Premium Essay

Synthetic Opioids Research Paper

Submitted By
Words 1874
Pages 8
Synthetic Opiods: A New Crisis

In 1980, a letter printed in the New England Journal of Medicine would start to change everything. The letter insisted that addiction to these new drugs was rare, especially in those with no prior history of addiction. Slowly, physicians started prescribing more and more synthetic opioids to their patients, especially those looking to avoid riskier orthopedic surgeries for their chronic pain and those suffering from terminal illnesses. Medical professionals were able to feel good about their ability to help their patients avoid surgery and help them effectively (some for the first time) manage chronic pain. In the 90s, everything changed. There was a swift shift (fueled in a big way by pharmaceutical companies) away from the tentative, opioid-shy opinions of past medical professionals. A new way of thinking emerged in which managing pain became the first focus of treatment. The pain scale illustrations that we have all seen in countless doctor’s offices were produced and used as a first line of questioning in all emergency rooms, urgent care facilities, and doctor’s offices. OxyContin, thought by many to be the drug that started it all in regards to the current opioid …show more content…
During the pain management push of the 90s, doctors were writing opioid prescriptions at the drop of a hat. OxyContin was supposed to be a wonder drug, able to manage pain to the point of increased movement and productivity in those who took it as prescribed. The problem, as we all know, is that the level of misuse was off the charts. The time released version of OxyContin was designed to deliver a slow, consistent dose of pain medication to the user over a 12 hour period. However, for those misusing the drug for a high, this just presented an opportunity to crush up the pills and ‘snort’ them, thereby delivering a super dose of the

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Telehealth: A Case Study

...Significance Telehealth is vital to those in need of substance abuse treatment. It is estimated that 90 Americans die each day due to an overdose of opioid use. There has been an uptrend of misuse and addictions of opioids which includes prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids. This is considered a national crisis that is having a major impact on public health. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions has estimated that the economic burden to the United States of opioid misuse is $78.5 billion a year. This estimation includes the cost of healthcare, treatments, and the criminal justice involvement (National Institutes of Health, 2018). This is one of the reasons why it is of great importance to get treatment...

Words: 712 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Methadone for Heroin Addiction

...Southwestern Assemblies of God University School of Distance Education Methadone Treatment Programs are Effective in Stopping Heroin Use A Paper Presented to Professor Loyd Uglow, Ph.D In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Course THE 5113 Research Literature and Technology Sharon Pete November 28, 2012 THESIS STATEMENT: To investigate Methadone maintenance is found to be more effective in treating heroin addiction than 180 day detoxification. The objective is how methadone maintenance, a widely used but controversial method of weaning heroin addicts off the drug—with counseling has psychosocially enriched 180 day methadone assisted detoxification. OUTLINE I. INTRODUCTION A. History of Heroin B. History of withdrawals II. How Methadone is used to treat Heroin? III. Research Findings IV. CONCLUSION V. Work Cited Methadone Treatment Programs are Effective in Stopping Heroin Use Substitution treatment or maintenance pharmacotherapy programs using methadone are today the most sought after and effective form of treatment for opiate addiction and dependence. Because methadone is a long-acting opiate whose dosage can be stabilized, it is well suited for daily administration and has proven effective in the elimination of narcotic craving, a driving force behind continued heroin use. And, because it can be administered orally, methadone dramatically reduces heroin injecting frequency...

