According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 90 million Americans die of an opioid overdose. This is a staggering number, and the ramification of the misuse of opioids is far reaching. Not only is this drug killing our citizens, the CDC estimates that it costs the United States approximately $78.5 billion a year. This is money that is spend on healthcare and addiction treatment for addicts, lost productivity, and criminal justice for crimes stemming from or related to opioid use or sale.
How did we let it get this bad? And what can we do to stop this epidemic? Let’s work backwards. It turns out, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse that approximately 80 percent of people who are heroin users, abused prescription opioids first. In the early 1990’s, pharmaceutical companies reassured medical providers that prescription pain killers were not addictive. Because of this push to sell these opioids, they were able to convince healthcare providers to freely prescribe pain killers. This led to more and more people receiving these prescriptions, which in turn led to more and more people misusing or abusing these prescriptions.
What can be done about this epidemic? How is the medical community working to lessen the misuse and abuse of these prescriptions? The US Department of Health is focusing on five major priorities. For starters, there is a push to use non addictive strategies to manage chronic pain. There are also new medications on the market to treat opioid disorders. They are also improving the treatment and recovery services that are readily available to people in need. They are implementing better health surveillance so that they can better understand the epidemic. New overdose reversing drugs are available. Research for pain and also addiction is being financially supported.
What can we do to help stop the epidemic? Keep your personal medications locked up, so that they don’t get into the hands of those that might abuse them. If you feel that you might have become dependent on your medication, seek help immediately. Watch for warning signs in friends and family, and offer support when needed. We can work together to help stop this frightening epidemic.