Social Issues

By Isabella Rodriguez 

The Opioid Crisis is an addiction to painkillers with an opiate based main ingredient that often leads to destroyed lives and or drug overdoses. An opioid overdose is when people take a high dose of opiate based painkillers; the people who overdose are typically young adults or middle aged people who have a history of drug and or alcohol abuse. Most overdoses can be prevented, but prolonged use of opiates means addition is likely.  For example,Tyler Skaggs (Angels pitcher), Prince, Tom Petty, Micheal Jackson, and Mac Miller are all famous people who overdosed on exceedingly high doses of Fentanyl, Oxycodone, or Propofol (all are created with opiates) with a mixture of alcohol or other drugs. Not only does it happen to wealthy people, but also to anyone who uses opiate based painkillers for extended periods of time. Over 70,237 drug overdoses occurred in the year of 2017 and the numbers are getting higher.

 The opioid crisis can affect people ranging in age from teenagers to senior citizens. Normally, people who overdose have a history of drug and or alcohol abuse. So, why do these people overdose on painkillers? They can be going through physical and mental problems , they can be going through family problems, even personal problems. What if they don't like their own operance or if they are famous? They can just feel they have too much pressure on them and that they have an eye on them at all times. They can often feel like enough is enough, and they cant deal with it anymore.