Words: 3771 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Heroin Addiction and Treatment

...Heroin Addiction and Treatment Abstract This paper offers a brief explanation of the history of heroin. Describing the origins of heroin, who discovered it and describe the detrimental effects heroin has on an individual. There are several treatment options available for heroin addicts and this paper will look at a few of the ones that have shown the most success. Heroin Addiction and Treatment Introduction: A Brief History of Heroin Heroin comes from the opium poppy. This plant has been used by a number of various civilizations going back to include ancient civilizations. Opium, heroin, and morphine are derived from the poppy. Opium had been used by Drs. in the United States for many years prior to the Civil War. When morphine was discovered Drs. switched to using morphine instead of opium for pain, mainly because the hypodermic needle had been invented and morphine could be injected and pain could be better controlled. Heroin was derived from a chemical process discovered by Felix Hoffman in 1874. Heroin was initially distributed as a pain killer, and cough suppressant by Bayer Company in 1898. Drs. initially thought that heroin could replace morphine because they thought heroin did not possess the addictive qualities of morphine. In fact Drs. used heroin to get their patient’s off morphine. They thought...

Words: 1554 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Just Like That

...| 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

Free Essay

Drug Profile Paper

...Drug Profile Paper 5/17/16 PSY/425 Chemical Dependency in the Workplace Stacey Lederberg Explain the psychological and physiology of addiction: Simply put phycology is the understanding of human behavior and physiology is the study of the physical function of humans. In the following paragraphs I will discuss the psychological and physiological issues of addiction. According to psychologists there are a few different causes for addiction. Some people get into an addiction or harmful behavior because of an abnormality. Another reason people get into an unhealthy addiction because of the environment they are in. The last one is someone’s beliefs or thoughts create feelings that cause addiction because these feelings are not realistic. When you think about addiction there are actually quite a few definitions. This is because there are so many substances that are addictive and each one has its own disorder. Addiction can be many things from illegal drugs, prescriptions, inhalants to gambling, hoarding, sex etc. The cause of an addiction has many factors that encompass it including biological, psychological and environmental. Because humans are wired to seek out reward and avoid discomfort it makes sense that addictions pacify the seeking of pleasure and erase pain. In the brain of an addicted person drugs, alcohol or any other substance target the CNS (central nervous system). The substance causes a hostile takeover in the pain-pleasure...

Words: 911 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Rise in Drug Abuse

...The Rise in Prescription Drug Abuse By: Laurie Mahaffey What is prescription drug abuse and who are the ones affected by it? Is it just young adults that are affected by prescription drug abuse or does this affect all generations? What are some of the prescription drugs that categorize this concern? What are the consequences of prescription drug abuse? What are some solutions to this problem? These questions concerning the rise in prescription drug abuse will be addressed in the following paragraphs. What is prescription drug abuse? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Prescription drug Abuse is defined as the “intentional use” of a medication without a prescription; in a way other than described; or for the experience or feeling it causes. This means that there are three circumstances that pertain to abuse of prescription drug abuse. First, let’s look at “intentional use” without a prescription. It is a federal offense to give or sell prescription medication to someone other than who it is prescribed to. Reading the side label tells you, that “FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS THE TRANSFER OF THIS DRUG TO ANY PERSON OTHER THAN THE PATIENT FOR WHOM IT WAS PRESCRIBED.” One reason shown for taking someone else’s prescription was “if a Dr. prescribes, than naturally safe.” This reason is also true in why some people hand out their own medication. If it’s okay for them, it won’t hurt someone else. Second reason for what defines abuse, using in a way other than...

Words: 991 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Drug Profil Paper

...Running head: DRUG PROFILE PAPER Drug Profile Paper Sherita Brown Axia College of UOP Drug Profile Paper In this paper I will examine abused substances and their various effects; I will also explain the psychology and Physiology of drug addiction. Addiction begins as a high, as an illusion of being in control, but it eventually turns on the individual. The results are pathological relationships to a mood altering experience that brings negative, life destructive consequences. People become addicted to drugs due to a combination of factors. For example, genetic factors: some people may inherit a vulnerability to the addictive properties of drugs, meaning that the risk of substance use disorders is higher for individuals who have close relatives with substance abuse disorders (www.drugpolicy.org). The environment is another factor, for example, the home; neighborhood or community where people live has an influence on whether or not an individual develops a substance abuse problem. Additionally, research shows that more than half of people with substance problems also have mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. We can become addicted to anything that alters the consciousness and alters the mood. Psychological characteristics of an addict are more impulsive and more lacking in impulse control, they are inclined to act in accordance with their mood of the moment and tend not to plan for the future. The most common illegal stimulant is cocaine and...

