Revision 1: Open Letter-

Opioid Abuse
By: Emma Vance
America,
Every day more than 115 people in the United States die after

overdosing on opioids. Opioids are an intense type of drug

that is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Anyone can

easily become addicted by not following the specific

instructions prescribed by their doctor. The drug use can

range from teens to drug addicts, to the injured, and even to

pregnant women whose child then inherits the addiction as

well. Opioid addiction is not an easy fix or just a simple issue.

It is a disease that is spreading throughout the lives of all

 Many Americans suffer the powerful addiction

of opioids for multiple reasons,

but these are a few to consider: easy access,

not enough medical treatment , and strong addictive traits of the drug.

However, America can solve the epidemic of opioid abuse

by containing the outbreak of the drug,

providing strong treatment if one does become addicted,

and create more efficient ways to prescribe the drugs.

History
In 1775 the opium medication became available. It was

used to treat soldiers in 1860 during the civil war and

many soldiers became addicted to them (History of the

Opioid Epidemic). In the late 1990s opioids began to be

used to face chronic disease and pain. Pharmacies stated

to the medical community that patients would not become

addicted to opioid pain relievers, so as a result

pharmacists started to prescribe them at greater rates. It

led to a wide diversion of the drug and misuse before it

Pathways After Opioids

It is addressed everywhere that opioids are obviously easily addictive,

but when you take away the drugs from participants to stop their intake rates,

it can lead to easy access and desires for other intense drugs.

One of the intense drugs opioids lead to is heroin because

it has the same pain-relief effect on the body.

Opioids Lead to Heroin
According to, “Alcoholism Drug Abuse Weekly,” they say

that “study shows that heroin tops the list of the first

opioid of use” they also state, “the report shows that the

percentage of heroin initiates gradually rose over the 10-

year period, until in 2015 it reached 33.3 percent,

surpassing both hydrocodone and oxycodone” (6). Heroin

is only used for extreme medical situations in several

countries, but not America. It’s not even considered to be

used in America just because it’s so dangerous. That is why

Treatment to Solve this Issue
Doctors are testing special programs like the MAT (medical-assisted treatment) which combine medications with

behavioral therapy to help treat addiction, reducing the number of prescribed drugs in general, and doctors are now

being more aware of the pills they are prescribing. The reason nobody knows about this issue really is that it’s so

personal. The citizens infected by the opioid epidemic keep it to themselves because it’s just so addictive. Addicts can

stop if they want it badly enough, but it takes a lot mentally. Nobody ever plans to become addicted, and with easy

access drugs like opioids, it is like clinging to something they never wanted in the first place. American needs to provide

the right treatment for addicts across the country. Now, therapists cannot treat everyone that is faced with problems of

opioid addiction, that is a downside, but they can still try their best to provide cheap, inexpensive rehab. Doctors and

physicians are to the point where the only thing they can do is reduce the intake.
Conclusion
In conclusion, America has the chance to decrease the 115 deaths per day due to opioids. They can reduce the prescribe

prescriptions by pharmacists, contain the outbreak in specific cities or states that need it the most, and provide every

“infected” person with the best possible healthcare. Congress will work with doctors and pharmacists to create cheap,

inexpensive therapy. It will take many years to get over the intensity of the opioid epidemic, but it will be worth it in the

end. If America has a strong mindset, and good doctors and leaders to guide us through this dilemma, it can be fixed.

Outreach from neighbors, friends, families, and acquaintances to those addicted will be the start of a brighter, cleaner

future. If all of these statements can be implemented, the opioid epidemic will slowly get better, and we will face success

in the future.
Works Cited:
“A Personal Story of Addiction.” Massachusetts Medical Society: Important Differences

Between Health Care Proxies and Living Wills,

www.massmed.org/Physician_Health_Services/Helping_Yourself_and_Others/A_Personal_Story_of_Addiction/#.W_RFrYFKjnE. Np.

Na. National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Opioid Overdose Crisis.” NIDA, 6 Mar. 2018,

www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis. Np.

"Opioid Crisis Hits Cities in the United States." Historic U.S. Events, Gale, 2017. Student

Resources In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BT2359030568/SUIC?u=onlinelibrary&sid=SUIC&xid=b87bb72d.

Accessed 20 Nov. 2018.