...The opioid epidemic has become a prominent issue across America. Fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers have been ripped from family members arms to pay the neverending debt that comes with addiction. According to the CDC, “From 2000 to 2015, more than half a million people have died from drug overdoses,” and many more in the few years since (Understanding the Epidemic).Unless the United States Government places stringent regulations on the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, the opioid crisis, a significant health threat to Americans, will continue unabated. (Body One) The pharmaceutical companies lobbying of congressmen is one leading contributor of the opioid crisis that is currently plaguing the United States. Congressmen are...
Words: 1088 - Pages: 5
...The opioid epidemic is one that is plaguing America right now. Many people, with many different stories, have gone through or been effected by this epidemic. Sue was a person affected by this epidemic. She had been in a work accident and had been prescribed pain pills. Soon she couldn’t stop taking them, even when her injury should’ve been healed. One day she heard her daughter say she looked old, and she realized she addicted. She decided to give it up, she struggled a bit but finally, she was able to wean herself off of the pills. She attributes her ability to do this to the fact that she was a mom and she needed to do it for her daughter. (B) Many people have what they think is an answer to why opioids are taking over our country. Some...
Words: 488 - Pages: 2
...Identification of the Problem: Opioid Epidemic in the United States: A Public Health Problem The opioid epidemic occurring in the United States is one of the most widespread public health problems facing the nation today. The use of prescription opioids, a pain reliever, has increased fourfold since 1991, equating to an additional 140 million opioid prescriptions being prescribed in 2013 than in 1991 [1, 5]. Furthermore, the sale of prescription opioids in hospitals, pharmacies, and doctor’s offices has risen 300% since 1999 [7, 13]. This has led to a windfall for pharmaceuticals, as OxyContin, an opioid led to 3.1 billion dollars in sales in 2010 [28]. Thus is due to the fact that the United States alone consumes 80% of the worlds opioid...
Words: 1203 - Pages: 5
...The opioid crisis has reached a fever pitch as Surgeon General Jerome Adams is on the record stating,"The call to action is to … keep within reach, know how to use naloxone.” on NPR’s Morning Edition. By issuing this advisory for more people to become familiar with the overdose-reversing drug Naloxone, the Surgeon General is acknowledging the fact that in many parts of the country use of Naloxone by first responders has become as ubiquitous as providing CPR. When considering pseudoscience, particularly C.P Snow’s focus the “gulf of mutual incomprehension” between the humanities and sciences, there is no better current example than how pharmaceutical marketing lead to the misinformation about opioid addictiveness, overprescription opioids, and...
Words: 1381 - Pages: 6
...Laws and Opioid Analgesic Overdose Mortality in the United States, 1999–2010 Author Manuscript Marcus A. Bachhuber, MD, Brendan Saloner, PhD, Chinazo O. Cunningham, MD, MS, and Colleen L. Barry, PhD, MPP Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Bachhuber); Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (Bachhuber); Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (Bachhuber, Saloner, Barry); Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (Saloner); Division of General Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (Cunningham); Department of Health Policy and Management, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (Barry) Abstract Author Manuscript IMPORTANCE—Opioid analgesic overdose mortality continues to rise in the United States, driven by increases in prescribing for chronic pain. Because chronic pain is a major indication for medical cannabis, laws that establish access to medical cannabis may change overdose mortality related to opioid analgesics in states that have enacted them. OBJECTIVE—To determine the association between the presence of state medical cannabis laws and opioid analgesic overdose mortality. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS—A time-series analysis was conducted...
Words: 5146 - Pages: 21
...qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer...
Words: 1641 - Pages: 7
...As one prescription drug abuser in his early 20’s explained: Once people (pill brokers) know you take them prescription opioids, they’ll start calling you. “Oh, it’s this time of the month.” Then they wait for that person to get their script. They know exactly in their head what day the script’s getting ready to come so they got the patterns down. Pill brokers and dealers reported congregating in open air drug markets typically strip mall and pharmacy parking lots, and outside methadone clinics to buy, sell, and trade prescription drugs. These markets were reported to involve a variety of transactions, including the purchase of prescription drugs for cash, as well as trades for crack and heroin. Pill brokers also reported the purchase of used fentanyl patches from nurses who have stolen them from pain patients or from disposal containers in hospitals. Some individuals frequenting the drug markets also barter their oxycodone for other opioids or benzodiazepines, typically alprazolam. Doctor Shopping focus group participants indicated that even in a small state like Delaware, doctor shopping appeared to be fairly easy. The vast majority of abusers reported obtaining medications through doctor shopping, and most reported frequenting at least four physicians in order to obtain sufficient amounts of their desired medications. Occasionally clinics and hospital emergency rooms were reported as locations for doctor shopping as well. A heavy user stated: Another focus group member...
