{"id":5994,"date":"2021-09-20T21:03:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T01:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/?page_id=5994"},"modified":"2022-05-04T15:56:02","modified_gmt":"2022-05-04T19:56:02","slug":"are-opioids-good-for-society","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/opiate-addiction\/are-opioids-good-for-society\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Opioids Good for Society?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are opioids good for society? A new survey looks at how people perceive opioids and explores their risks and benefits.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The United States is in an opioid epidemic. In 2017 in the United States, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids, including prescription opioids, was six times higher than it was in 1999. Every day, an average of 130 people in America die from an opioid-related overdose<\/a>, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CDC describes three waves in the opioid epidemic. The first wave began in the 1990s, with increasing opioid prescriptions. The second wave started in 2010, and there was a rapid increase in overdose deaths related to heroin. In 2013, there was a third wave, which involved increases in deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the devastating effects of the opioid epidemic, many people have a negative perception of these drugs. At the same time, opioids are still prescribed and do have useful applications in medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Advanced Recovery Systems conducted a survey to learn more about people\u2019s understanding and perception of opioids. Of the 400 respondents, the largest majority were aged 25 to 34. There were also respondents from other age brackets, and all respondents were from the United States. Approximately 60% of survey respondents were female, and 40% were male. Of the survey respondents, the vast majority (95.25%) said they\u2019d heard of opioids and opiates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most interesting components of the study was that of the respondents, 51% said they perceived opioids negatively. Only 12.25% had a positive perception of opioids. The numbers were similar when respondents were asked about opiates instead of opioids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opioids and Pain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Around 74% of people responding to the ARS survey said they believed these drugs are used both medically and recreationally. Only 17.75% of respondents said opioids are only used medically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Are Opioids Prescribed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Prescription opioids are used as a treatment for both chronic and acute pain. According to the CDC, when used appropriately, they can be an important component of treatment. Opioids are used for the treatment of severe cancer pain, and in situations where someone may be tolerant to other pain medications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes opioids are used for the treatment of chronic pain<\/a> also. The CDC reports that as many as 1 in 4<\/a> patients who receive long-term opioid treatment in primary care settings struggle with an opioid use disorder. CDC doesn\u2019t recommend opioids as the first-line treatment for chronic pain unless there aren\u2019t other options, and the benefits of opioids outweigh the possible risks. In 2017, the CDC\u2019s data shows more than 17%<\/a> of Americans had at least one opioid prescription filled. There were almost 58 opioid prescriptions written for every 100 Americans, and the average number of days per prescription continues to increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Limits on Prescribing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There have been calls for limits on prescribing opioids in the United States. With the CDC\u2019s prescribing guidelines, there are other recommendations aside from avoiding opioids as the first-line treatment. The CDC guidelines recommend the use of non-medication-based therapy, particularly for chronic pain, or non-opioid pharmacologic therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CDC goes on to advise that if opioids are used, they should be combined with non-opioid medications or non-medication treatment whenever possible. Non-medication treatments for pain can include exercise therapy, weight loss or behavioral treatment like cognitive behavioral therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some say having these kinds of guidelines in place and limiting the use of opioids can curb the epidemic in the U.S., others worry it will keep people with legitimate pain<\/a> from getting adequate opioid addiction treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the Risks of Opioids<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of whether someone believes there should be further limits on opioid prescribing or not, most can agree that having an understanding of the risks of opioids is essential when these medications are prescribed. Some of the possible risks of opioids, even when they\u2019re prescribed, include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n