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Opioids were created in the year 1999 and were being advertised to doctors as a "less addictive alternative to morphine". Now, in 2022 we know that this statement couldn't be farther from the truth. According to the CNC, from 1999 to 2019, nearly 247,000 people died in the United States from overdoses involving prescription opioids.

The opioid crisis

The opioid crisis commonly referred to as the "opioid epidemic" is the progression of the rates at which a person is hospitalized due to opioid abuse. Since opioids are a drug, users can suffer from drug overdoses, which are the leading cause of accidental deaths. It has become a concern as the number of opioid addicts is increasing every day.

What are Opioids?
Opioids are pain-relieving drugs regularly prescribed to help manage moderate to severe pain but are highly addictive. What the drug does is block pain signals between the brain and body. Consuming opioids can make people feel a sense of happiness and create a "high" for the person. A high is frequently described as a "euphoric feeling, this is due to the opioids releasing endorphins into the brain producing this temporary feeling.

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The government has many responsibilities to attend to, especially during a health crisis. They have the authority and power to make the changes when we need them most. What has the government done to help the unfortunate opioid epidemic? Read below to find out.

The Impact Of the Government

In 2017, the president and the government declared the opioid crisis a national public emergency. One of the things the government has done about this epidemic is spread awareness. Here are some of the information the government has given us.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event.

Opioids.gov illustrates the magnitude of the opioid crisis and actions the Trump Administration is taking to address it.

CDC's Opioid Overdose Page provides comprehensive information about opioids and their risks, as well as information about how to protect against opioid misuse, addiction and overdose.

How has the HHS (health and human services) helped?

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse they have 5 major priorities involving the end to this crisis.

1. improving access to treatment and recovery services

2. promoting use of overdose-reversing drugs

3. strengthening our understanding of the epidemic through better public health surveillance

4. providing support for cutting-edge research on pain and addiction

5. advancing better practices for pain management

Research to creating alternative pain relievers to these drugs are in the works and researchers are constantly working to help end this crisis.

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Anyone can become addicted to Opioids when prescribed to them. We see this in multiple studies regarding teen drug abuse. This is a growing problem that many education specialists are becoming increasingly worried about.
The Effects of Students with Opioid Addicted Parents

Before we talk about the student use of opioids, we need to first discuss the difficulties of students who live with opioid users. It can be difficult to live with any drug addict but to be raised by one is insufferable. According to Childwelfare.gov children surrounded by drug abuse are likely to undergo neglect from their families and there are also many cases where children witness opioid overdoses, which can create trauma and lead to difficult lives. Children of opioid users are heavily impacted by the epidemic and their trauma from it frequently manifests into their education. This creates many problems because education is vital for any child and struggling in school may put added stress on what the child is already facing. Unmanageable stress can lead to one's mental health decline and can turn into depression and anxiety.

Teen Opioid Abuse

We've seen the unfortunate effects of students raised by opioid abusers but what about the students that are abusers themselves? "According to the youth risk behavior survey, in 2017, 14% of high school students reported that they had ever misused prescription opioids." - Education Commission of the State
Many teenagers are peer pressured into taking drugs, not knowing the detestable risks and outcomes. It is easy for peer pressure to manifest into an addiction to opioids. Another way teens can become addicted is when they are simply just prescribed the drug for medical purposes. Anyone can become addicted to opioids, statistics published by the CDC show that one in four patients prescribed opioids become addicted.

How Schools Are Handling the Epidemic

Schools do play an important role in a student's life, which is why they have the responsibilities to help with health issues that could affect the student's attending  Ed.Gov states the ways schools are taking action against opioid abuse.

e ncourage schools and teachers to create a safe and positive environment for students

educate students and parents about the opioid epidemic

deliver prevention programs into schools and education settings

schools and school districts can support students in recovery and students whose family members are suffering from addiction.

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Many people believe the only cause for the Opioid Crisis is due to wrongly prescribed prescriptions but evidence suggests there may be another issue hiding in plain sight.

How the Media Affects the Spread of Drug Use

We all know that the media, specifically social media, has impacted the world the most it ever has been. This creation comes with many benefits but like most things, every good thing has a bad side. The media is a big part of our culture in the 21st-century society. Social media can warp things into seeming better than what it is. We see this with the common misconceptions spread online throughout the media about opioid use and just drug use in general. It can influence and create warped expectations about drug abuse, for example, some of the media can make opioid abuse seem "fun" and "safe" when it's not.  Social media can also be a form of communication becoming another source for peer pressure to pursue.                                                                                                                                While people should understand that the media isn't always true, we know that it will have an impact on people regardless, which is why our society should strive to make sure that our decisions are made upon correctly spreading information. This could help the opioid crisis and other abuse of drugs.

Substance Abuse Culture and Societal Norms

Culture can play a big part in whether a person develops an opioid addiction or not. Many people grow up where substance abuse is normal and therefore believe it is. This and societal norms surrounding substance abuse heavily impact the way certain people view drugs. Different cultures and social norms perceive things differently, and as a result, view drug abuse differently.  To help stop this we need to spread more awareness and offer more help around these areas with these norms.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500510/

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Opioid Overdose Crisis | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Education-Policy-Responses-to-the-Opioid-Crisis.pdf

The Opioid Crisis - Child Welfare Information Gateway

Combating the Opioid Crisis and Other Substance Misuse: Schools, Students, Families | U.S. Department of Education

What are opioids and why are they dangerous? - Mayo Clinic

The Opioid Epidemic: What Is It And What Can You Do? -
Addiction Center

Overview | Drug Overdose | CDC Injury Center