We are given one life and we are responsible for how we live it and how we look at it. We are not cats; therefore, we are only given one shot. Not 9. As nice as 9 shots at life sounds, it shouldn’t happen. Due to some “modern miracles,” it is now possible to be brought back after a life threatening opioid overdose. To be given a second chance is a miracle.…
Addiction is something that has destroyed many families and lives. When you are addicted to something you are willing to do anything for it. Some people have lied, stole, and even killed for their addiction. In the script it talks about ho w Odessa had a two children while she was still into drugs. While needing a fix for her addiction she left them alone while they were sick.…
These drugs are easy to get but yet hard to receive help when they become a problem. Overdose occurs when a toxic amount of a drug or combination of drugs is taken. Opioids in particular pose a higher risk of overdose as they can depress the central nervous system causing breathing to slow, sometimes to the point of stopping altogether. According to The Nation’s Best Rehabs, in 1997, in rehab facilities, there were 235,143 admissions from individuals abusing Heroin as their primary use. By 2007, the number increased to 246,871.…
So, an updated knowledge about critical care for OOD and treatment of opioid addiction in adults is very important. Naloxone is a drug used to treat a narcotic overdose in an emergency situation.…
My name is Megan Johnston and I am a registered nurse at a local hospital with nine years of critical care experience. During my career at the bedside, I have watched numerous parents, children, and other family members have to make the difficult decision to take their loved one off of life support and watch them die after an opioid drug overdose. To watch how devastating this is for patients and their loved ones is both heart wrenching and disturbing to me as a healthcare professional. The opioid crisis began to spiral in the 1990s when pharmaceutical companies told providers and prescribers that patients would not likely become addicted to opioid pain relievers, and therefore they were prescribed more frequently, which subsequently led to…
Narcan is the brand name, and most commonly known and used name, for the drug Naloxone. It works by reversing the effects of opioids, particularly during an overdose. It is administered by injection into a person experiencing an overdose. Narcan works specifically against opioids and does not counter the effects of other types of drugs, alcohol, or other sedatives or stimulants. Opioids include heroin and prescription drugs such as oxycodone, fentanyl, hydrocodone, codeine, and methadone.…
Naloxone’s Role In Opioid Overdose Prevention In 2013 an estimated 16,000 American citizens died from an opioid overdose (CDC, 2014). This number has also quadrupled since 2001, when opioid overdoses had only amounted to 4,000 deaths a year (NIDA, 2015). Nurses Saving Lives aims to educate Doctors, Policy makers and the general public on Naloxone and its life saving abilities to counteract the harmful effects of an opioid overdose that have often led to death. We believe that with the right information on the safety and efficacy of Naloxone, and clarification on common misconceptions that have plagued the subject, we can help make this life saving drug available over the counter to families, caregivers, and communities to help battle the growing…
Naloxone Naloxone is something that not a lot of people have heard of until the past year. Naloxone is an opiate overdose reversal drug. With the heroin problem that the United States has right now it is making the naloxone usage rates hit an all time high. Naloxone is a drug that if given quick enough to somebody who suffers from an opiate overdose it will reverse the effects of the opiate, and could save a life. Police, paramedics, and many others are who have access to naloxone.…
Some have this harsh idea that addiction is a choice and that fighting for the lives of addicts is useless. Others may think that it’s redundant because the dependence rates will never reach “zero.” I, however, will argue that addiction is a disease, and addicts are still human, and therefore it is important to fight for freedom from addiction. The fact that addiction is a disease is exactly why opioid addiction will never completely go away. However, if a proper system is intact to immediately help anyone who may become addicted, the illegal market for opioid pain relievers and heroin will diminish, and opioids will be back into the hands of pharmacies instead of on the streets targeting innocent…
As users continue to use the product, the tolerance for the drug increases, which ultimately leads to high dose dependence that can result in overdose. If no solutions are found regarding this epidemic, many…
Ignorance is bliss. The song “The A Team” written by Ed Sheeran should be valued because it talks about a young woman who is homeless and addicted to class A drugs. Class A drugs consist of heroin, cocaine, and ecstasy among many more, they are the highest form of drugs available. This woman in Sheeran’s song is so desperate to receive the drugs that she turns to prostitution to be able to afford them. This song brings awareness of drug abuse and the consequences of using.…
As the number of drug overdose incidents continue to plague Ohio the use of the lifesaving antidote naloxone is becoming more prevalent as it is the go to treatment for an overdose victim. The goal of the antidote is to reduce the number of overdose fatalities, but naloxone alone is not going to end this epidemic. There needs to be a treatment plan in place for first time overdose victims in order to cure the disease of addiction that drug addicts are suffering from. With help from the drug abuser, family members, friends, community, health care facilities, law enforcement, and insurance providers, treatment for first time overdose victims will be implemented and the disease of drug addiction will stopped in its…
Drug use and abuse has been a major concern to the society for a long a time. There are myths and facts about drug abuse. Many people have been having misconception on the truth about drug abuse. This has led to many people, both old and young, to continue abusing drugs and substances. With drug abuse becoming more common in our society, many scholars have been trying to explain reasons that make people, especially young people abuse drugs.…
Vidal states it best “Some people will always become drug addicts just as some people will always become alcoholics. It is just too bad” (Gore Vidal). The truth is nobody can tell if a person is going to be addicted or not. But people can control whether they do or not and how much their lives are worth to them along with the people they love. Addiction to drugs will never be stopped, because of the thrill and high that it gives…
One important problem that has been rapidly increasing among our society today is drug addiction. The earlier in an individual’s life that drug abuse begins, the more likely they will be to become addicted. Substance use in teens and young adults turns into a pattern of unsafe behaviors, including; unsafe sex, driving under the influence, etc. Taking drugs lessens the feeling of distress and most people abuse. Drug addiction can set back the user from achieving their goals, it’s important to make wise decisions to have a successful future.…