...Every day more than 115 people in the United States overdose due to the misuse and addiction to opioids; a crisis that affects the economy and public health. Opioids have been used as a way to manage pain; but what comes with these drugs is addiction and dependence. The history of opioid use has been originated from the early 1900s as Civil War Veterans were treated for pain, ultimately, getting hooked on painkillers. The Opioid epidemic is currently the deadliest drug crisis in American History. Overdoses are killing more people than guns and car accidents, spiraling a national health emergency. The idea of prescription restrictions and pain management strategies isn’t a topic that everyone agrees on; however, some doctors and patients have...
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...Article Summary I: The article “Opioid Abuse” from Teen Health & Wellness, written by the Rosen Publishing Group, is about the severe problem of the abusive use. The Global Crisis arising from the abuse of it. As well as what it could do to you. The article describes about how opioids are a type of drug catalog, that is often used to treat a variety of pain. Due to the addictive nature of Opioids, which includes Heroin, developed a Global Crisis and a majority of it is taking place in North America. Public knowledge of this just developed in recent years, as people want the destruction of the Modern opioids. The abuse of Opioids takes over your life, as it changes your behavior and priorities. There are many consequences of its addictive nature,...
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... 5590 – Opioid Addiction Action Plan Act: 115th Congress 2017-2018 There is a high level of opioid abuse in the United States that has reached epidemic proportions. According to the National Institute on Drug abuse (2018), “In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers, and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates”. Opioids are now easier to obtain than in previous years and treatment for opioid addiction is difficult to obtain. In addition, the cost of opioids “on the street” has significantly decreased. According to the United States Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (2017), heroin is...
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...The opioid epidemic was announced by President Donald Trump, as a national health emergency on July 2017. It is not a recent issue, but it is the deadliest drug crisis in American history. The overdose deaths have more than tripled since 1999 when it was surveyed in 2015, the numbers could be greater now. Although opioids come in different forms, they are most often used in pain killers that are prescribed from medical professionals. Examples of opioids are hydrocodone, fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine, and heroin. When an opioid is ingested it binds to the receptors in the body that controls a person's pain, doctors generally prescribe them to alleviate pain from accidents, surgeries, stressed muscles, etc. During World War II is where opioids...
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...The film I chose to watch and discuss within my paper was, Prescription for Change: Ending America’s Opioid Crisis. This film was a documentary about the Opioid Crisis in America. That being said, the theme of the movie was that, America is facing an opioid epidemic; therefore, America needs to focus on the rehabilitation of substance abusers. The film goes on to make a point that there are not enough treatment options and that the individuals who are seeking treatment, are having difficulties in doing so. The film goes on to discuss further, how America is facing a drug crisis, but it is not the illegal drugs that are the biggest issues, it is the prescription drugs. The film even provides statistics on how big of an issue prescription medications are when it comes to substance abuse....
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...Prescription Opioids Deanna Pannell Aurora University One of the growing problems in America is the abuse of prescription opioids. In the past 10 years, the misuse of prescribed opioids has gone out of control, making it a national issue that many people are attempting to attack. Prescription opioid use is increasing in public health, creating an epidemic that is growing rapidly. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse: opiates, depressants, and stimulants are the three drug classifications most commonly abused by Americans. A multitude of research on the subject has concluded that there is more than a single solution to the problem, such as taking immediate action as well as creating prevention strategies. I decided to do additional research on this topic since it plays a huge part in my career as well as personal life. Being a substance abuse counselor in the criminal justice field, I experience first-hand the effects of prescription opioid abuse. A large number of client’s participating in the TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities) are dealing with prescription opioid abuse due to an injury or surgical procedure. On April 25, 2015, my first cousin died from a heroin overdose at the age of 23. After a football injury, he was prescribed Hydrocodone and became addicted. Since the pills are too expensive, he began using heroin and his battle ended 5 years later. In 2009, 16 million Americans age 12 and older reported taking a prescription pain reliever...
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...2015). The abuse of heroin and prescription pain medications are tied together since individuals abusing pain medication are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin and half of those addicted to heroin are also addicted to pain medication (Cook, 2015). As this epidemic of drug abuse continues to grow and affect communities across the United States, it becomes apparent that federal and local government bodies need to become involved. One such way is the introduction and passing of new legislation to help cope and deal with the growing issues at hand. On June 17, 2015, one such bill was introduced to a congressional committee, H.R. 2805: Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention, Education, and Enforcement Act of 2015 (S. H.R. 2805, 2015). H.R. 2805 is a bill, which addresses prescription opioid abuse and heroin use, and methods of managing such issues through the development of best prescribing practices, amendments to controlled substance monitoring programs, Naloxone demonstration grants, and awareness campaigns (S. H.R. 2805, 2015). H.R. 2805 is one of the many bills before congressional committees to address our countries growing epidemic and hopefully it will provide some much-needed mechanisms to manage this ever-growing...
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...Sickle-cell disease From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the disease itself. For the genetic transmission of sickle-cell disease and its carrier state, see sickle cell trait. Not to be confused with Sick cell syndrome. Sickle-cell disease Classification and external resources Figure (A) shows normal red blood cells flowing freely through veins. The inset shows a cross section of a normal red blood cell with normal haemoglobin. Figure B shows abnormal, sickled red blood cells log jamming, sticking and accumulating at the branching point in a vein. The inset image shows a cross-section of a sickle cell with long polymerized HbS strands stretching and distorting the cell shape. ICD-10 D57 ICD-9 282.6 OMIM 603903 DiseasesDB 12069 MedlinePlus 000527 eMedicine med/2126 oph/490ped/2096 emerg/26emerg/406 MeSH C15.378.071.141.150.150 GeneReviews • Sickle-cell disease Sickle-cell disease (SCD), or sickle-cell anaemia (SCA) or drepanocytosis, is a hereditary blood disorder, characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. Sickling decreases the cells' flexibility and results in a risk of various complications. The sickling occurs because of a mutation in the haemoglobin gene. Individuals with one copy of the defunct gene display both normal and abnormal haemoglobin. This is an example of codominance. Life expectancy is shortened. In 1994, in the US, the average life expectancy of persons with...