Words: 3476 - Pages: 14
...the Future study—the Nation’s largest survey of drug use among young people—showed that prescription drugs are the second most-abused category of drugs after marijuana.3 In our military, illicit drug use increased from 5 percent to 12 percent among active duty service members over a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, primarily attributed to prescription drug abuse.4 Although a number of classes of prescription drugs are currently being abused, this action plan primarily focuses on the growing and often deadly problem of prescription opioid abuse. The number of prescrip tions filled for opioid pain relievers—some of the most powerful medications available—has increased dramatically in recent years. From 1997 to 2007, the milligram per person use of prescription opioids in the U.S. increased from 74 milligrams to 369 milligrams, an increase of 402 percent.5 In addition, in 2000, retail pharmacies dispensed 174 million prescriptions for opioids; by 2009, 257 million prescrip tions were dispensed, an increase of 48 percent.6 Further, opiate overdoses, once almost always due to heroin use, are now increasingly due to abuse of prescription...
Words: 5145 - Pages: 21
...FDA approved narcotics are not just a threat in themselves, they also pave the way for the use of street drugs. Street drugs are a problem, but the bigger one is lying in our own homes. Among persons aged 12 and older in 2010-2011 who used pain relievers non medically in the past year, a survey indicated that they obtained the drugs from a friend or relative for free. 81.6 percent of those friends or relatives acquired the drugs from just one doctor. Every day 2,500 people abuse a pain reliever for the first time (Drug abuse). In the U.S alone, more than 15 million people abuse prescription drugs, which is more than the combined number who reported abusing cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin. On the same not, depressants, opioids and anti-depressants are responsible for more overdose deaths (45%) than cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and amphetamines (39%) combined (Drug free...
Words: 1585 - Pages: 7
...alarming revelation that “15 percent of U.S. servicemen in Vietnam… were actively addicted to heroin” (Spiegel, 2012, para. 3). The idea that American servicemen were addicted to such a horrible drug disgusted much of the American public. “It was thought to be the most addictive substance ever produced, a narcotic so powerful that once addiction claimed you, it was nearly impossible to escape” (Spiegel, 2012, para. 4). President Richard Nixon took swift action by creating, The Special Action Office of Drug Abuse Prevention which concentrated primarily on prevention and rehabilitation. In the late 70s and early 80s the use of heroin reached its peak when it seemed to take a backseat to the reappearance of cocaine and the subsequent crack epidemic that overwhelmed much of the United States throughout the 1990s. Although the use of heroin seemed to disappear throughout much of the U.S., it was still able to become entrenched in the everyday lives of addicts in American cities such as Baltimore. Baltimore City, in particular, has been adversely affected by the public health problem of heroin addiction so much so that it is has become best known as the...
Words: 3488 - Pages: 14
...The Negative Effects of Processed Foods Food is one of life’s main essentials to sustain viability. The ongoing growth, maintenance and repair of the body depends deeply on the energy and nutrients supplied to the body through foods. The nutrients that food delivers to the human body is an amazingly, dynamic process that keeps people alive and well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over 25 million people in America have diabetes; 215,000 of those are children and over 69 percent of all Americans are overweight and obese. This includes childhood obesity, which has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. There is also the deadly threat of food intolerances, which according to the CDC, has increased approximately 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. That means 1 in every 13 children under the age of 18 have a food allergy, according to statistics. These diseases cause many complications and are responsible for a reduced quality of life. These startling statistics reveal that Americans, especially children, are not getting the proper nutrients their body needs. America has taken technological innovations in food production to the next level and has an abundant food supply. So why are so many Americans sick with food related diseases? Taking a closer look at America’s diet holds the answer. A typical American diet consists of 70 percent processed foods. This includes packaged foods, fast foods, and foods that could...
