Wilmington High School Muckrakers: 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:

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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.

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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.