Signs Our Opioid Epidemic is Not Yet Under Control

various opioid drugs

If you’re tuned to the right media channels, you’ve been hearing about the American epidemic of opioid consumption for the last five or six years. The volume of this news upticked after 2010 when reformulation of the popular painkiller OxyContin drove many people to look for heroin to replace a new pill that was harder to abuse. For small-town teens and young adults to be addicted to heroin was a shocking idea, so when overdose deaths began to show up, newspapers put these stories on their front pages. Current news stories reveal that we are not yet close to resolving these problems or protecting the health and lives of Americans.

Here’s a few of the recent stories that bear witness to this continued curse.

Story #1: As if things weren’t serious enough already, near the end of 2016, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in New York City predicted highest-ever drug overdose deaths for the year. The agency estimated that final figures on drug-related deaths would top 1,000 for the first time. In three boroughs, overdose deaths in the first half of 2016 came close to reaching the total number for 2015. The powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl, often secretly mixed in to heroin supplies, is driving these numbers to higher levels.

Story #2: The City of Everett, Washington filed a first-of-its kind lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, patent holder, and manufacturer of OxyContin, an opioid painkiller. The suit claims that Purdue ignored signs that certain pharmacies had to be engaged in criminal distribution of drugs for them to place such huge orders. A prime example, according to the Los Angeles Times, was a small, decrepit clinic in Los Angeles that prescribed an astonishing $6 million in painkillers in a single month.

What would Everett hope to accomplish with this lawsuit? Perhaps they’re endeavoring to bring this mega-pharmaceutical company under control and reform its marketing and distribution policies. So far, there have been few effective actions taken to limit prescribing of any of these addictive drugs. A notable exception was the action taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In March 2016, the agency issued recommendations to both patients and practitioners on how to limit prescribing and prevent dependence on opioids.

Story #3: Former NFL player Shane Olivea went public with the story of an addiction to painkillers that derailed his career that ended in 2008. At the peak of his addiction, he was swallowing 125 Vicodin a day – a quantity that would have killed him if his consumption had not grown gradually over time. He mentioned that he had spent more than half a million dollars on these drugs during his addiction. Olivea recently completed a college degree and hopes to get a job in sports management, now that he’s sober.

NBA veteran Rex Chapman joined Olivea in talking about his recovery from painkiller addiction on the Dan Patrick radio show on NBC Sports. In a remarkably similar story to Olivea’s, the ready availability of painkillers in professional sports enabled Rex to become and stay addicted until his career was destroyed.

As stories like this are revealed, we can better see the patterns of overprescribing and addiction that have been raging in the background. Many sports professionals have kept their secrets, as confessing their addictions would have cost them fans and careers.

The time is right to focus on rehabilitation and recovery, not only for sports figures but for all the men and women who have struggled with pharmaceutical solutions to injuries and chronic pain. Without a solution that actually rehabilitates individuals, this out-of-control situation of prescribing and overdose will keep taking lives in big cities like New York, medium-sized towns like Everett and small towns across the country.

At Narconon Ojai, we are dedicated to providing a drug-free and final solution for opioid addiction. We offer a holistic approach to recovery that’s been the chosen solution for tens of thousands of people from every corner of the globe. If someone you love is struggling with an addiction to painkillers, alcohol or any substance, contact us and learn how the Narconon rehab program can help them achieve a drug-free life for good.

AUTHOR

Sue Birkenshaw

Sue has worked in the addiction field with the Narconon network for three decades. She has developed and administered drug prevention programs worldwide and worked with numerous drug rehabilitation centers over the years. Sue is also a fine artist and painter, who enjoys traveling the world which continues to provide unlimited inspiration for her work. You can follow Sue on Twitter, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

NARCONON OJAI

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION