According to 2018 data, 128 people die of opioid overdose crisis or the opioid epidemic in the United States. The misuse of opioids is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. The National Institutes of Health helps in combating the opioid epidemic by discovering new ways to prevent opioid misuse. During the 90s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not be prescribed opioid pain relievers addicts. As a result, healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates. The high rates subsequently led to the widespread diversion of opioid overdose crisis or the opioid epidemic.
opioid overdose crisis or the opioid epidemic
UNDERSTANDING THE OPIOID OVERDOSE CRISIS
Opioid overdose crisis or the opioid epidemic is not new to many. The opioid epidemic, also known as the opioid crisis, has become a hot button issue in the media. However, many may not know what the crisis actually is. The opioid epidemic refers explicitly to the growing number of deaths and hospitalizations from opioids. In recent years, death rates from these drugs have ramped up to over 40,000 a year across the US. Opioids are a classification of drug that derived from, or a synthetic version of, opium. Morphine, the most abundant natural opioid found in opium, was used for years as a pain reliever. Today, opioids are almost synonymous with pain relief hence the need to find ways of combating the opioid epidemic.
understanding the opioid overdose crisis
WAYS OF COMBATING OPIOID EPIDEMIC PUT INTO PLACE
Opioid overdose crisis or the opioid epidemic has led to deaths in past years hence the need for control. The number of drug overdose deaths decreased by 4% from 2017 to 2018. Nearly 70% of the 67,367 deaths in 2018 involved the opioid epidemic. From 2017 to 2018, there were significant changes in opioid-involved death rates. Opioid-involved death rates decreased by 2%. CDC pledges its commitment to fighting the opioid overdose epidemic and supporting states and communities in their fight. Collaboration is essential for success in preventing opioid overdose deaths. Medical personnel, emergency departments and substance use treatment providers bring awareness as a means of combating the opioid epidemic.
ways of combating the opioid epidemic put into place