Words: 1220 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Methadone

...IHR 1 Methadone: The Introduction of Harm Reduction   IHR 2 As I began thinking about what topic covers a multitude of citizens and is a significant issue and problem that affects the justice system here in the United States, almost automatically I was drawn to my deep passion for recovery based solutions to drug and alcohol addictions. I have found my experiences in recovery, to repeatedly be surrounded with the pain of those whom have suffered and are still suffering from effects of their addiction(s). Many addictions have grown out of the same medications that when used properly, provided the relief sought to provide pain maintenance and therefore relief of such pain. I firmly believe that without some form of spiritual maintenance, recovery- both physical and mentally- is an endless merry go-round of medical doctors and drug dealers. As a recovering addict/alcoholic myself, my daily walk exposes me to the ever increasing ideology, of not only addicts, but the public at large, to the thought process of finding relief for every day undesirable thought and undesirable actions (according to some), to be the quick fix, which historically has been called the “magic pill” or “magical elixir” cure. In the near future, I plan to be a recovery counselor and placement specialist. I hope to be able to provide some experience based direction, on the path of recovery, to those whom still suffer. I felt the need to understand not only the options being provided for said addictions...

Words: 2769 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Document Composition

...EFSA Scientific Report (2009) 231, 1-107 SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION AND ASSISTANCE SCIENTIFIC REPORT OF EFSA Review of the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides 1 Report of the DATEX Working Group on β-casomorphins (Question N° EFSA-Q-2008-379) Issued on 29 January 2009 WORKING GROUP MEMBERS Ivano De Noni, Richard J. FitzGerald, Hannu J. T. Korhonen, Yves Le Roux, Chris T. Livesey, Inga Thorsdottir, Daniel Tomé, Renger Witkamp. 1 For citation purposes: Scientific Report of EFSA prepared by a DATEX Working Group on the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides. EFSA Scientific Report (2009) 231, 1-107 © European Food Safety Authority, 2009 Review of the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides SUMMARY Proteins are a very diverse family of large organic compounds involved in many important biological processes. Following their enzymatic hydrolysis during food processing or digestion, proteins may release fragments from their primary amino acid sequence. These fragments are called peptides, and many of them are known to be physiologically active. The possible beneficial effects of bioactive peptides have attracted increasing interest in recent years. On the other hand, there are also reports suggesting that some food-derived peptides might adversely affect human health. Among these, β-casomorphin-7 (BCM7), a peptide sequence present in the milk protein β-casein, has been suggested to...

Words: 50772 - Pages: 204

Free Essay

Psychoactive Drugs and Their Effects

...Psychoactive Drugs And Their Effects   Abstract This paper discusses three different psychoactive drugs, one from each classification, and their general psychological and physical effects. Cocaine, a stimulant, Cannabis, a hallucinogen and Oxycodone, a depressant will be covered. Positive, neutral and adverse effects will be discussed as well as long-term use and withdrawal symptoms. Cannabis has a section regarding its medicinal use in society.   Cocaine is a naturally derived central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and topical anesthetic that is extracted and refined from the Erythroxylum coca plant, which is grown primarily in the Andean region of South America. Coca leaf chewing has been around for thousands of years. The drug was first isolated in the 1850’s and had medicinal use through the late 19th century. Recreational use became a problem in the early 20th century and became illegal is the United States in 1914. The chemical name for cocaine is benzoylmethyl ecgonine; it is a bitter, white, odorless crystalline drug. Cocaine has multiple methods of ingestion; it can be insufflated, taken orally or intravenously. It can be smoked to some degree, but tends to burn rather than vaporize because of the high temperature required. Freebase cocaine vaporizes at smoking temperatures and creates a more intense high whilst using less product. Street terminology consists of coke, snow, nose candy, white, blow and soft, among others. Freebase is known as crack, rock and hard...

Words: 1962 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Science Article

...Edexcel GCE Biology Advanced Unit 5: Energy, Exercise and Coordination June 2010 Scientific Article for use with Question 7 Do not return the Insert with the question paper. Paper Reference 6BI05/01 Turn over N37096A ©2010 Edexcel Limited. 1/1/1/1/1/ *N37096A* Scientific Article for use with Question 7 It’s All in the Mind The link between the brain as a physical organ and what we feel in our conscious mind has long been the subject of research, particularly where we appear to be unable to control aspects of mood or behaviour and where normal life is affected. Stress, pain and depression can be explained in terms of nerve impulses and brain chemistry, and the causes of Parkinson’s disease are well understood, but finding reliable ways of correcting problems has proved elusive. Understanding more about how the brain works may well lead to new methods for treating such problems. Dancing Worms and Deep Depression In a laboratory in Germany, a tiny worm dances to flashes of light. A flash of yellow and it darts forward. A flash of blue and it jerks back. Yellow, forward, blue, back – right on cue every time. The worm is not a toy or a robot but a living creature. It has been engineered so that its nerves and muscles can be controlled with light. With each flash of blue its neurons fire electric pulses, causing the muscles they control to clench. A flash of yellow stops the nerves firing, relaxing the worm’s muscles and lengthening its body once again. The worm is in the vanguard...

Words: 7091 - Pages: 29

Premium Essay

Science Article

...Edexcel GCE Biology Advanced Unit 5: Energy, Exercise and Coordination June 2010 Scientific Article for use with Question 7 Do not return the Insert with the question paper. Paper Reference 6BI05/01 Turn over N37096A ©2010 Edexcel Limited. 1/1/1/1/1/ *N37096A* Scientific Article for use with Question 7 It’s All in the Mind The link between the brain as a physical organ and what we feel in our conscious mind has long been the subject of research, particularly where we appear to be unable to control aspects of mood or behaviour and where normal life is affected. Stress, pain and depression can be explained in terms of nerve impulses and brain chemistry, and the causes of Parkinson’s disease are well understood, but finding reliable ways of correcting problems has proved elusive. Understanding more about how the brain works may well lead to new methods for treating such problems. Dancing Worms and Deep Depression In a laboratory in Germany, a tiny worm dances to flashes of light. A flash of yellow and it darts forward. A flash of blue and it jerks back. Yellow, forward, blue, back – right on cue every time. The worm is not a toy or a robot but a living creature. It has been engineered so that its nerves and muscles can be controlled with light. With each flash of blue its neurons fire electric pulses, causing the muscles they control to clench. A flash of yellow stops the nerves firing, relaxing the worm’s muscles and lengthening its body once again. The worm is...

Words: 7091 - Pages: 29

Premium Essay

Marijuana

...HOW CAN I TELL IF CAN A PERSON BECOME MY CHILD HAS BEEN ADDICTED USING MARIJUANA? TO MARIJUANA? HOW LONG DOES MARIJUANA STAY IN THE USER’S BODY? CAN MARIJUANA AFFECT MY CHILD'S GRADES? WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA? MARIJUANA: FACTS PARENTS NEED TO KNOW Revised WHAT ABOUT EFFECTS ON M AR IJUANA? PREGNANCY? HOW IS MARIJUANA USED? LOSE THEIR MOTIVATION? HOW CAN I PREVENT MY CHILD FROM GETTING INVOLVED WITH WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA USE? WHAT DOES MARIJUANA DO TO THE BRAIN? CAN MARIJUANA BE USED AS MEDICINE? ARE THERE TREATMENTS TO HELP MARIJUANA USERS? REACTION? HOW MANY PEOPLE SMOKE MARIJUANA? CAN A USER HAVE A BAD OF OTHER DRUGS? LEAD TO THE USE DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT DRIVING? DO MARIJUANA USERS WHAT ARE THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA USE? HOW DOES MARIJUANA National Institute on Drug Abuse I National Institutes of Health II A Letter to Parents We at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) are pleased to offer these two short booklets for parents and children to review the scientific facts about marijuana: (1) Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know and (2) Marijuana: Facts for Teens. Although it is best to talk about drugs when children are young—since that is when drug use often begins—it is never too late to start the conversation. Marijuana remains the most abused illegal substance among youth. By the time they graduate high school, about 46 percent of U.S. teens will have tried marijuana at least once in their lifetime...

