There are so many interesting topics to discuss surrounding the opioid epidemic, There are debatable discussions about its root causes and questions of whether public response has been different given the impacted demographics. Therefore, looking at any of the questions can provide opportunities for debate. Before debating the topic, it is important to understand some of the facts about the epidemic. In 2019, over 70,000 people died from drug overdose, 1.6 million people had an opioid disorder, 745,000 used heroin, 1.6 million misused prescription pain relievers for the first time, and 0.1 million misused prescription opioids. Prescription opioids were used by many more people than heroin and were also the source of more overdose deaths.
- The opioid epidemic is caused by over prescription of opioid pain relievers.
- The opioid epidemic is not caused by over prescription of opioid pain relievers, but by overprescribing the high doses of painkillers that should flag potential addiction and misuse.
- The opioid epidemic is fueled by under prescription of opioid pain relievers to people who are genuinely in pain, leading them to resort to obtaining prescriptions in illegal ways and misusing them.
- Opioids can play a valuable role in chronic pain management for some people.
- Opioid addiction can be successfully managed with other opioid medications, such as methadone, and replacement therapy should be considered as a treatment option.
- People with family members or friends who have opioid addictions should carry Naloxone on them to administer in the event of an overdose.
- Physicians should co-prescribe Naloxone whenever they prescribe opioid pain relievers.
- The government response to the opioid intervention has been more robust than responses to other community-level drug problems because of the demographics of opioid addicts. It impacts people of all races and socioeconomic groups and is not seen as a “minority” problem.
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