The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper

The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper

Each student is required to submit a position/argument paper following the Toulmin Method, Classical Method, or Rogerian Method as listed in this reference: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/establishing_arguments/organizing_y our_argument.html. The position paper must explore the Opioid Epidemic in the United States including a summary of supporting data using primary sources from public health data (CDC, CMS, HHS, OMH, etc.). Academic journals from epidemiology, public health, and healthcare administration may be used as primary or secondary sources. The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper

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Electronic submission of completed paper is required by week ten. The assignment must be submitted in BB9. The paper should be in APA format 7th edition, (2019); eight (8) pages minimum to ten (10) pages (maximum), title page and reference lists do not count as part of the document pages; 12-point font; Times Roman or Arial; double spaced and one-inch margins all around. Reference requirements, 10 publications from reliable scholarly sources. In-text citation and corresponding reference are required (APA 7th edition format) for all paraphrases and direct quotes.

Over the last three decades, the opioid epidemic has increased deaths in the US. The opioid crisis or epidemic is simply the rapid increase in the consumption, use, abuse/misuse of opioids resulting in devastating impacts in the American community, such as deaths. There is increasing demand for effective countermeasures, sustained, coordinated as well as vigilant efforts dedicated to the containment of the present opioid crisis to alleviate the devastating effects the epidemic has had on society (Opioid Misuse and Addiction, n.d). Opioid addiction has become a menace and prolonged epidemic in the US as it has endangered public health, national security, and the country’s economy. Understanding Drug Overdoses and Deaths | Drug Overdose | CDC Injury Center (n.d), in his research, identified that since 2000, drug overdose and opioid has accounted for more than a million deaths. The country is grappling with one of the most fatal and worst-ever drug crises, with an estimated 1500 people dying from opioid-related overdoses and complications. The emergence of covid-19 has worsened the pandemic. A multi-agency approach to addressing the problem has been regarded as a national threat, which has cost many lives, addictions, and diverse issues related to the pandemic. Opioids are a class of illegal drugs such as heroin and synthetic opioids (fentanyl), and some pain relievers are available on legal prescriptions. Primarily the legal remedy of opioids is to treat pain. Despite Opioids being everyday used as a painkiller, they should be declared a national epidemic as it has led to millions of deaths and addictions being on high levels during the covid pandemic. As the CDC has identified, the issue contributes to an estimated 2000 deaths per week The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper

In August 2017, President Trump, the former President of the United States, made intentions known about declaring a national emergency regarding opioid abuse in the country. This was after the President’s commission on combating drug addiction and the opioid crisis identified abuse of opioids among the significant preventable public health issue facing the American nation. The declaration of the opioid epidemic as a national emergency would foster the public health players to mobilize resources and collaboratively devise strategies to curb the rapid getting out of-hand health crisis (The Opioid Epidemic in the United States, 2022). According to Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic | Opioids | CDC (n.d), the number of deaths from opioid and related drug abuse increased from 2019 to 2020 by an estimated 30%, with 75% of deaths caused by drug overdose in 2020 involving an opioid. Opioid overdose and related menace can be traced to three waves. First, in the 1990s, there was an increased prescription of opioids, causing an increase in overdose-related deaths. The second wave of cane in 2010 was denoted by the rise in overdose, entailing death caused by heroin. And thirdly, in 2013, fueled by the increase of synthetic and illegal opioid abuse such as fentanyl. The statistics related to opioid abuse and death have portrayed a worrying trend since 2000, when more than 1 million people have died from an overdose of drugs, primarily opioids. In recent years, the epidemic has been driven by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, with a growing portion of the supply originating from Mexico. Despite the opioids used in healthcare being a common practice, their service has multiple harms, ranging from severe constipation to opioid use disorder and death from overdose.

High death rates from abuse and overdose, spreading of infectious diseases, and social and economic burdens are significant negatives realized from the opioid epidemic in the US (Bonnie, 2017). In 2015, the death recorded from heroin was more than gun homicides, which portrayed a growing problem in American society. The epidemic has both direct and indirect effects. While death and addictions affect the direct users, indirect effects include families and relationships suffering, with more children needing foster care when parents succumb to opioid addictions and complications. In a family setting, there are cases of conflict and family breakups. Other burdens resulting from drug abuse and opioid use are family breaks up, financial hardships, loss of jobs recklessness which puts the rest of the family members at risk. Additionally, the epidemic has proved a costly problem in America economy as hefty investments must be made in ACA insurance and security agencies to help. For example, in 2017, reports from the white house indicated the government had incurred an estimated $504 billion on the opioid epidemic and related costs The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper.

With far-reaching devastating effects on people’s health. Identified that the opioid epidemic in the US demands public health interventions and solutions and not false immigration claims (The Opioid Epidemic Demands Public Health Solutions). The epidemic has plagued the country, causing deaths and its ever-increasing number of people equally increasing eightfold, according to the country’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Successful addressing of the problem identified should shift away from being an immigration-linked problem to being recognized as a public health concern. A successful intervention plan would deploy a multi-agency approach whereby public health players, the government, and related policymakers recognize the crisis as more of a public health concern and not immigration linked. This would mean expanding healthcare services and treatment plans for substance use disorder and disrupting the country’s drug trafficking menace. According to Bonnie (2017), the current administration has focused on addressing the opioid crisis via public health efforts and combating the supply chains. This entails a heavy investment of resources in prevention measures, reduction of the harm caused as well as resources on treatment and recovery efforts coupled with efforts to disrupt the supply of synthetic opioids which the pandemic in the country has heavily burdened. Regarding the public health approach, the government has expanded the Affordable Care Act services to include resources to respond to increasing addictions by including addiction services given to the Americans who may need them or are suffering from opioid addictions. The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper

The United States department of state has been a key player in addressing the nation’s opioid overdose crisis as it provides a multi-agency approach to finding solutions to the menace. The process adopted has been focused on reducing the accessibility, over-prescription, and supply of illicit fentanyl, which has been the primary cause of overdose and addiction-related deaths. Developing policies to reduce the prescription of opioids as immediate painkillers would be critical in reducing the overreliance on them. This would mitigate the legal medical prescription of opioid drugs to patients, helping reduce addiction and overdose cases (Tiako et al., 2022). In line with the current administration, the Biden-led government has outlined different measures to address the drug menace. These include; working with regional and state governments to cut and disrupt the flow of illicit goods, opioids included into the country, investing historical figures of federal funding in prevention and harm reduction measures, and expanding insurance coverage to cater to opioid-related issues by offering diverse treatment options.

Alternative medications and prescriptions should be adopted into healthcare to substitute opioid-containing medicines have been a foundational source of addiction and overdose-related deaths. The primary source of misused opioids is accessed via healthcare prescriptions. According to Balapal et al. (2022), policies should be formulated to control and reduce the prescription of opioids by healthcare practitioners. Drug overdose deaths result from many other non-fatal overdoses and related problems, including economic and emotional tolls. The fast-moving pandemic overlooks age, sex, or state, hence the widespread devastation regarding how it impacts the larger American society. In order to develop effective procedures to eradicate the problem, the government should adopt prescription drug monitoring programs (Boretsky & Mason, 2021)The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper. The review of the prescription in states would lead to the adoption of state prescription laws on drugs which would limit prescribing opioid medications. Using state prescription drug laws effectively would address legally prescribed opioid drug misuse, overdose, and abuse.

In addition to reducing the prescribing of opioid drugs, it is critical for healthcare practices to accord medication-assisted treatment. This comprises alternative medications or prescriptions, family and friend support, and counseling. Medication-assisted therapy helps drug users stop using opioid drugs, overcome withdrawal, and cope with cravings. The utilization of data-driven research coupled with timely data improves coordination. It promotes readiness among critical government agencies such as the health department, society, care professionals, public health, and law enforcement, providing a multidirectional approach to addressing the epidemic.

Understanding the opioid overdose epidemic provides an integral base to address the problem in the US. The disease control and prevention center is a government agency committed to fighting the opioid menace by supporting individual states and societies as they work hard to break the trends, gather information, and respond to opioid overdoses in American communities (Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic | Opioids | CDC, n.d). These efforts include better prescription drug monitoring programs, implementing health systems interventions, working with public safety, and implementing other cutting-edge surveillance and prevention techniques. These efforts also include timely tracking of non-fatal and fatal drug overdoses, improving toxicology to better track deaths involving multiple drugs, improving linkage to care for people with opioid use disorder and risk for opioid overdose, and improving prescription drug monitoring programs (Balapal et al., 2022)The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper. The CDC agency focuses on monitoring trends, improving research, building community-based facilities to enhance data collection, supporting healthcare systems, partnering with other agencies, and increasing public awareness. Congress must pass the necessary legislations to empower the diverse agencies and dockets, including the security agencies and the healthcare industry, to mount a multi-agency approach to the opioid pandemic. Adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices would provide more effective and lasting solutions to tackle the overdose pandemic and give hope to the American communities ravaged by the opioid menace. By declaring the pandemic a national threat, the government would heighten and mobilize the required resources to address the risk.

President Biden’s approach to addressing the opioid epidemic contrasts Trump’s regime. The current administration is focused on addressing the epidemic as a public health crisis which varies widely from the Trump regime as the situation was seen as more connected to immigration problems and the ‘open borders’ narrative. The Opioid Epidemic Demands Public Health Solutions, identified that the ACA’s ability to provide coverage and expand treatment coverage offered critical tools to address the opioid epidemic. The recognition of the opioid crisis as a health concern helped handle the increasing number of substance abuse cases and related overdoses, which were responsible for opioid deaths. The ACA allowed states to expand Medicaid eligibility starting in 2014, making it possible for all persons under 65 with household incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level to be eligible for Medicaid coverage. According to research, Medicaid expansion significantly impacted the decline in opioid-related deaths. For instance, researchers from New York University and the University of California, Davis discovered that states with Medicaid expansion had an overall drop in opioid mortality of 6%, a decline in heroin-related deaths of 9%, and deaths from synthetic opioids like fentanyl of 10% (Understanding Drug Overdoses and Deaths). The ACA also made opioid treatment choices more accessible. Before the ACA, neither private nor public insurance plans offered coverage for treating drug use disorders or severely limited it with high out-of-pocket expenses, visit caps or restrictions on treatment medicines. The ACA added mental health and drug use disorders to the list of essential health benefits by requiring behavioral health coverage. Additionally, it guaranteed that insurance companies would cover benefits for surgical and mental health procedures and treatment for substance use disorders. The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper

In conclusion, while there is no direct, simple solution to reducing the number of fatal overdoses resulting from opioids, every agency must act to protect the American population. Reducing the supply of illicit drugs is one approach to ending this epidemic. While the drug has been a mainstay in healthcare for legal prescriptions, it is related to risks including dependence and addiction, hence the need for adopting a multi-agency approach to eradicate the problem. In summary, primary prevention, harm reduction, recovery support provision, and evidence-based practices provide a dependable solution to addressing the epidemic. Success in avoiding opioid overdose deaths depends on cooperation. Medical personnel, emergency rooms, first responders, public safety officials, mental health and substance treatment providers, community-based organizations, public health, and community members contribute knowledge, resources, and expertise to address this rapidly spreading epidemic. We can better coordinate our efforts to avoid opioid overdoses and fatalities if we work together.

The opioid epidemic has emerged as one of the worst drug-related crises in American history. The use or abuse of opioids is linked to no positive results whatsoever. Despite the significant push for opioid drug use in treating moderate or severe pain, there remains a gap in research to establish the overall effectiveness of opioids regarding this use and inconclusive on positives and negatives concerning pain treatment. However, despite the pandemic related to their use, the drugs continue to be massively produced by companies and end up falling into the wrong hands. Despite the known negatives associated with opioids, the epidemic is rising, and more deaths continue to be recorded. While alternative drugs should be developed to substitute opioid-based ones, critical measures should be adopted to reduce the circulation of illicit drugs in the market while developing healthcare measures to help the already trapped people in this vicious cycle of opioid abuse. Nevertheless, the pandemic is beyond a threat but a national disaster that demands an all-stakeholders collaboration to address the menace. The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper

 

 

References

“The Opioid Epidemic Demands Public Health Solutions, Not False Claims about Immigration.” Center for American Progress, Oct. 2022, www.americanprogress.org/article/the-opioid-epidemic-demands-public-health-solutions-not-false-claims-about-immigration/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2022.

Balapal, N., 7, A., Shyamsundar, S., & He, S. (2022). Opioid use disorder education for students and the future of opioid overdose treatment. JMIR Medical Education, 8(3)https://doi.org/10.2196/37081

Bonnie, Richard J, et al. Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic : Balancing Societal and Individual Benefits and Risks of Prescription Opioid Use. Washington, Dc, The National Academies Press, 2017.

Boretsky, K., & Mason, K. (2021). In the arms of morpheus without morphia; mitigating the United States opioid epidemic by decreasing the surgical use of opioids. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(7), 1472. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10071472

Opioid Misuse and Addiction. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://medlineplus.gov/opioidmisuseandaddiction.html

The Opioid Epidemic in the United States. (2022, May 3). SHADAC. https://www.shadac.org/opioid-epidemic-united-states The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper

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Tiako, Max Jordan Nguemeni,M.D., M.S., Netherland, J., PhD., Hansen, H., PhD., & Jauffret-Roustide, M. (2022). Drug overdose epidemic colliding with COVID-19: What the United States can learn from france. American Journal of Public Health, 112, S128-S132. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/drug-overdose-epidemic-colliding-with-covid-19/docview/2647725563/se-2

Understanding Drug Overdoses and Deaths | Drug Overdose | CDC Injury Center. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html

Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic | Opioids | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html The Opioid Epidemic In The United States Paper