The opioid epidemic has been a headlining crisis for the last few years. Celebrity overdose deaths and a climbing number of opioid related overdoses helped the country quickly realize, we have a problem with opioid drugs. In 2015, 52,000 people died of opioid overdose in America. 2015 is the latest year where data has been fully analyzed, however, preliminary data coming in for 2016 suggests that the number of overdose deaths due to opioid overdose has risen at least 7,000 deaths more. One of the may areas of blame for the opioid epidemic is the amount of opioids prescribed by doctors. Over-prescribing of opioids, prescribing to addicts, prescribing higher doses, and other behaviors on the part of doctors has contributed to the opioid crisis being faced by millions of Americans who became addicted. Interestingly, despite the continuous rise in opioid addiction and opioid overdoses, the amount of opioid prescriptions have gone down. According to The Hill, since 2010 when opioid prescriptions statistically hit their peak, the numbers have drastically come down. The article explains that “The fact is that almost 90 percent of the prescribed opioids dispensed in 2016 are immediate-release generics, rendering the decrease in total opioid prescriptions nearly irrelevant. Thanks to a combination of price and efficacy, the most abusable opioids are also the most prescribed.” Most of the reports on the prescription opioid epidemic don’t take heroin into account or fentanyl purchased on the street. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid regularly prescribed for pain patients who do not respond to normal opioid medications. In the last few years, fentanyl has become increasingly popular and caused a high amount of overdose deaths. Heroin is often the next stop for people who become addicted to opioid drugs when their prescription addiction becomes too expensive or the drugs stop producing the same effect. The wide availability of treatment and drugs that can reverse opioid overdose are creating an immense amount of hope and help for addicts everywhere.
Oceanfront Recovery welcomes men and women who are struggling with opioid addiction to our treatment programs in Laguna, California. Our beautiful home is just steps from iconic Orange County beaches and a world of strong recovery. Offering solution-focused treatment, our detox, residential, intensive outpatient, and executive programs help men change their story. We believe when you can change your story, you can change your life. For information, call us today: 877.279.1777
