Jackson Warren

Adam Padgett

English 102

11 April 2017

A Solution to the Problem: Fighting Our Worlds Opioid Addiction

In todays world, there is an epidemic that continues to grow and spiral out of control.

This epidemic, which has affected the world negatively for generations, is the abuse and

addiction of opioids. It is estimated that between 26.4 million and 36 million people abuse

opioids worldwide (Americas Addiction). It is difficult to reduce this number when more than

100 million people suffer from chronic pain in the U.S alone, and opioids are profusely

prescribed for pain relief. Opioids not only include illegal substances such as heroin, but also

legal substances such as morphine, and prescription pain relivers. About 467,000 people were

addicted to heroin in the United States in 2012, compared to an estimated 2.1 million people

suffering from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers (Americas

Addiction). Prescription opioids affect the same brain systems as heroin; that is why some

individuals move on to abuse heroin after abusing prescription pain killers. Although nearly

23,000 people died from an overdose of a prescription pain medication in 2015 alone, these

deadly and addictive substances continue to be prescribed (NIDA for Teens). Conversely, there

has yet to be an overdose reported from marijuana. Why is it that we continue to prescribe these

drugs that can kill and are highly addictive, when there is a less addictive and nonlethal

alternative? Twenty-eight States in the United States have already legalized medical marijuana.

By legalizing medical marijuana on the federal level, patients could have a safer alternative to
treating the symptoms routinely treated by opioids, such as pain and anxiety. Offering marijuana

in place of prescription opioids can not only help decrease the number of overdoses due to

prescription medication, but it can also help decrease the number of individuals who go on to use

heroin. Marijuana may be a better alternative to prescription opioids because of the negative

effects opioids have on the brain and society, especially teens and professional athletes.

Prescription opioids can have very negative effects on an individuals brain. To get a

better understanding of the negative effects of opioids on the brain, one must first know exactly

how opioids work. Per the National Institute on Drug Abuse Opioids act by attaching to specific

proteins called opioid receptors, which are found on nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord,

gastrointestinal tract, and other organs in the body. When these drugs attach to their receptors,

they reduce the perception of pain and can produce a sense of well-being; however, they can also

produce drowsiness, mental confusion, nausea, and constipation. So basically, opioids trick the

brain into thinking there is no pain occurring. Since they are so addictive, one problem and

concern with opioids is that continuing to use them creates a need for further use even after the

drug is no longer being prescribed. With repeated administration of opioid drugs (prescription

or heroin), the production of endogenous opioids is inhibited, which accounts in part for the

discomfort (withdrawal) that ensues when the drugs are discontinued per the National Institute

on Drug Abuse. So, taking opioids creates an addiction to them that lasts long after the

prescription has run out. Once the drug becomes a habit, individuals turn to the streets so they

can help settle the discomfort they are experiencing (withdrawal). Continuing to abuse opioids

builds an individuals tolerance to the drug. Tolerance occurs when the person no longer

responds to the drug so strongly as he or she did at first, thus necessitating a higher dose to

achieve the same effect (Americas Addiction). Opioids tendency to induce tolerance is what
makes the drug so dangerous because further abuse creates a need for higher dosages, which

contributes to the high risk of overdose. Once a tolerance has built up, addicts may use different

methods to take the drug such as crushing the pills and then snorting or injecting the powder, or

combining the pills with alcohol or other drugs, increasing the drugs euphoric effects. After a

user builds a tolerance to these methods, he or she may turn to much harder drugs, such as

heroin. Although only about 4 percent of people who misuse prescription opioids progress to use

heroin, nearly 80 percent of the people addicted to heroin started first with prescription opioids

(NIDA for Teens). I believe that there is a strong connection between heroin addiction and

prescription opioid use because prescription opioids create an addiction that was not present

before, causing the user to want and need to continue using the drug. This ongoing battle our

world faces with opioid addiction will never lose momentum if we continue to prescribe the

drugs at the current rate. The number of prescriptions for opioids (like hydrocodone and

oxycodone products) have escalated from around 76 million in 1991 to nearly 207 million in

2013. The United States accounts for almost 100 percent of the world total for

hydrocodone (drugs like Vicodin) and 81 percent for oxycodone (drugs like Percocet). Overdose

deaths due to prescription opioid pain relievers have more than tripled in the past 20 years, and if

these drugs continue to be prescribed, we can expect the death toll to continue rising (Americas

Addiction). The chart below visually represents the comparison between the number of deaths

and their causes;

 Number of Deaths and Their Causes
Unintentional Deaths (AllOverdose deaths
prescription due16,490
Drugs); to prescription opioids; 16,651

Unintentional deaths (Opioid Pain reliever); 13,652

Prescription opioid abuse is not only deadly, but it is also costly. The nonmedical use of opioid

pain relievers costs insurance companies up to $72.5 billion annually in health-care costs

(Americas Addiction). This underground market also costs the taxpayers money because

manpower is needed to help suppress the illegal trade, and the court systems are needed to deal

with those who have been caught. The effects prescription opioids have on the brain and the clear

connection they have with heroin use should be enough evidence alone to cease prescribing

them. They have caused more pain in our world than they were supposed to help suppress, and

have created or enabled addictions that should never have developed. Opioids not only have

negative effects on our society, but have devastating impacts to certain groups, such as teens and

professional athletes.

