By Olivia Walker, Health Education Specialist at Hult Center for Healthy Living
For years, an epidemic has been sweeping the country. Deaths have been increasing in nearly every county in the United States, reaching a rate of 47,055 in 2014, a number approaching the death rate caused by the HIV epidemic at its peak. But this epidemic is not infectious; these deaths are caused by fatal overdoses due largely to an explosion in opioid use.
Prescription pain relievers are responsible for at least half of opioid overdoses, with heroin making up the remainder.
The data overwhelmingly suggests that not only has the use of prescription pain relievers increased steadily, but prescriptions are driving the simultaneous increase in heroin use. Four out of five heroin users were using prescription opioids prior to switching to heroin. The amount of prescription opioids sold in the U.S. has nearly quadrupled since 1999, which has been paralleled with a quadrupling of prescription opioid overdose deaths. The United States is unique in its consumption of prescription opioids, accounting for almost 100 percent of the world’s use of hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin) and 81 percent of the world’s use of Oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin). How did this happen? It is not easy to pinpoint the cause of the rise in prescription drug abuse, but it is clear that the public has not been made aware of the risks. In a striking example of misleading marketing, the makers of OxyContin pled guilty in 2007 to misbranding their product by claiming that it was less addictive than other prescription opioids because of a time-release formula. This was proven to be false, and OxyContin has become one of the most abused drugs on the market. Abuse of pills does not provide the same instantaneous euphoria that heroin does, but they are highly addictive regardless. Abusers may even crush and inhale pills to achieve an instant high similar to that of heroin.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized a serious need for better guidance for care providers in prescribing opioids for chronic pain and, in March of 2016, published an official guideline. There is hope that this will stem the flow of opioid prescriptions. Patients who are prescribed opioid medications must also be informed of the importance of taking these medications as prescribed by taking the correct dosage at the correct time. There also needs to be open communication with care providers about combining opioids with any other medications, including over-the-counter drugs and those prescribed by other providers. Additionally, patients need to know that opioids are extremely dangerous when combined with alcohol.
Opioid abuse is a disorder that does not discriminate. Nearly every demographic is affected, and populations that have not historically been at risk have seen some of the sharpest increases, including those with higher incomes. The Hult Center for Healthy Living is doing its part in assuaging the epidemic by educating ninth grade students in Central Illinois. The GenerationRx program is delivered in school classrooms; programming in Peoria County is funded by the office of Sheriff Michael McCoy, and Tazewell programs are funded by the office of Sheriff Robert Huston. Students learn about the dangers of the three most abused prescription medications: opioids, central nervous system depressants (e.g., Xanax), and stimulants (e.g., Ritalin). The program also covers general prescription drug safety and the danger of drug interactions. The primary goal of the Generation Rx program is dispelling the myth that prescriptions are a safe alternative to illicit drugs.
Prescription opioids can bring life-changing relief to those suffering from chronic pain, and patients who strictly follow their prescription guidelines rarely become addicted. Care providers have the unenviable task of finding a balance between writing unnecessary prescriptions and denying pain relief to those who need it. A key component to the solution may be increased public knowledge. Knowledgeable patients can ask providers about alternative means for managing their pain, and if opioids are the best option for them, they can ask about minimizing the risk of addiction. Lives have been lost because of the widespread misconception that drugs purchased at a pharmacy are less addictive than drugs bought off the street. It is time to put an end to this fallacy and promote caution when it comes to powerful prescription medications.
Hult Center for Healthy Living can be reached at 309-692-6650, or visit them online at www.hulthealthy.org and www.whitneyswalk.com.
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