The United States has experienced the menace of drug abuse and addiction for quite a considerable length of time. Over the years, the nature of drug addiction has taken a new turn following the emergence of a new category of addiction called painkiller addiction. Health institutions use drugs such as heroin and opioid to relive patients off the pain they may be experiencing while under care. However, the releasing effect of these drugs has turned out to be a major motivator for some who resort to using them for a purpose different from that which they are intended.
According to Alexandra Sifferlin about 100 million Americans, suffer the effects of chronic pain and between five to eight million of them use opioids to manage their pain. Further information demonstrates that an increase in the number of prescriptions written for opioids. 1 The Center for Disease Control and Prevention affirmed that prescription rates are highest when it comes to pain medicines; the rate stands at 49%. 2 Sifferline also mentions that the number of opioid overdose deaths has also increased over the years demonstrating a need to deal with the solution before it becomes a matter of national emergency. 3 In support, the CDC noted that, in 2015, 33000 individuals died from opioid overdose, which was the highest number of deaths recorded in this particular category more than in any other year. 4 Therefore, painkiller addiction is a major problem, which is slowly gaining root in the American society, but needs to be addressed immediately.
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Various attempts have been made, mainly by the federal government to try and deal with the silent epidemic, which America is currently facing. In 2016, the federal government, through the senate, passed a law to manufacture a bipartisan bill, Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, to help in combating the growing addiction to painkillers such as opioids and heroin among others. 5 This move is meant to end “an epidemic that has caused drug overdose to become the nation’s leading cause of accidental death.” 6 Unfortunately, a major problem being faced relates to lack of funding, which is yet to be provided. Nevertheless, the former majority leader, Mitch McConnell stated that the new bill, “in conjunction with the $400 million appropriated for opioid-specific programs just a few months ago, can make important strides in combating the growing addiction and overdose problem we’ve seen in all 50 states.” 7
Apart from the new bill, other methods have been sort to deal with the issue. The federal government, in conjunction with both state and local agencies, made a decision to stop production of opioids. The attempt was to reduce dependence on opioids among other types of painkillers. While that is the case, painkiller addicts have resorted to using other drugs such as heroin. In essence, reduced opioid production has pushed addicts to look for other available alternatives, which can help them sustain their lifestyles. An addict, James Fata explained that with the pills becoming hard to get, he used heroin, which was cheap and available. 8
It is evident that painkiller addiction is slowly becoming a menace for America and her residents. This has prompted action from organs of the government, from federal, state to local agencies. However, thus far, the federal government appears to be much involved in managing the problem, with minimal intervention from state and local agencies. Between the two solutions identified, reducing opioid product only leads addicts to look for other alternatives, which only exacerbates the problem. Nonetheless, the new bipartisan bill has great promise in dealing with the problem more efficiently.
Bibliography
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Prescribing Data”. Accessed April 14, 2017, at https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/prescribing.html
Kelly, Erin. “Senate passes bipartisan bill to combat painkiller abuse, heroin addiction”. USA Today . March 10, 2016. Accessed April 14, 2017 at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/03/10/senate-passes-bipartisan-bill-combat-painkiller-abuse-heroin-addiction/81577556/
Mcgreal, .Chris. “How cracking down on America's painkiller capital led to a heroin crisis”. The Guardian . May 25, 2016. Accessed April 14, 2017 at https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/may/25/opioid-epidemic-prescription-painkillers-heroin-addiction
Sifferlin, Alexandra. "The Problem with Treating Chronic Pain with Opioids in America." Time . January 12, 2015. Accessed April 14, 2017. http://time.com/3663907/treating-pain-opioids-painkillers/ .
1 Alexandra Sifferlin. “The Problem With Treating Pain in America.” Time . January, 12, 2015. Accessed April 14, 2017at http://time.com/3663907/treating-pain-opioids-painkillers/
2 Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Prescribing Data”. Accessed April 14, 2017, at https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/prescribing.html
3 Sifferlin.
4 Center for Disease Control and Prevention
5 Erin, Kelly. “Senate passes bipartisan bill to combat painkiller abuse, heroin addiction”. USA Today . March 10, 2016. Accessed April 14, 2017 at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/03/10/senate-passes-bipartisan-bill-combat-painkiller-abuse-heroin-addiction/81577556/
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Chris Mcgreal. “How cracking down on America's painkiller capital led to a heroin crisis”. The Guardian. May 25, 2016. Accessed April 14, 2017 at https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/may/25/opioid-epidemic-prescription-painkillers-heroin-addiction
