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Prescription Addiction

When you think of a person addicted to opioids, what comes to mind first? Possibly the
the average homeless man on the side of the road begging for money to purchase drugs for his
habit. In reality, it’s someone’s sister that hurt her shoulder from a work related accident,
someone’s grandpa that just got his tooth taken out, or a friend that started doing smaller drugs
recreationally then got hooked on popping pills and is now shooting up heroin or fentanyl. With
the rise of drug addiction not looking for a halt, there needs to be some action done.

How Bad is Utah’s Drug Addiction Crisis?

“Drug poisoning
deaths have outpaced crash
fatalities and gun deaths,
according to statistics from
the Utah Department of
Health, which found a 29.4
percent increase in the rate
of prescription opioids
dispensed in Utah from
2002 to 2015. On average,
six people a week die from
opioid overdose in Utah,
according to the Health
Department, and Utah has
the seventh highest rate of overdose in the nation. Another statistic shows the death rate of the
top ten U.S. states for synthetic prescription pain medication overdose deaths during calendar
year 2016 with Utah being the 2nd highest at 11.5 deaths per 100,000 deaths.” (statista, 2019).
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The entire country is suffering from the opioid crisis, Utah seems to be getting struck even harder
than other states as shown in the image above.

“Over a 6-year period, 57.7% of accidental overdose deaths were unspecified and 34.2%
involved opioids. Toxicology data showed that 86.8% of unspecified cases tested positive for
an opioid. Inclusion of toxicology results more than doubled the proportion of opioid-
involved deaths, from 34.2% to 86.0%.” (Lowder, 2018). Although it can not be specified as an
opioid related death, the deaths occurred while an individual was on a controlled substance.

The Ones Rarely Thought of

The side to addiction that many do not think of, is the impact on children from having an
addicted parent. Anthony Mannarino, a psychologist at the Center of Traumatic Stress in
Children and Adolescents said this in Education Digest.
"These kids can experience post-traumatic stress disorder;
they can experience traumatic grief,’ Mannarino says. And
for children who are still living alongside addiction? ‘For
those kids, it's not only a historical trauma that's
problematic. It's also the fear and anxiety associated with
the possibility that something bad could happen today or
tomorrow or next week.” (Collins, 2018). Addicted parents
are quite literally giving their children Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder.

What’s Being Done?

“With a large portion of opioids originating from prescriptions by prescribing physicians,

a task force is in formation to bring lawmakers, representatives of the medical community, and
law enforcement to discuss ways to combat the opioid crisis in Utah. “Physicians are
overprescribing opioids because of an underestimation of how addictive the drugs are and
patients have come to expect opioids when they see a doctor.” “Patients should know to ask
doctors for alternatives to opioids, as well as how to wean off opiates.” (Frandsen, 2017). The
hope of the task force is to bridge the gap between the different groups and allow better
communication to flow.

What to Expect When Getting Help.

The first step in getting help as an addict is to identify that there is a problem. Next is to
reach out to family or friends for help. Many addicts fail to quit on their own due to the intense
cravings when detoxing. Due to this, it is best to enroll in a treatment program. There are both
inpatient and outpatient programs for addicts and depending on the severity of your addiction
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either may suffice. If an individual is struggling with a severe addiction an inpatient treatment
facility will increase your chances of recovery. Most treatment programs consists of two parts:
detox, ridding your body of the
drug, then therapy and medication
to change life style habits and
stabilize behavior. For any
treatment to be successful. addicts
may need to participate in a
program several months or in some
cases over a year. It may take
several attempts before addicts are
able to live a drug-free life. Do not
let this discourage you, the most
important thing an addict or
anyone around an addict can do is
not give up.

(Between 1999-2010 as opioid sales increased so have deaths

related to opioids and opioid related treatment admissions)

Opioids are not biased, they do not care about your ethnicity, sex, age, weight or height.
Opioids effect us all the same and we are all susceptible to addiction. Whether you’re successful
or down on your luck. The next time you’re in a position where you are in pain, try using an
alternative to prescribed opioids, but if there is no other option, remember to only take them as
directed. It is not only your life and wellbeing on the line, its your spouse’s, children’s, families
and all the people who love you. 

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References

Frandsen, Tiffany. "Task Force Formed to Address Opioid Epidemic in Utah."ProQuest, May 05,
2017, https://search-proquest-com.libprox1.slcc.edu/docview/1895661703?accountid=28671.

Drug Enforcement Administration. "Top 10 U.S. States Based on Synthetic Prescription Pain
Medication Overdose Death Rate in 2016 (per 100,000 Population)." Statista - The Statistics
Portal, Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/941943/synthetic-pain-medication-overdose-death-
rate-us-top-states/, Accessed 22 Feb 2019

Lowder, Evan M., et al. “Identifying Unreported Opioid Deaths Through Toxicology Data and
Vital Records Linkage: Case Study in Marion County, Indiana, 2011–2016.” American Journal
of Public Health, vol. 108, no. 12, Dec. 2018, pp. 1682–1687. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2105/AJPH.
2018.304683
https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=buh&AN=134666794&site=eds-live

“From Prescription to Addiction: PAIN Killers.” NW, vol. 26, no. 25, June 2018, p.
36. EBSCOhost, libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=f6h&AN=130134971&site=eds-live.

Collins, Cory. “The Opioid Crisis.” Education Digest, vol. 84, no. 3, Nov. 2018, p.
36. EBSCOhost, libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=f6h&AN=132333835&site=eds-live.