Premium Essay

Opioid Epidemic Summary

Submitted By
Words 429
Pages 2
This article addresses the issue that everyone has been facing lately which is the opioid epidemic. This article talks about how there were 12 people that were in gangs that got busted for selling a deadly heroin-fentanyl mix in Pontiac, Michigan. The importance and effectiveness of this article is to show how this epidemic is hitting everywhere and how police are not tolerating drug dealers and are really trying hard to investigate and stop where it is coming from. The article states that the charges came in federal court, but police agencies from across the region took part in a task force that cracked the case. Through this article, it is evident that heroin and fentanyl have become a national epidemic also resulting in many overdose deaths.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Dehumanization African Americans

...However, because American society still views black people as naturally inferior they are to be handled harshly and swiftly when being affected by dangerous illegal drugs. When this same crisis hits white communities, white Americans see the opioid crisis as personal, as something that could happen to them or their family or their neighbors. Therefore, white people are more inclined to see these drug addicts as people and not dangerous thugs. The creation of this dangerous superpredator narrative makes it easy to cast black people as others who one should not associate...

Words: 1226 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Over the Counter, over Prescribed

...Counter, Over Prescribed Prescription Drug Abuse When describing a drug addict, the stereotypical description is usually someone who has no job, steals to get their fix, and is living their life in poverty because of their crippling addiction. The drug of choice for these “junkies” is typically black tar heroin. However in recent years this has not been the case. The age of prescription drugs is beginning and people are dying from prescription drug overdoses at an alarming rate. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), as seen in Figure 1 found in the Appendix, in 2010 there were 8.76 million prescription drug abusers (Drug Facts: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications). Prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in America and it is not isolated to the stereotypical addict, as doctors and emergency response teams are seeing more and more overdoses and individuals seeking medical attention who are in the upper middle class and lead a fairly “normal” life besides their addiction. The NIDA found that there are around 5.1 million people in the US suffer from substance abuse disorders related to prescription pain relievers (Figure 1, Appendix). Although pain killer abuse gets a lot of the prescription drug abuse headlines, there are other medications that are being abused namely stimulants. Because over the counter and prescription medicines are so easy to obtain and the stigma behind these medications is that they are legal, people are abusing them...

Words: 4393 - Pages: 18

Free Essay

Impact of Cannabis Law

...1001/jamainternmed.2014.4005. Medical Cannabis 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...

Words: 5146 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Health Care Related Bills

...and personal care services and home health care services under the Medicaid program (Open Congress, 2016). S.2408 - Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2015 A bill to direct the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard to reduce injuries to patients, nurses, and all other health care workers by establishing a safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention standard, and for other purposes (Open Congress, 2016). For the bill: 1) Write down the state, title and number of the bill Georgia HB 564 Medical practice; physicians complete continuing education training on prescribing controlled substances and the development of addiction (Open Congress, 2016). 2) Give a general summary of the bill This Bill relates to medical practice, and would require physicians to complete continuing education training on prescribing controlled substances and the development of addiction....

Words: 1091 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Drug Abuse

...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

Free Essay

Just Like That

...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

Premium Essay

Integrating Values - the Legality, Morality, and Social Responsibility of the George Brothers & the Largest Pill Mills in South Florida

