1. Opioid Use/ Abuse Drug addiction is a major chronic relapse of the brain when
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Question
1. Opioid Use/ Abuse
Drug addiction is a major chronic relapse of the brain when an individual’s behavious pathologically alters and choose to use a substance like the opioid for relief. It is estimated that in 2015, around 20.5 million people in the US above the age of 12 were under substance abuse. Of which 2 million were abusing prescription pain relievers and 591,000 were abusing substances containing heroin. It is found that out of the total heroin users, around 23% tend to be addicted to opioid.
A survey in 2012 found that 259 million opioid prescriptions were given. Four out of five new users are highly likely to misuse these prescription medicines. Again, a 2014 survey revealed that abusers select heroin as an alternative to prescription opioids due to higher cost and difficulty in buying it.
Opioid addiction is considered as an epidemic due to the increase number of overdose deaths reaching 20,101 in 2015. A parallel increase in the death rates, sales of the substance and abuse treatment are observed between 1999 and 2010. For instance, death from overdose in 2008 was 4 times higher than in 1999, the sale of prescription opioids were 4 times higher in 2010 when compared to 1999 and the treatment admission of abusers increased 6 fold between 2009 and 1999.
2. Significantly Affected Population
Adolescents and women are the highly affected population due to opioid drug abuse.
It was estimated that around 276,000 adolescents were using pain relievers without prescription in 2015 and 122,000 were addicted to it. This increased usage is the resultant of sharing unused opiod medication among friends or relatives without the knowledge of the dangers arising from non-prescribed opioid use. Even prescription drug abuse has also increased as the prescribing rate between 1994 and 2007 has increased two times over the years.
Women abusers are increasing as women are highly prone to chronic pain and they are prescribed high doses of pain relievers for a long duration when compared to men. This leads to a higher dependency on pain medication. It is estimated that overdose deaths of this prescription medicine increased 400% between 1999 and 2010. Similarly, heroin overdose deaths have also increased three times between 2010 and 2013.
3. Drug Classification
Opioids are categoried as drugs which include heroin, an illegal drug as well as the prescription pain medicines containing oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl and others. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified heroin as a Schedule 1 controlled substance with no apparent medical use and higher possibility of abuse. Other opiods are classified as Schedule 2/2N as these result in potential abuse due to psychological and physical dependence.
4. Changes in Drug Classification or Criminal Justice System Enforcements
As the opioids are already under the Schedule 2 drugs list, it is highly unlikely to reclassify it to Schedule 1 due to its use for medicinal purposes. It has been observed by addiction experts that doctors play a vital role in handling the abuse of opioid-dependent patients which would be able to minimize unprescribed abuse of opiods or shift to heroin. This has to be changed in the doctor’s attitude towards such patients by handling them as patients and not as criminals. This is mainly because doctors fear that they would face criminal charges for continuing treatments for such patients. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has to ensure that both doctors and patients under such scenario are protected from prosecution.
According to the current legal restrictions, police are entitled to arrest individuals in the scene of drug overdose with substance possession. This results in abandoning the overdosed user to avoid arrest. The implementation of Good Samaritan Laws in all the states would be able to protect users from prosecution for dialing 911 for assistance or administering naloxone to save a friend’s life. States could allow the dispensing of naloxone to carers legally. Other interventions like medication-assisted treatments and safe-injection facilities can be adopted to minimise overdose, reduce dependency and prevent deaths.
Explanation / Answer
Opioid how prevalent is its use/abuse? Identify which population seems to be more likely to use or abuse this drug. Describe how this drug is classified, and explain how you would change anything about the way this drug is classified or enforced by the criminal justice system?
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