Addiction to prescription opioids is an ongoing problem that influences the entire

country. Unfortunately, the largest demographic groups that are impacted by it are teens and

young adults. In 2012, more than five percent of the U.S. population aged 12 years or older used

opioid pain relievers non-medically (Americas Addiction). A study done by the Center for
Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality that same year found that 22.1% of illicit drug users are

between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. Teens are at such a high risk for addiction because the

early use of drugs increases a persons chances of developing addiction. Early addiction to

prescription opioids will never cease to exist or lose momentum if the drugs continue to be easily

accessible to teens. Opioid pain relievers are prescribed to treat severe and chronic pain, often

after surgeries. Personally, I was only eight years old when I was prescribed Lortab, or liquid

hydrocodone, for kidney stones. Studies show that often these drugs arent taken as prescribed,

and teens will either sell the medication, or save the medication to take some time in the future

for a nonmedical purpose. Teens may move on to harder and more lethal opioids, like heroin,

once a tolerance begins developing. Although this can be very rare, it is also very possible. Four

in five new heroin users started out misusing opioid prescription painkillers (Cannabidiol). I

know this transition is possible because I have seen it happen in my own life. In high school, I

had a friend who got an injury during a lacrosse game his senior year. The back of his leg got

cleated, and the wound became infected. To help cope with his pain, the doctors wrote him a

prescription for Oxycontin, a highly addictive semi-synthetic opioid. My friend soon became

addicted to the drug, and began finding other ways to obtain it. After Oxycontin wasnt cutting it,

he began abusing other drugs, like Xanax and LSD. His addiction continued to spiral out of

control, and once his tolerance to Xanax and LSD built up, he took his addiction to the next

level: heroin. Finally, the addiction won, and he overdosed on heroin the day he was released

from rehab. He was only nineteen years old at the time. When my friend received his

prescription, he wasnt thinking about the chance of becoming addicted to heroin and

overdosing; he was thinking about the pain he was going through and how to stop it. The very

real and scary truth behind prescribing opioids for pain isnt in the present, but rather like a
snake, lies in waiting with the future. Only time can tell if an individual develops an addiction,

but why take that risk when there is a very high possibility of it occurring? Another main group

subject to developing an addiction to prescription pain relievers are professional athletes. A

scientific study conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that retired

NFL players misuse opioid pain medications at a rate more than four times that of the general

population. Professional athletes, especially NFL players, use prescription drugs like Vicodin and

Percocet to help fight their pain so they may continue to perform at the highest level. When

asked about their prescription painkiller use while playing in the NFL, 52 percent of the retired

players surveyed said they used prescription pain medication. Of those users, 71 percent

admitted misusing the drugs during their playing days and, of that same group, 63 percent said

they obtained the pills from a nonmedical source: a teammate, coach, trainer, family member,

dealer or the internet. Kyle Turley, a retired NFL offensive lineman, recalls what it was like on

flights home coming back from away games. "The trainers and the doctors used to go down the

aisle and say, 'Who needs what?'" Turley said. "If you had something hurting and needed a

painkiller to take the edge off so you could sleep that night, they made sure you had it." Turley

said one physician outside the NFL's network of doctors once offered to sell him a bag of 10,000

Vicodin (ESPN). Although the distribution of pain relievers by physicians and team doctors has

become more heavily monitored, players continue to find the drugs and abuse them. One retired

NFL lineman says that at the peak of his addiction he was taking about 100 Percocet pills a day.

To cope with the injuries they suffered during their professional careers, players like Turley,

often continue to rely on painkillers after they have retired. Even after the pain has gone away,

athletes may continue to abuse these drugs. Professional sports leagues, like the NFL, should

cease prescribing opioids to their athletes, as they create problems for them long after their
careers have ended. Teens also should not be prescribed opioids for pain since their brain is still

developing, and early exposure to these drugs increases the chance of addiction. Both teens and

professional athletes have an inordinately high risk of developing an addiction to opioid

painkillers; both groups initially use the drugs to fight pain, then often end up fighting addiction

after the pain has gone away. Something must change now to break this cycle. Medical

marijuana represents a viable alternative; it can be prescribed to help cope with both the pain and

anxiety athletes and teens experience. Marijuana is a less addictive and less lethal than opioids.

