college-debt-free/.

Addictions Contender: The Opioid Epidemic

Addictions Contender: The Opioid Epidemic

By:Jacob Haerer

The opioid epidemic is responsible for 130 American deaths each day, which is triple the average number of murders on a daily basis.  This epidemic will not hesitate to take a helpless victim into it’s evil and manipulative hands, and cause irreversible damage. The opioid epidemic is defined by the National Addiction Center as ,“the growing number of deaths and hospitalizations from opioids including prescriptions, illicit drugs and analogues.” This means the danger of addiction to opioids is growing. With the number of people addicted to opioids growing, an increase of death and illness will occur. The opioid epidemic is a national crisis in the United States, which results in increased crime, mental deterioration, and leads to major health issues that could lead to death. 

Crime Resulting From Opioid Use

Opioids affect the brain in a multitude of ways, causing addiction as well as many other neurological and psychological issues in a person. This is what gives people the motivation to commit crimes. This increased crime is due to the inability to properly make decisions and judgements.  The National Institution of Drug Abuse says this inability to make proper decisions is due to the opioid drug attaching to inhibitors in the brain, which damages memory and judgement making skills. These inhibitors then become dependant on this drug, and cause people to seek out a way to obtain the drug.

When a person is addicted enough, they will stop at nothing to get that drug, which is when crimes are committed. It is common knowledge that drugs will affect the way people function on a day to day basis.  What most people do not know, is how much of the crime committed in the United States is due to opioid addiction. The Opioid Help Website shows a very alarming  statistic stating how much crime is actually committed due to opioid abuse.  Opioid addiction is responsible for 20.7% of the crime committed in the United States, which is about 500,000 crimes per year.  And to add to this, familydoctor.org describes symptoms such as “poor decision making” and “abandoning responsibilities”.  These symptoms match the way one would expect the mind of a criminal to work.  The Surgeon General puts forth a good point, law enforcement must get involved to resolve this epidemic, not to arrest and detain, but to work for rehabilitating through education.  Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams says, “Health advocates must involve businesses and law enforcement organizations—they have witnessed the negative effects of opioids and have a strong interest in helping end the epidemic. Educators and the faith-based community have unique touch points and resources that can be brought to bare for prevention and treatment efforts. We must listen to all communities affected by the opioid crisis—speaking with them, versus at them, leveraging their strengths, and addressing their priorities.” The symptoms are clear, the statistics are there, putting more time towards research about this epidemic, will not only decrease crime in the United States by about twenty percent, but it will also preserve the mental health of people addicted. 

Mental health Issues Caused By Opioid Addiction

Mental health plays a very important role in the day to day life of everyone, and it is necessary for a person to have good mental health to live a happy and long life. The addiction to opioids will absolutely destroy a person's mental health. With the addiction of opioids, comes an unhealthy and destructive mental state that will ultimately ruin the rest of a person's life. Extreme anxiety is one catastrophic result of opioid addiction. The website familtdoctor.org says that anxiety attacks are a direct symptom of the use of opioids. The article also says that insomnia is linked with the use of opioids. Insomnia is when a person is unable to fall asleep, having insomnia can cause major anxiety disorders.  Anxiety is well known to be one of the biggest problems in society, along with depression.  Depression can result from opioid addiction, and a person is at a higher risk of depression if opioid abuse is

present. Addiction to opioids is undoubtedly linked to bipolar depression and general depression.  Psycom.net shows a disturbing statistic about depression and suicide as a result of Opioid abuse.  48% of people on heroin, which is a morphine based drug, experience depression.  35% of people on the opioid heroin commit suicide. That is a statistic that should definitely be taken into account when discussing the safety of opioid use in any form. The terrifying part of all this is not only the lifechanging mental illness, but the fact that apart from physical damage, this drug can leave someone in so much mental turmoil, that a person can get themselves to commit suicide. Death is not only a result of physical illness, it is even a result of mental illness in this scenario. 

Physical health Issues as a Result of Opioid Abuse

Drugs as a whole can take a toll on physical health.  People call drugs including opioids “unhealthy” all of the time with the growing epidemic that is occurring right now. The real question is, do people really know what opioids do to the human body? The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states, “In 2016, we lost more than 115 Americans to opioid overdose deaths each day,

devastating families and communities across the country. Preliminary numbers in 2017,  show that this number continues to increase with more than 131 opioid overdose deaths each day.” What causes these deaths is even more alarming.  drugabuse.gov talks about how a very popular opioid, heroin, reacts and damages the brain in ways that could be irreversible. This morphine based drug attaches to a person's brain receptors, and cause a rush of dopamine, which is the hormone for happiness. This all sounds great, but what actually happens is this rush of happiness blocks pain receptors in the body and prohibits them from going down the spinal cord, therefore, making it nearly impossible for a person to know if they are injured. This is not the only immediate after effect. Another very concerning effect of opioid use is intestinal bloating. This is common after one consumes a lot of sodium, except this time it isn't sodium, its opioids. These short term effects are all very severe, but the long term effects are even worse.  Safetynetrecovery.com, states the long term effects of opioids, one of which is a result of slowed breathing. What happens is when  breathing is slowed as a result of taking an opioid, not enough oxygen is getting to the addicts brain. This website says when oxygen is decreased in the brain a coma can result. Once a person falls into a coma, it is hard to tell if a person will ever come out of one. Even if a person does come out of an opioid related coma, permanent brain damage is almost unavoidable. All of these health issues can be caused by an overdose, which is when all receptors have been blocked in the body making the body unable to perform other tasks, or just over time. All of these health issues should not be taken for granted when prescribing or choosing to take an opioid and research should be conducted to expand the health effects of opioid use. 

How can this Issue be Resolved?

The opioid epidemic is raising crime and leading to mental and physical illness. This epidemic must be stopped by enforcing dosage laws, setting up rehab centers and research safer types of painkillers. The facts are clear, 20% of crime is committed because someone is under the influence of drugs or opioids, depression and anxiety is high in people on opioids, and addiction can lead to health issues which can eventually lead to death. The answer to this epidemic is complex but can be achieved: research, educate and reform. Research is important, it is essential to know the endless effects of this drug on the human body, and educate others about the issue. It is essential that after these steps are taken, reform is made, including altering prescribed dosage laws and penalties for doctors who over prescribe, or for those who take or sell the drug. Only if significant action is taken, will the opioid epidemic be resolved.

Bibliography

Primary sources: 

 "Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Spotlight on ...." 8 Sep. 2018, 

https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/sites/default/files/Spotlight-on-Opioids_09192018.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.

"Overdose Death Rates The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)." 

https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.

"How opioids reshape your brain, and what scientists are ...." 24 Jul. 2018, 

https://www.inquirer.com/philly/health/addiction/what-science-knows-about-how-opioids-reshape-your-brain-20180724.html. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019

"Opioid Addiction and the Criminal Justice System | CSG ...." https://csgjusticecenter.org/nrrc/opioid-addiction-and-the-criminal-justice-system/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2019.

Resources: 

"Opioid Addiction - FamilyDoctor.org." 26 Feb. 2019, 

https://familydoctor.org/condition/opioid-addiction/. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.

 "Depression and Opioid Abuse - Psycom.net." 25 Nov. 2018, 

https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.opioid.abuse.html. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.

"National Institute on Drug Abuse." https://www.drugabuse.gov/. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.

  

"Safety Net Recovery | Sober Living Facilities Near 

Atlanta."https://www.safetynetrecovery.com/. 

Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.