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The Opioid Crisis
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The Opioid Crisis
Substance Abuse Identification
Substance: Opioid Addiction
Opioid addiction has to be viewed as the problem of the present as it continues to exert a
negative influence on the lives of numerous people, the financial aspect of healthcare, and social
cohesion. The opioid crisis has also been defined by the recording of high overdose deaths, well
over 70,000 of them in the United States only in the year 2019 (Dowell et al., 2022). This
epidemic targeted every age group, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic standing, thus exerting a
significant impact on healthcare and societal structures.
Epidemics
Opioid Addiction as an Epidemic
Epidemic in this context can be described as a condition where many people within a
community, region, or population are affected by some phenomenon at the same time. By this
definition, opioid addiction meets the criteria for being characterized as an epidemic mainly
because it has spread so fast within consuming nations such as the United States and other
countries (Paris et al., 2023).
Conceptualizing opioid addiction as an epidemic involves significant consequences for
both research and policymaking. These include increasing the general populace’s understanding
of the problem and its seriousness, galvanizing support for more research, advocacy for funding
for its treatment and prevention, changing perception towards the issue, possibly eliminating
stigma from the affected persons, and more accepting to seek help (Jalali et al., 2020). However,
taken together, it also points towards the requirement of a partnership approach to policy
interventions as well as funding for treatment and prevention services.
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Current Legal Status
Opioids can be divided into substances of various legal statuses according to their form
and use. Oxycodone and hydrocodone are legal when used under the prescription of a doctor for
the treatment of pain, but they belong to a class of limited legal products. On the other hand,
heroin, which is an opioid, is prohibited irrespective of the situation.
Prescription opioid policies include limited prescription and distribution, prescription
monitoring programs, and penalties on the prescribing and unlawful possession and sale of
prescription opioids. They are intended to prevent abuse and diversion while at the same time
allowing the patient with genuine medical conditions to obtain pain management.
Legal Status Changes
History of Legal Status
The use and availability of opioids have changed over the years in terms of legal
requirements for consuming the substance. At first, opioids, such as morphine, were frequently
employed for pain management with little to no restrictions. In the following decades, as it was
realized that the drugs have addictive properties, controls were increased. The CSA of 1970
placed many opioids in Schedule II, which denotes a high potential for abuse but accepted
medical use.
Potential Impact of Legal Status Changes
The legal status of the substances is a crucial factor that might determine the opinion of
the majority of the population or influence the outcomes of the legislation measures. For
instance, extending limitations may reduce supply and usage accompanied by abuse, but this
action may also limit the intake of the substance by patients who have legitimate medical
requirements (Phillips et al., 2019). On the other hand, there is an opinion that making some
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opioids legal and allowing their usage only under prescription and other strict requirements will
help to increase control and decrease the demand for illicit opioids (Dydyk et al., 2024).
The advantages of transitioning to the new status include the improved possibility of
controlling the problem legally, saving money spent on the criminal justice system, and, perhaps,
the augmentation of financing of the treatment services. Nonetheless, there are areas of concern
in the risk of increased utilization, and there may be health consequences arising from the same.
Demographic Impact
Changes in their legal status could bias some of these demographics. For instance, where
more stringent regulatory provisions might discriminate between rural patients or those with low
income as they have limited access to the needed care (Phillips et al., 2020). On the other hand,
decriminalization may have positive effects whereby the efforts target the communities with a
high representation of compound criminals.
Widespread Catastrophe
Impact on Treatment
People who develop the necessity for opioid treatment are affected by a wide-scaled
calamity like natural disasters or the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the effects may cause
a significant reduction in the availability of health centers and treatment centers, which limits
access to the programs. This may worsen the crisis, owing to instances where the population
would resort to buying drugs over the counter or from the black market.
In such a case, the number of people who develop an opioid use disorder may rise due to
increased stress, anxiousness, and loneliness. Instead, some might experience limited access to
opioids that respond to their condition, they become withdrawn and seek opioids from other
sources that are more lethal.
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Conclusion
Opioid addiction is still a topical problem in contemporary society because it
significantly affects the population’s health and the state as a whole. They could join in
recognizing it as an epidemic, which would help mobilize resources and define public policies
for effective fighting. Knowledge of the existing legislation, possible changes, and consequences
of large-scale disasters is necessary for the development of effective prevention and assistance
with opioid dependence.
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References
Dowell, D., Ragan, K., Jones, C., Baldwin, G., & Chou, R. (2022). CDC Clinical Practice
Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain — United States, 2022. MMWR.
Recommendations and Reports, 71(3), 1–95. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.rr7103a1
Dydyk, A. M., Jain, N. K., & Gupta, M. (2024). Opioid Use Disorder. PubMed; StatPearls
Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553166/
Jalali, M. S., Botticelli, M., Hwang, R. C., Koh, H. K., & McHugh, R. K. (2020). The opioid
crisis: A contextual, social-ecological framework. Health Research Policy and Systems,
18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-020-00596-8
Paris, J., Rowley, C., & Frank, R. G. (2023, April 17). The economic impact of the opioid
epidemic. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-economic-impact-of-the-
opioid-epidemic/
Phillips, J. K., Ford, M. A., & Bonnie, R. J. (2019, July 13). Trends in Opioid Use, Harms, and
Treatment. Nih.gov; National Academies Press (US).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK458661/
Phillips, J. K., Ford, M. A., & Bonnie, R. J. (2020). Evidence on Strategies for Addressing the
Opioid Epidemic. Nih.gov; National Academies Press (US).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK458653/