...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

Premium Essay

Drug Addiction

...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

Free Essay

Sandiego County Commuity Health

...San Diego County Community Health Rhonda Mohler Western Governors University Community Health and Population Focused Nursing C228 Marc Gayol June 30, 2014 San Diego County Community Health San Diego California shares a border with Mexico and has an estimated population of 3,211,252. It is a diverse and multicultural population comprised of 32.7% Hispanics, 47.6% Whites, 11.6% Asians, and 5.6% are Blacks (State & County QuickFacts, n.d.). San Diego has a long history with the US Military; it has six Bases and one US Coast Guard Station ("San Diego Military Bases," n.d.). San Diego is the second largest city in California, is rapidly growing, and is known for its temperate year-round climate and sandy beaches. It has many parks with open space, lakes and reservoirs, recreation activities, senior citizens services, and community safety services. San Diego also has multiple public services, excellent public schools, state of the art hospitals and clinics, and public transportation which include trains and trolleys (Community Services, n.d.). Sam Diegans can go to a museum, an opera, and attend an NFL game all in the same day. San Diego is an amazing place to live and has a lot to offer its citizens, but steps need to be taken to identify and evaluate disease in the community in order to promote optimal health and ensure the well-being of all San Diegans. Epidemiology is the study of disease in the community and then evaluating the reasons why the disease or condition...

Words: 2979 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Antiretrovirals

...Antiretroviral Therapy Guidelines for HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents Including Post-exposure Prophylaxis May 2007 NACO Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Government of India Assessment and Management of HIV-Infected Person No Is HIV infection confirmed? Send to ICTC for confirmation of HIV status Yes       Perform history taking and physical examination (see p 9 ) Evaluate for signs and symptoms of HIV infection or OIs and WHO clinical staging (see p 10) Provide appropriate investigations/treatment of OIs (see p 13 ) If pregnant, refer to PPTCT Screen for TB Screen for STI Identify need for:   CTX prophylaxis (see p 16 ) ART (see p 18 ) No Pre ART care (see p 15 ) Yes        Give patient education on treatment and adherence (see p 54 ) Arrange psychosocial, nutrition and community support (see p 56) Start ART, (see p 19 ) Arrange follow-up + monitoring (see p 25 ) Assess adherence every visit Provide positive prevention advice and condoms Provide patient information sheet on the ART regimen prescribed (see annex 7, 8) Antiretroviral Therapy Guidelines for HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents Including Post-exposure Prophylaxis May 2007 NACO National AIDS Control organisation Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India with support from CDC . Clinton Foundation . WHO TAble of T A b l e o f Acronyms and Abbreviations Introduction....... ..........................................................................................

Words: 42414 - Pages: 170

Free Essay

Documents

...Clinical guidelines Diagnosis and treatment manual for curative programmes in hospitals and dispensaries guidance for prescribing 2010 EDITION © Médecins Sans Frontières – January 2010 All rights reserved for all countries. No reproduction, translation and adaptation may be done without the prior permission of the Copyright owner. ISBN 2-906498-81-5 Clinical guidelines Diagnosis and treatment manual Editorial Committee: I. Broek (MD), N. Harris (MD), M. Henkens (MD), H. Mekaoui (MD), P.P. Palma (MD), E. Szumilin (MD) and V. Grouzard (N, general editor) Contributors: P. Albajar (MD), S. Balkan (MD), P. Barel (MD), E. Baron (MD), M. Biot (MD), F. Boillot (S), L. Bonte (L), M.C. Bottineau (MD), M.E. Burny (N), M. Cereceda (MD), F. Charles (MD), M.J de Chazelles (MD), D. Chédorge (N), A.S. Coutin (MD), C. Danet (MD), B. Dehaye (S), K. Dilworth (MD), F. Fermon (N), B. Graz (MD), B. Guyard-Boileau (MD), G. Hanquet (MD), G. Harczi (N), M. van Herp (MD), C. Hook (MD), K. de Jong (P), S. Lagrange (MD), X. Lassalle (AA), D. Laureillard (MD), M. Lekkerkerker (MD), J. Maritoux (Ph), J. Menschik (MD), D. Mesia (MD), A. Minetti (MD), R. Murphy (MD), J. Pinel (Ph), J. Rigal (MD), M. de Smet (MD), S. Seyfert (MD), F. Varaine (MD), B. Vasset (MD) (S) Surgeon, (L) Laboratory technician, (MD) Medical Doctor, (N) Nurse, (AA) Anaesthetist-assistant, (Ph) Pharmacist, (P) Psychologist We would like to thank the following doctors for their invaluable help:...

