Opioid Painkillers Research Paper

An increasing social issue within America is the abuse of substances such as heroin and other similar opioid painkillers. Opioid painkillers are taken as prescription painkillers provided by doctors for serious pain. It is estimated that almost 25 million Americans use opioid painkillers for nonmedical reasons (Dart et al, 2015). And this number seems to be increasing steadily and within suburban areas. Overtime many patients were taking painkillers for nonmedical reasons and became addicted to them. These patients were older people who were taking the drugs for suppressing pain caused by treatments and diseases. Doctors began prescribing less opioid painkillers due to this reason and those who were addicted turned to alternative drugs such …show more content…
One of the biggest negative effects of being a heroin addict is the potential of facing extreme legal issues. Heroin is illegal in the United States of America. Heroin serves no medical purpose which is why it is classified as a Schedule 1 drug. These are drugs that are commonly abused even though they are illegal. Another consequence of taking heroin and other opioids is the fatality of an overdose. Heroin overdoses are very common and can lead to shallow breathing, coma, and even death. As stated by Paulozzi, approximately 27,000 people had a heroin overdose unintentionally in 2007 (2012). Heroin overdose cases are common because the purity of the drug can never be told from examining it. Sometimes it is mixed with other materials to dilute or amplify its effects. The use of substances such as Alcohol and other drugs while taking heroin can increase the risk of overdose vastly. Also on the long-term heroin usage can lead to infectious diseases and organ damage. Another negative effect of being addicted to heroin is that it becomes expensive lifestyle for the person who's addicted to it. Hardcore addicts spent about $200 to $300 a day in order to obtain heroine (Paulozzi et al. 2012). Addicts need to acquire money for drugs by any means necessary and this can cause them to fall into a life of crime. Heroin addicts develop a tolerance to the drug so they will have to increasingly take higher dosages (Kosten, 2002). After a while they stop feeling the effects of the drug, but their body will still need it to feel normal and for them to function normally. Addiction to heroin will ultimately damage one's health, put their money to waste, and end up becoming a haunting chore that needs to be fulfilled to continue