Opioids and Incarceration
Incarceration of individuals is rapidly rising and the “war on drugs” has targeted opioid addicted users with no other ways of treatment other than jail time. Opioids are widely used for people with legitimate problems and the easy accessibility is making it possible for people of all ages and race to get a hold of. The crisis of opioid epidemic is only getting bigger along with the jail population. Anything from Xanax to Codeine can be easily attainable for the purposes of getting high. Another that is illegal, is heroin. Anyone and their addiction to opiates can lead them to being incarcerated possibly in the future. And this is a problem that needs to be addressed because these our the future generations we are …show more content…
“The percentages of young adults who were past year heroin users were similar for most years between 2010 and 2014, but the percentage in 2014 was higher than the percentages from 2002 through 2009.” (American Addiction Centers) The use of these drugs is getting more and more popular, and this drug in particular is illegal in the United States and holds no medical benefits. Jail time could be 6 months to an entire year. “The prescribing rates for prescription opioids among adolescents and young adults nearly doubled from 1994 to 2007.” (American Addiction Centers) For adolescents this can mean that they are more susceptible to try new drugs and eventually get addicted. Making them more likely to get in trouble later on in life. “Out of all the crimes committed in the US, about 80 percent of those that lead to incarceration involve alcohol or drugs,...”. (skywoodrecovery) 80 percent of those incarcerated dealt with drugs, it is more likely than not that a majority of the 80 percent either dealt with, used, or was addicted to opiates. This is a number that has to be brought down, and it further shows the access to these kinds of …show more content…
According to the analysis, “white people [have] accounted for nearly 90 percent of new opioid users between 2000 and 2010, and suffered 82 percent of all opioid-related overdoses in 2015.” (The Nation) Opioids are widespread and do not stop for anyone. It is strange that white people are being incarcerated more, but it is not good that the rates are rising because influence can be passed along from person to person. In Bell County, Kentucky “since 2015, the predominantly white region has seen a doubling of whites in jail, but a three-quarter drop in the black population in jail.” (The Nation) Trafficking of drugs has become a big problem in this county. A solution that some say would be treatment facilities, but there are no funds for them so the county jail is the only option. No alternative ways of treatment are invested into that could possibly bring these rates down. “Though limited in size, the methadone treatment program is one of numerous changes Connecticut has made to help inmates successfully re-enter society.” (The Nation) These treatment programs are not being invested into. So the results can’t be seen on a large scale, to prove that rehabilitation is a viable option. Another interesting take is making other medications to help fight addiction. “Dr. Don Jasinski, a scientist at NIDA's Intramural Research Program (IRP), was the first to recognize the characteristics of buprenorphine--developed in the
Incarceration of individuals is rapidly rising and the “war on drugs” has targeted opioid addicted users with no other ways of treatment other than jail time. Opioids are widely used for people with legitimate problems and the easy accessibility is making it possible for people of all ages and race to get a hold of. The crisis of opioid epidemic is only getting bigger along with the jail population. Anything from Xanax to Codeine can be easily attainable for the purposes of getting high. Another that is illegal, is heroin. Anyone and their addiction to opiates can lead them to being incarcerated possibly in the future. And this is a problem that needs to be addressed because these our the future generations we are …show more content…
“The percentages of young adults who were past year heroin users were similar for most years between 2010 and 2014, but the percentage in 2014 was higher than the percentages from 2002 through 2009.” (American Addiction Centers) The use of these drugs is getting more and more popular, and this drug in particular is illegal in the United States and holds no medical benefits. Jail time could be 6 months to an entire year. “The prescribing rates for prescription opioids among adolescents and young adults nearly doubled from 1994 to 2007.” (American Addiction Centers) For adolescents this can mean that they are more susceptible to try new drugs and eventually get addicted. Making them more likely to get in trouble later on in life. “Out of all the crimes committed in the US, about 80 percent of those that lead to incarceration involve alcohol or drugs,...”. (skywoodrecovery) 80 percent of those incarcerated dealt with drugs, it is more likely than not that a majority of the 80 percent either dealt with, used, or was addicted to opiates. This is a number that has to be brought down, and it further shows the access to these kinds of …show more content…
According to the analysis, “white people [have] accounted for nearly 90 percent of new opioid users between 2000 and 2010, and suffered 82 percent of all opioid-related overdoses in 2015.” (The Nation) Opioids are widespread and do not stop for anyone. It is strange that white people are being incarcerated more, but it is not good that the rates are rising because influence can be passed along from person to person. In Bell County, Kentucky “since 2015, the predominantly white region has seen a doubling of whites in jail, but a three-quarter drop in the black population in jail.” (The Nation) Trafficking of drugs has become a big problem in this county. A solution that some say would be treatment facilities, but there are no funds for them so the county jail is the only option. No alternative ways of treatment are invested into that could possibly bring these rates down. “Though limited in size, the methadone treatment program is one of numerous changes Connecticut has made to help inmates successfully re-enter society.” (The Nation) These treatment programs are not being invested into. So the results can’t be seen on a large scale, to prove that rehabilitation is a viable option. Another interesting take is making other medications to help fight addiction. “Dr. Don Jasinski, a scientist at NIDA's Intramural Research Program (IRP), was the first to recognize the characteristics of buprenorphine--developed in the