Words: 86687 - Pages: 347

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

Premium Essay

Phil 235 Course Notes

...Chapter 1: Ethical Theory Meta-ethical positions include: * Ethical non-cognitivism (concept that ethics is a matter of feelings) * Ethical relativism (concept that ethics is relative to a particular point of view) * Ethical objectivism (notion that ethics is objective in nature). Meta-Ethical Positions Ethical Non-cognitivism The basis of ethical non-cognitivism is that ethical disagreement can be a highly emotional affair where no amount of reasoning is likely to convince the other party. * Example: “Let’s just agree to disagree” Ethical Relativism * Ethical relativism says that while ethical statements are cognitively meaningful, they do not hold in any objective sense because they depend on our point of view. * If we accept ethical relativism, then ethical disagreement among people who do not share the same perspective becomes impossible. * It assumes that if people agree on something, then it must be true. * Ethical relativism is suspect for a pragmatic reason: it is fundamentally at variance with our social practice. * Example: “To each his own”, or the belief that what’s right for one group isn’t necessarily right for another Ethical Objectivism * Ethical objectivism holds that right and wrong are objective phenomena. * Example: “I’m right and you’re wrong” What is Ethics? * As a discipline, ethics is a branch of philosophy. * It deals with questions of right and wrong conduct, and with what we ought to do and what...

Words: 23725 - Pages: 95

Premium Essay

Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (Onc)

...Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Federal Health Information Technology Strategic Plan 2011 – 2015 Table of Contents Introduction Federal Health IT Vision and Mission Federal Health IT Principles Goal I: Achieve Adoption and Information Exchange through Meaningful Use of Health IT Goal II: Improve Care, Improve Population Health, and Reduce Health Care Costs through the Use of Health IT Goal III: Inspire Confidence and Trust in Health IT Goal IV: Empower Individuals with Health IT to Improve their Health and the Health Care System Appendix A: Performance Measures Appendix B: Programs, Initiatives, and Federal Engagement Appendix C: HIT Standards and HIT Policy Committees Information Flow Appendix E: Statutes and Regulations Appendix F: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies Appendix G: Acronyms ONC Acknowledgements Notes 3 6 7 8 21 28 36 49 51 65 67 70 74 77 77 78 Goal V: Achieve Rapid Learning and Technological Advancement 43 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 3 Introduction he technologies collectively known as health information technology (health IT) share a common attribute: they enable the secure collection and exchange of vast amounts of health data about individuals. The collection and movement of this data will power the health care of the future. Health IT has the potential to empower individuals and increase transparency; enhance the ability to study care delivery and payment systems; and ultimately achieve...

Words: 36638 - Pages: 147

Free Essay

Procrastination

...Psychological Bulletin 2007, Vol. 133, No. 1, 65–94 Copyright 2007 by the American Psychological Association 0033-2909/07/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65 The Nature of Procrastination: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review of Quintessential Self-Regulatory Failure Piers Steel University of Calgary Procrastination is a prevalent and pernicious form of self-regulatory failure that is not entirely understood. Hence, the relevant conceptual, theoretical, and empirical work is reviewed, drawing upon correlational, experimental, and qualitative findings. A meta-analysis of procrastination’s possible causes and effects, based on 691 correlations, reveals that neuroticism, rebelliousness, and sensation seeking show only a weak connection. Strong and consistent predictors of procrastination were task aversiveness, task delay, selfefficacy, and impulsiveness, as well as conscientiousness and its facets of self-control, distractibility, organization, and achievement motivation. These effects prove consistent with temporal motivation theory, an integrative hybrid of expectancy theory and hyperbolic discounting. Continued research into procrastination should not be delayed, especially because its prevalence appears to be growing. Keywords: procrastination, irrational delay, pathological decision making, meta-analysis Procrastination is extremely prevalent. Although virtually all of us have at least dallied with dallying, some have made it a way of life. Estimates indicate...

Words: 28985 - Pages: 116