Welcome to the United States of Addiction, Chris Bell says in the opening of

his new expos-documentary: Prescription Thug$. Opioid painkillers are one of the major
leading causes of accidental deaths in the United States. The number of uncontrolled
opiates around the country is alarming as the majority of young people are continuously
taking them without a regulated prescription, getting hooked and eventually passing on to
more potent drugs. The issue is profoundly alarming, yet the advocacy that it has received
has been extremely limited. I have been a personal witness to some of the consequences
that addictions to prescribed medication/opiate painkillers have had on people, as well as
the struggle to overcome such. This is the reason of why I decided to focus my semester
research on this specific topic and advocate towards a change.
Two of the initial pioneers advocating this issue that we face nowadays are the
Democrat political party and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Senator
Bernie Sanders has pointed out the pharmaceutical industrys overprescribing of pain
medication as being the main driving force behind the nations opioid epidemic which
eventually drives heroin addiction. Like Sanders, Hillary Clinton has also pointed out the
industry and proposed a $10 billion plan to combat opioid addiction as well as alcohol
abuse. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention previously re-opened a public
comment period, from December 14, 2015- January 13, 2016, for public input on its
controversial Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.
With constant overdoses form heroin and opioid painkillers people confronting
the war against addictions are increasingly turning into Narcan (or Naxolone) to save
lives. Narcan is now being carried among cities, the police, school nurses, family and
friends of drug users as well as drug users themselves. Although the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention report that the substance has reversed at least 26,463 overdoses
between 1996 and June 2014, it does not guarantee that someone whos been saved will
stop using and abusing drugs.
The stigma attached to the abuse on drugs has led to a lack of communication
among those who have, consciously or unconsciously, fallen victims to prescribed
medication. There are psychological, biological and cultural influences that lead to a
drug use disorder. Along the cultural influence line, one of reasons of why people have
fallen under this vicious cycle are the multiple pressures that come attached with
responsibility, social circles, family and religion among many others. When opioids are
taken under the direction of their doctor, patients become subject to a valid or socially
accepted justification for becoming accidentally addicted to such.
Medical advancements have proved to be profoundly beneficial for our society as
people now get to live better and longer lifes than ever before, but it is these same
medical advancements that have caused many to fall under the gray area of addiction to

prescribed medication. According to the documentary Prescription Thug$, America is

only 5% of the worlds population yet it consumes 75% of the worlds pharmaceutical
drugs, approximately six thousand kids a day use prescription drugs to get high and every
19 minutes somebody dies of an accidental overdose.
The misuse and abuse of prescription medications in the United States and
elsewhere is skyrocketing, yet only a few people are truly aware of the seriousness and
colossal of the issue. To find out more about addictions and on how you can help yourself
or someone that is or has struggled with them, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration webpage, SAMHSA.gov, which is a National free
confidential 24/7-treatment referral and information service.
I invite you to research available opportunities on how you can help among your
community as well as funding opportunities through the National Institute of Drug Abuse
at drugabuse.gov and become a pioneer advocate towards the movement against the
misuse of prescribed medication.

Resources
Becker, D. (2015). Reversing Opioid Overdoses Saves Lives But Isnt A Cure-All.
National Public Radio. Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/sections/healthshots/2015/10/07/445399564/reversing-opioid-overdoses-saves-lives-but-isnt-a-cure-all
Dresner, A. (2016). Prescription Thugs: New Documentary Shows Big Pharmas Role in
Addiction and Tragedy. The Fix. Retrieved from: https://www.thefix.com/prescriptionthugs-new-documentary-shows-big-pharmas-role-addiction-and-tragedy
Gawande, A. (2014). Being Mortal. New York, NY: Henry Hold and Company, LLC.
N.A. (2015). Democratic Candidates Amplify CDC Message on Opioids. National Pain
Report. Retrieved from: http://nationalpainreport.com/democratic-candidates-amplifycdc-message-on-opioids-8828772.html