1. Opioid Addiction
1990’s-present

2. Opioids?
affects opioid receptors on nerves cells that produce pleasurable effects that can relieve pain and give you a high.
Doesn’t completely stop you from feeling pain, but it doesn’t characterize pain with a bad feelings/emotions
Opioids are prescribed for chronic pain or surgeries.
pain that frequently occurs for at least three months.
Heroin or legal prescription pain relievers including oxycodone, hydrocodone and more.

3. From 1999 to 2014 opioid overdoses have nearly tripled.
In 2015 the National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA) found that drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States, ahead of deaths from motor vehicle accidents and firearms.
This is caused by many reasons including:
highly addictive nature and tolerance build up
The access/availability of these drugs have increased
the complexity of the drug

4. https://mises.org/blog/dea-releases-new-drug-overdose-death-figures-guns-safer-prescription-drugs

5. Addiction and tolerance
The first thing you do/think about in the morning? (salience)
What you do when you’re bored? (Euphoria)
Spend more time/money now then you did when you started? (tolerance)
Anxious/stressed if you don’t have it or don’t know where it is? (withdrawl)
People have expressed issues/complaints about your use? (conflict)
Can’t cut back even though you have tried? (relapse)
Tolerance:

6. Addiction/tolerance cont.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported
first time abusers of prescription opioids increased from 628,000 in 1990 to 2,400,000 in 2004
emergency room visits involving prescription opioid abuse increased by 45% from to 2002
treatment admissions for primary abuse of prescription opioids increased by 186% between 1997 and 2002
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7. Acessibility
How did it all get started? 90’s “epidemic of untreated pain”
Prescription opioid has dramatically increased production from 76 million in 1991 to 207 million in 2013
the U.S. accounts for almost 100% of the world’s total hydrocodone and 81% of oxycodone
In 2012, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids which could fill more than one bottle of pills to every American adult.

8. Complications “Decade of Pain control and Research”
From the 90’s to now we still have a hard time understanding the severity of people’s pain and treating it accordingly.
under treatment of pain among addicted people may lead to illict drug seeking
Why are they legal if they are so addictive and harmful?
There is no evidence of something that is more efficient at pain management that is less addictive that these opiods (for now)

9. Of the 318 million americans:
Around 259 million americans are prescribed opioids (80%)
Around 21 million americans suffer with substance abuse disorders
4/5 heroin users start off misusing prescription drugs
Around 33 thousand americans die due to opioid overdose

10. Citations
Academic JournaL: American Socierty of Addiction Medicine. (2016) Opioid Addiction 2016 Facts & Figures. Retrieved from:
Academic Journal: Rosenblum, A., Marsch, L. A., Joseph, H., & Portenoy, R. K. (2008). Opioids and the treatment of chronic pain: controversies, current status, and future directions. Experimental And Clinical Psychopharmacology, 16(5), doi: /a c44d689fe155%40sessionmgr104&hid=102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN= &db=mnh
Magazine: McMaken, Ryan. (2015, November), DEA releases new drug overdose death figures: guns safer than prescription drugs. Mises Institute. Retrieved From:
Newspaper: Whitmore, Jacqueline. (2016, April). The 6 Signs of Cell Phone Addiction. Entrepreneuere. Retrieved from:
Video: Dr. Wood, Evan. (2014, June). Opioids how they trick the brain to make you feel good. Retrieved from: