Consequences of the Opioid Epidemic

Opioids are a real epidemic spreading through the United States bringing death and destruction. Many people, children through adults, are affected by these drugs, and can destroy lives. Even though opioids have their benefits, a huge amount of people are using them unthemed for pleasure. Opioid abuse is very harmful and can affect everyone.

Many people believe ‘safe injection sites’ help opioid and drug addicts get off their addiction, but 90% of the time, they feed their addiction. First, studies show that few people get out of addiction,” Some estimates suggest that as few as 10 percent of injection site users find their way into treatment.

The rest continue the downward spiral of addiction”(Rosenstein 1).

These injection sites are just an easy way for an abuser to get high, without the fear of getting caught. Next, injection sites are illegal,” It is a federal felony to maintain any location to facilitate illicit drug use”(Rosenstein 1). All of these sites are simply breaking the law, they let people abuse illegal drugs without having to fear getting arrested.

Finally, these places where drugs are allowed show that drugs could be ok,” Injection sites normalize drug use and facilitate addiction by sending a powerful message to teenagers that the government thinks illegal drugs can be used safely”(Rosenstein 1). If a teenager or anyone saw a place where people can do drugs safely and is being run by the government, they would probably think that drugs are ok to do!. Safe injection sites don’t help the addicts, they just aid addiction and cause more people to start.

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A large amount of the people who abuse opioids are juveniles and it is affecting them, even if it is prescribed. First, drug abuse can affect students heavily,” Drug abuse by people under age eighteen often correlates with poor academic achievement, difficulties with peer and family relationships, emotional problems, and damage to physical health”(Juvenile Drug Abuse 1). Many minor abusers have problems when using dangerous drugs like opioids which will drastically affect them in the future. Next, young people have easy access to drugs,”…illicit drugs are frequently used, kept, or sold in schools or on school grounds”(Juvenile Drug Abuse 1). Easy access to these harmful drugs increases the chance of people trying these drugs, essentially ruining their life. Last but not least, causes of abuse,”…stress, boredom, and extra money were significant factors in adolescents’ risk of abusing drugs”(Juveniles Drug Abuse 1). These factors paired with the fact of easy access to opioids show the great danger in the lives of younger people. Not only do adults abuse harmful opioids, but adolescents and younger also abuse dangerous drugs.

However, not all use of opioids can badly affect your body. First off, when using prescribed opioids, use as directed,” Opioids should only be used if prescribed for pain or directed use”(Safe Opioid Use). If used as directed and used for pleasure, opioids can help relieve immense pain and help you relax. Next, you must follow instructions when using your drug,” Follow instructions on the pill bottle and from your doctor to prevent addiction”(Safe Opioid Use). If you follow the instructions and safely use your drug, addiction should not be a problem.

While controlled opioid use has its benefits, opioids should not be used in general. This drug kills more when used with synthetic and prescribed,” More people died to synthetic and prescribed opioids in 2010-2016 than the leading causes”(Synthetics now killing). Before the spread of opioids, were diseases and accidents, now drug overdoses are at the top. Drugs uses safely and as instructed may be good, but overall they are bad.

Opioids can be abused and are very harmful to the user and the people around them. Throughout these paragraphs, there were many examples of how and why opioids are bad. Places that claim to help with addiction feed the abusers and destroy the neighborhood they are in. Minor who also got their hands on these dangerous drugs were also affected. Even though some use it for the right purpose, the bad outweighs the good. If you know someone who does these very dangerous drugs, or, many people can help save them or you from this dangerous addiction.