Words: 4773 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Drug Abuse in the Society

...Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 9 1.1. Background: 10 1.2. Purpose statement 11 1.3. Limitations of research: 12 1.4. Main Research Questions: 12 1.5. Other research Questions: 12 1.6. HYPOTHESES 13 1.7. Population: 14 1.8. Research tool: 14 1.9. Methodology: 14 1.10. Scope of the research 15 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 16 2.1. TYPES OF DRUGS 17 2.1.1 Heroin 17 2.1.2 Cocaine 18 2.1.3 Methamphetamine 19 2.1.4 Crack Cocaine 20 2.1.5 LSD 21 2.1.6 Ecstasy 22 2.1.7 Opium 23 2.1.8 Marijuana 24 2.1.9 Psilocybin Mushrooms 25 2.1.10 PCP 26 2.2 DRUGS DUE TO DEPRESSION: 27 4.3 Peer Pressure and Drug Use 35 4.4 Drug enforcement agencies 36 4.5 Drug Trafficking in Pakistan 38 4.6 Statistics 40 5 Methodology 43 5.1 Questionnaire 44 5.2 INTRODUCTION 46 5.3 Research Findings 47 5.4 Data Analysis 51 6 CONCLUSION 65 6.1 Introduction 66 6.2 Recommendations 68 6.3 Bibliography 69 Letter of transmittal To: Sir Sheikh Irfan, business communication II From: Asad Ali Roomy, Mohammad Ali Qureshi, Mohammad Ali, Moaz Date: 8th December, 2012 Subject: Transmittal of report on “Use of drugs in our society” Respected Sir, We are pleased to submit, for your consideration, this report which has been prepared on our research, based on the perception of IoBM students regarding the use of drugs in our society. The research and survey was focused on analyzing the major factors that leads to the use of drugs and what can...

Words: 8908 - Pages: 36

Premium Essay

Drug Abuse

...RESEARCH ON THE TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES FOR THE TREATMENT OF THE DRUG ABUSERS IN ASIAN COUNTRIES AN ANALYSIS OF INNOVATIVE MEASURES FOR THE TREATMENT OF DRUG ABUSERS PREFACE Crimes related to drug abuse and the illegal manufacturing and trafficking of drugs are serious problems for virtually every country. The abuse of drugs has an adverse impact, not only on the individual abuser, but also on the economy and society of a country as a whole. Drug use and the problems that accompany it have an extremely deleterious effect on the healthy development of young people, especially. Due to the rapid increase in drug related crime and drug abusers in Asian countries, the establishment of effective countermeasures for demand and supply reduction are a pressing issue. In light of the above-mentioned situation, the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI); and the Research Division of the Research and Training Institute, Ministry of Justice jointly conducted a comprehensive study on drug abuser treatment, from 2002 to 2004, entitled “Research on the Trends in Drug Abuse and Effective Measures for the Treatment of the Drug Abusers in Asian Countries - An Analysis of Innovative Measures for the Treatment of Drug Abusers”. The Asian countries included in the study are: China (Hong Kong), Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. This is the first phase of the study on drug abuser treatment; the second...

Words: 122547 - Pages: 491