Running Head.

Blue World 1

A Blue Blue World

Oxy, vike, percs are all slang names for Opioids. Opioids, its a synthetic narcotic not

derived from opium. They relieve pain signals from reaching the brain. Medications that fall in

the opioid category include hydrocodone, Oxycodone, and Percocets. 1.9 million Americans

live with prescription abuse or dependence, while only 517,000 people live with heroin

addiction. It can be found in any house hold, hospital or school. Pain killers are readily available

and easily accessed by anyone one from age 12 and up. These drugs are no respecter of persons,

no respecter of economic class or education status. It affects all people regardless of race or

religion. Its a multi-million dollar business. The biggest catch is that its all legal in this big blue

world. Van Wormer Katherine, and Diane Rae. Davis. Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective. Pacific

Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole--Thomson Learning, 2003. Print. Pg122-127

http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-

figures.pdf

Pain killer addiction has and will continue to happen in our society. However are we

looking strictly at the drug itself or is there more to it. We must first look at what opioids do to

the brain. There are a few ways to take these types of pain killers such as OxyContin. The doctor

recommended way is just take it orally. They can also be crushed and snorted, or smoked. So

when the drug enters the body it attacked the natural opioid receptors we have in our brains.

These are located in the pleasure center that process endorphins. Endorphins have a natural way

to relieve pain. When an addict uses opiates over a sustained period of time, the brain reduces or

down regulates the bodys natural production of pain killing neural transmitters to compensate

for the over stimulation. This drug is telling an addicts brain that the drug is the most important

thing of all, over eating, drinking water to survive and any social aspect of their lives to be last
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on the list of things the addict needs. The drug hijacks the brain and the only way for it to survive

is to keep on using it. This is what is known as drug tolerance. The more you use of the drug

your body and brain then tells you to take more and at a higher dose because the dose that you

have been taking does not have the same affect from previous uses.

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/narcotic-pain-medications

Addiction Treatment: A Strengths pg. 125

http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-

figures.pdf

So then of course this could lead to serious consequences for an addict. They tend to lie

or steal from friends and family. They become numb when they are off the drug. They will lose

the ability to maintain a social life and in some cases lose their jobs. In the worst case scenarios it

can lead to death. 46 people die each day from opioid prescription over dose. Thats two deaths

every hour, and about 17000 deaths annually. Prescription drugs are not very cheap either. A

negative outcome of Prescription opioid addiction is that it may lead 75% of prescription opioid

addicts to use a cheaper drug as heroine.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851054/

http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-

figures.pdf

Pain killers and heroine have very similar effects on the brain and body. It is also

considered an opioid. The difference however of course is that to buy heroine you have to find it

illegally as for pain killers, your local family doctor can prescribe you the drug legally. This

creates a problem for addicts. Addiction is viewed as a will power type of problem. However that

is changing. More and more people are beginning to understand addiction as a disease, but there

is still that stigma. So if the addict had the needs and money to get his/or hers refills every month
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there is a steady supply to feed his addiction.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851054/

Its a quick fix to, the problem, instead of dealing with pain physically or emotionally.

The pills have taken over. Over 85% percent of the population takes some type of pill daily.

Whether its a prescribed medication or some type of vitamin. The most prescribed medication in

the United States is Vicodin or vikes, not only in pain killers but of any medication. In the mid-

90s the United States started letting direct advertising for pharmaceutical drugs. Its almost

impossible in modern society to watch any type of prime time television to not see an

advertisement for these drugs. These companies than aggressively realized on the money to be

made and starting there aggressive and direct advertisements campaign to increase their sales. So

where does it stop and what can we do to prevent more deaths from prescription over dose.

In the state of Utah, possession of prescription drugs without a valid prescription from a

doctor is a serious offense. It is treated the same as someone getting caught with an illegal drug

such as meth or crack. Utah courts impose severe penalties for illegal possession. These can

include jail time, fines, community service, and drug testing and drug treatment programs.

Utah has implemented a law to help prevent the injuries and deaths from misuse of

prescription drugs. From 1999 to 2007 deaths attributed to poisoning increased by 500%, from

39 to 261. That was about 300 deaths every year starting in 2007. Utah state legislator realizing

that this can become more of a problem and decided to intervene. They passed House Bill 137

and gave approved funding to the Utah department of health (UDOH) to establish a program to

reduce the deaths and other harm from misuse of prescription opioids.

http://health.utah.gov/prescription/pdf/Utah_guidelines_pdfs.pdf
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This helped produce guidelines for the state of Utah on prescribing prescription drugs.

Some of the guide lines were that Opioid medications should only be used for treatment of acute

pain. When opioid medications are prescribed for treatment of acute pain, the number is should

be no more that the number of doses needed. The patient should be counseled to store the

medications securely and not to share with others, and to dispose them properly when the pain

has resolved. The use of opioids should be reevaluated if persistence of pain suggests the need to

continue opioids beyond the anticipated time period for acute pain treatment.

Sadly the funding for the Prescription Pain Medications was eliminated in 2010 has

shown a 4.2 percent increase in the state of Utah. Utah ranks eighth highest for drug over dose in

the US with downtown Ogden Utah having the third highest rate of prescription pain medication

overdoses in the state. http://www.health.utah.gov/vipp/pdf/FactSheets/2012RxOpioidDeaths.pdf

So in order to change this policy and health care professions to make changes to grapple

this epidemic. Changes need to be imposed and to mandate and voluntary take actions to

approach the increase of prescription abuse. The biggest challenge is how can you regulate and

identify those who are abusing the drugs from those individuals who benefit from opioid therapy

and medications. By decreeing the amount of opioid supplies may decrease the onset addiction in

the future, but will not cure existing addiction. That however can cause the increase of heroine

abuse. http://health.utah.gov/prescription/pdf/Utah_guidelines_pdfs.pdf

Further research needs to be made about this increasing problem. As individuals we can

make a small difference by seeking professional help for the ones we know who suffer from

addiction. The most people who are affected by drug addiction is the lower class. Utahs state

legislators have to step up and allow the people with lower incomes to seek professional help by
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using a Medicare so that lower income families can use their insurance to seek professional

counseling. Until that happens the increase of drug addiction will increase but in the meantime

we can make small steps towards a larger goal to help the ones in need.

http://www.standard.net/Health/2015/04/22/Opioid-use-still-up-in-Utah-despite-study

By Keeping our own prescriptions locked up and safe from others from using them.

Notice any changes and intervene if you suspect a friend or loved one over using these types of

drugs. If you cant afford a high prices treatment facility to help with your addiction Look into

your community and see if there are any free or inexpensive treatment programs to help you. Do

more research on the drug that you are using so you know how and when to use it. Let others

know that you may have a drug problem and if its affecting your daily life. We all need to work

together to prevent more deaths and injury from drug addiction not only from prescription

medications but from any type of drug use.

Work Cited

1. http://www.standard.net/Health/2015/04/22/Opioid-use-still-up-in-Utah-

despite-study

2. http://health.utah.gov/prescription/pdf/Utah_guidelines_pdfs.pdf

3. Van Wormer Katherine, and Diane Rae. Davis. Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective.

Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole--Thomson Learning, 2003. Print.

4. http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/narcotic-pain-

medications

5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851054/
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6. http://www.health.utah.gov/vipp/pdf/FactSheets/2012RxOpioidDeaths.pd

7. http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-

disease-facts-figures.pdf