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...solution: opioids? Cannabis Effects: Better Sleep A good night's sleep can be almost impossible for chronic pain sufferers. In fact, studies show that insomnia and disordered sleeping plague 50 to 80 percent of patients experiencing chronic pain. Sleep deprivation is a vicious cycle. Being kept up all night with aches and discomfort can make a bad situation worse—weakening the immune system, impairing cognitive functions, and intensifying chronic pain. Cannabis, specifically strains that contain more THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), can be an effective natural sleep aid. Finding the right strain can relieve insomnia, reduce pain, and give you a higher quality of rejuvenating sleep...
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...An epidemic is the rapid spread of infectious disease to a large population within a short time frame. Unfortunately, not being an infectious disease, the opioid crisis does not fall into such a category. Yet, it is a rapidly expanding problem that requires immediate attention. Particularly, in addressing our patients requiring pain management. Often the most commonly prescribed treatment options cause addiction and dependence How did we get into this conundrum? As practicing physicians, we were inadequately trained regarding how to treat pain, how to prevent addiction, and what to do once identified. That, coupled with inadequate information regarding the effects of opioid prescriptions, ill prepared doctors to be the only lynch pin in stemming the present situation. So, in moving forward, what is the solution? As a...
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...by trauma and aren’t included in the same category. Treatment options for spinal cord disease vary widely. They include treatment with painkillers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids, to bracing and surgery. The ineffectiveness of some treatments have left many patients...
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...1 Personal Impact Paper on Sickle Cell Disease Glenda Kessen NUR427 9/8/14 Amy Highland 2 Sickles Cell Anemia is a chronic, serious red blood cell disorder that is lifelong. "It is the most common genetic disease in the United States." (Guyatt, GH 2007). Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is inherited and results in a decrease of the ability of red blood cells to carry much-needed oxygen through the body. The cells become clogged, due to their crescent shape, which keeps them from delivering oxygen. This can cause unbearable pain, damage to the body organs, and even death. The frequency of the pain episodes can range from several a year to multiple times a day. SCD is caused by hemoglobin S, which is an abnormal type of hemoglobin. When the cells are exposed to low oxygen levels, the Hemoglobin S changes the shape of the red blood cells. Red blood cells are made of marrow that is located inside the large bones of the body. The bone marrow is constantly making new red blood cells to replace the old cells. The life of the normal red blood cell life is about 120 days. Their purpose is to carry oxygen and remove the carbon dioxide, which is a waste product, from the body. Sickle-shaped cells die about ten to twenty days that prevents the bone marrow from making new red blood cells. Ethnicity plays a part in SCD, with African Americans more likely to be affected. Both parents are carriers of the sickle cell trait which is passed on to the child. The child will inherit...
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...operational capability to spread their message and carry out attacks. Traditional banking systems have protocols in place to help identify these financial transactions, which is critical information for law enforcement and intelligence sources working to uncover terror plots and stop them before they are carried to fruition. If a terror group can anonymously bypass these systems and send funds to its members located in the United States, the money can be used to procure material resources needed to carry out attacks within our borders. Without these regulatory safeguards, cryptocurrency poses a very real threat to the security of a nation, as these virtually untraceable funds are more likely to wind up in the hands of actors wishing to cause harm to US national interests. While drug trafficking and sales are not new ways to fund criminal enterprises, including terror networks, it is one worth fighting. In the minds of most ordinary citizens, drug trafficking is not typically associated with terror groups; however, it has long been a profitable way to fund the activities of terror networks. With the presence of Islamic terror groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the availability to the poppy plant is plentiful and readily available making it an optimal source of revenue. As Clarke and Newman note, “Many terror groups carry out ordinary crimes such as bank robbery, drug trafficking, identity theft and money laundering to support their terrorist activities” (Clarke & Newman, 2010...
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...“Opiates produce their effects by stimulating neural receptors of the body’s own opioid system, called endorphins and enkephalins” (Davison & Neale, 298). The majority of people who are addicted to heroin and other street drugs are because of physicians who prescribed medical forms of opiates. Once the patient’s refills are completely finished and they can no longer receive their medication, they eventually go on the street and purchase heroin because of how cheap it is and how similar effects. However, once individuals try to stop using opiates, then the withdrawal symptoms will start appearing. Withdrawal symptoms include muscle pain, uncontrollable twitching, sweating, nausea, vomiting, chills, etc. “Opiates are addictive, for users to develop tolerance and show withdrawals symptoms. Withdrawal from heroin may begin within eight hours of the last injection, after a high tolerance has built up” (Davison & Neale, 298). Overtime opiates became a worldwide problem, and there is no evidence that shows the opiate crisis ever...
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...In regards to the article a reason was the stigma surrounding the topic. The stigma surrounding individuals struggling with addiction causes social and legal discrimination .For that reason; it is difficult for individuals struggling with addictions and their families to get the help that they need. Moreover, in the news most drug crime related cases are featured in low income neighborhoods. Due to media portrayal and people’s perception on low income neighborhoods it is rare to hear severe cases affecting middle or high income families. On the other hand, majority of the drug problems in Chicago were occurring in middle and high income families, as oppose to low income...
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