Good Pill, Bad Pill

(This article first appeared in the March-April 2016 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.) 

There’s no gentle way to put it: A national epidemic of opioid dependency is cause for alarm and intervention. According to U.S. health officials, a dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths due to the abuse of narcotic painkillers and heroin has reached record highs.

In 2014, there were more than 47,000 deaths caused by drug overdoses, and these staggering numbers continue to rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 44 people die every day from prescription opioid overdose and misuse of painkillers.

This epidemic is destroying lives, families, and communities. Don’t let these dangerous substances hurt you and your loved ones.

What Are Opioids?

It is estimated that about 70 percent of Americans have been prescribed narcotic painkillers at some point in their life. These potent drugs, called “opioids,” are often prescribed after surgery or for acute and chronic pain.

Opioids are natural or synthetic chemicals that bind to receptors in your brain to help reduce or relieve headaches, sore muscles, arthritis, or other aches and pains. Common opioids include prescription drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl. They give users a feeling of euphoria and pain relief very similar to that of the street drug heroin.

These drugs are typically safe when carefully administered with the supervision of your physician. However, when misused, they are highly addictive and can be lethal. Oxycodone (brand name: OxyContin) and hydrocodone (brand name: Vicodin) are the most commonly prescribed narcotic painkillers, and consequently are responsible for more overdose deaths than any other narcotic.

Evidence indicates that heroin-related deaths have also sharply increased since 2013.

What is the Correlation?

Researchers are discovering that prescription painkillers are becoming a gateway to heroin abuse. People who become addicted to painkillers often resort to heroin use because it’s cheaper and more readily available.

Due to stricter federal guidelines on prescribing the drugs and physicians limiting dispensing due to awareness of the epidemic, opioid abusers are more likely to try heroin because of its easy accessibility and low cost.

What these users don’t realize is heroin is significantly more dangerous due to its more addictive qualities and the uncertainty of its purity or chemical content. Sadly, as a result, overdose is more frequently an outcome.

The CDC has identified addiction to prescription pain medication as the strongest risk factor for heroin addiction.

What are the Risks?

With dependency come a number of other associated risks.

Because heroin is injected and users tend to share needles, they become susceptible to the transmission of diseases such as tetanus, Hepatitis C, and HIV. Overdose may result in death from respiratory arrest (when users stop breathing).

Prolonged use of the drug can trigger a host of other health complications, including destruction of your heart valves. Many fatalities have resulted.

Treatment, Prevention

Opioid abuse is a serious public health problem with harrowing consequences, but preventive actions, treatment for addiction, and proper response to overdoses can help. Health professionals are working hard to combat this epidemic and ensure that medical professionals receive adequate training on appropriate practices for prescribing pain medication and the risks associated with these medications.

Most substance abusers believe they can stop using drugs on their own, but the majority of those who try do not succeed. Research shows that long-term drug use alters brain function and that the effects can continue even after drug use stops.

If you realize you have a substance abuse problem and want to quit, a doctor can refer you to community resources. Let your doctor know what drugs you use and how you take them