Words: 2775 - Pages: 12
...Integrating Values - The Legality, Morality, and Social Responsibility of the George Brothers & the Largest Pill Mills in South Florida Abstract This paper examines the legality and ethics of the George brother’s pain medication clinics in South Florida. It explains the legality of the pain medication supply that is available for consumers that medically need it and how its source can also be an easy access to addicts. Although it is considered legal, is it ethical? In this paper we study different theories in ethics, including Kantian and Utilitarian ethical models. These models provide clear analyses that guide us in deciding if pain medication distribution from pain clinics is ethical. Finally, we review and conclude if the George brother’s pain medication clinics were acting socially responsible within their communities. Given the rise of pain medication abuse and illegal reselling, pain clinics in South Florida should adhere to strict rules to provide services to those that need it and not turn their businesses into pill mills. Introduction Purposes of Paper The intent of this paper is to provide a detailed and analytical examination of the George brother’s pain medication clinics. Throughout this paper all approaches will be examined such as the legality and ethics of the case, and how social responsibility plays a role. In the past few years in South Florida, there has been a rise of pain medication addiction and the reselling of these narcotics. Pain...
Words: 6754 - Pages: 28
...Location | New York City | Effective | 8 August 1975 [1] | Condition | 40 ratifications | Parties | 185[1] | Depositary | Secretary-General of the United Nations | Languages | Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish | Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs at Wikisource | The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 is an international treaty to prohibit production and supply of specific (nominally narcotic) drugs and of drugs with similar effects except under licence for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research. As noted below, its major effects included updating the Paris Convention of 13 July 1931 to include the vast number of synthetic opioids invented in the intervening thirty years and a mechanism for more easily including new ones. From 1931 to 1961, most of the families of synthetic opioids had been developed, including drugs in whatever way related to methadone, pethidine, morphinans and dextromoramide and related drugs; research on fentanyls and piritramide was also nearing fruition at that point. Earlier treaties had only controlled opium, coca, and derivatives such as morphine, heroin and cocaine. The Single Convention, adopted in 1961, consolidated those treaties and...
Words: 28067 - Pages: 113
...10 Combination HIV Prevention: Tailoring and Coordinating Biomedical, Behavioural and Structural Strategies to Reduce New HIV Infections A UNAIDS Discussion Paper UNAIDS – JC2007 (English original, September 2010) © Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 2010. All rights reserved. Publications produced by UNAIDS can be obtained from the UNAIDS Content Management Team. Requests for permission to reproduce or translate UNAIDS publications—whether for sale or for noncommercial distribution— should also be addressed to the Content Management Team at the address below, or by fax, at +41 22 791 4835, or e-mail: publicationpermissions@unaids.org. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNAIDS concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by UNAIDS in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNAIDS to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any...
Words: 15099 - Pages: 61
...Morgan Gadley 16 September 2014 English 1102 Zhang Marijuana, The Game Changer In Medicine and Society Is marijuana as corrupt as society makes it out to be? Growing up, everyone is told that, “Drugs are bad for you,” time and time again. Now as a kid you don’t really appreciate the reasoning behind it, but you listen to your authority figure heedlessly. I remember being told this my entire life and even to this very day. But as I got older I realized that people would still use the drugs even though it’s unlawful. I could never comprehend why someone would go against the law and endanger their life just to use drugs? But as I got older I began to realize that these people truly didn’t do any harm to the public or to themselves by smoking marijuana. Many doctors and health specialist are advocates for consumers to smoke marijuana just because of its health benefits. Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America other than alcohol and tobacco, but marijuana is the only one that can benefit you the most out of the three. Alcohol and tobacco are drugs that many people have died from and harms the body as time goes by. Other medication that doctors prescribe to their patients is painkillers, and they can really kill you. According to McKnight et al. (2014), “There were 14,800 deaths from opiate overdose in 2008, according to the Center for Disease Control, and none from marijuana” (p. 4). Pain is the anxiety of disease, the symptom that reveals that...
Words: 3646 - Pages: 15