Marijuana has been viewed as a major problem for society for generations, but now it may be the

superior solution our society needs to help resolve the opioid crisis.

Cannabis, also known as marijuana, has been perceived as a dangerous and illicit drug for

generations. A study done by the Pew Research Center found that out of the general public, 53%

support legalization, and 44% oppose. These numbers have changed greatly since 2006, when

only 32% supported legalization and 60% opposed. This change is shown visually in the chart

below;

Although this drug has been viewed as having only negative effects, research has shown that it

actually contains multiple medical properties. Among the states have already legalized medical

marijuana, the positive results from this are very evident. States with legalized marijuana laws

have reported a reduction in opioid use, as evidenced by lower number of prescriptions for

opioid painkillers, reduced number of opioid overdoses, and lower opioid-positive screens

associated with car fatalities. Cannabis is made up of chemical compounds known as

cannabinoids, such as 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the prominent psychoactive component of

marijuana. Of the cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant, cannabidiol (CBD) is the

phytocannabinoid with perhaps the greatest potential for development as a therapeutic alternative

for the treatment of substance use disorders. CBD is not rewarding, has limited misuse and

diversion potential, and has very low lethality, thus alleviating concerns about potential

overdose. The high safety of the drug is what makes it so appealing, that is why it is suitable for

children and used to treat epilepsy. Approximately 2.5 million people have been diagnosed with

an opioid use disorder, but legalizing CBD on a federal level may help lower this number. Over

200 million opioid painkiller prescriptions are written each year (Cannabidiol). CBD can help

lower the number of individuals addicted to prescription opioids by reducing the number of

prescriptions written. CBD can also be used to help treat opioid use disorder because of the

consistent pharmacological and behavioral evidence the drug contains relating to effects on

anxiety. In Massachusetts, medical marijuana is being used to help treat opioid addiction. Dr.

Gary Witman of Canna Care clinic, has treated with cannabis about 80 patients who were

addicted to opioids, anti-anxiety medication, or muscle relaxers, through a one-month tapering

program. More than three-quarters of patients stopped taking the harder drugs. Witman believes

cannabis can be a safer alternative for managing the symptoms of chronic pain or anxiety, for

which patients and doctors had turned to opioids. (Join Together). Medical marijuana is clearly a

better alternative to opioids. With more than 80 people dying each day from an opioid overdose,

why continue to prescribe these lethal drugs? Although there has never been a recorded overdose

from medical marijuana, it is still perceived as harmful and continues to be a controversial

discussion topic. Unlike most medication, the medical value of cannabis is being decided by

politicians and the general public, instead of physicians and scientists. More research must be
done on the positive effects of medical cannabis and CBD so the general perception of these

drugs can evolve from negative to positive.

Medical marijuana is a clear and viable solution to helping suppress our worlds opioid

addiction. Not only can it be used to treat addiction, but it can also be used to treat the same array

of medical conditions as opioids. Marijuana can be a better alternative to prescription opioids

because of the negative effects opioids have on the brain and society, especially on teens and

professional athletes. Society must accept cannabis health benefits, and stop perceiving the drug

as dangerous and having only negative effects. If society can accept the drug as a more effective

alternative to opioids, a future with no addiction to prescription opioids may be a possibility.

Contrasted to the positive effects of medical marijuana, the evidence of a correlation between

opioid prescriptions and addiction to heroin is clear. The medical community must use every

resource available to help stop this terrible epidemic. The world community must demand

legalization of medical cannabis as a valuable alternative.

Works Cited

Abuse, National Institute on Drug. America's Addiction to Opioids: Heroin and Prescription

Drug Abuse. NIDA, 14 May 2014, www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-

activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opioids-heroin-prescription-

drug-abuse.
Abuse, National Institute on Drug. Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of

Addiction.NIDA, July 2014, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-

science-addiction/preface.

NIDA for Teens. Prescription Pain Medications (Opioids). NIDA for Teens,

teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/prescription-pain-medications-opioids.

Smith, Samantha. In Debate Over Legalizing Marijuana, Disagreement Over Drug's

Dangers. Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 14 Apr. 2015, www.people-

press.org/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legalizing-marijuana-disagreement-over-drugs-

dangers/.

JBarr, John. OTL: Painkiller Use in Today's NFL. ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures,

www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110128%2FPainkillersCurrentUse.

Join Together Staff. Opioid Addiction Being Treated With Medical Marijuana in

Massachusetts. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, 7 Oct. 2015, www.drugfree.org/news-

service/opioid-addiction-treated-medical-marijuana-massachusetts/.

Hurd, Yasmin L. Cannabidiol: Swinging the Marijuana Pendulum From Weed to Medication

to Treat the Opioid Epidemic. Science Direct, Mar. 2017,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166223617300012.