Opioid Abuse in America | Teen Ink

Opioid Abuse in America

May 21, 2018
By UjuIluno BRONZE, Houston, Texas
UjuIluno BRONZE, Houston, Texas
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Some people even take drugs to make a statement as an act of rebellion. A woman named Charlotte from South England tried heroin as an act of rebellion, she reveled in doing something so forbidden. She claimed, “I wanted to break all the rules. After I did it the first time, I felt so alive, so free and powerful. Rules lost their hold over me. When I shoot up (inject), I feel so independent, so wicked. It’s the ultimate transgression, the unforgivable rebellion. The very “badness” of shooting heroin is exactly why I didn’t give it a second thought”. These drugs give people and emotional escape, a release form reality. The thrill of feeling unfamiliar feelings is what keeps them wanting to experience more.


Many countries, including the United States struggle everyday fighting opioid abuse. Many medical organizations and centers have executed research about this opioid epidemic death rate in America. According to “The Center for Disease Control”, and the “National Institute on Drug Abuse”, overall up to 90 to 100 people die every single day from overdosing on prescribed drugs. What people don’t realize is how deadly some of these drugs can be. Just because these drugs were prescribed or labeled as “pain relievers” doesn’t mean that they’re automatically healthy or “good for you”. Even one pill or dose of the medication can lead to major effects on the brain and cause death. For example, a British teenager, Leah Betts died after taking a single ecstasy tablet.


The author's comments:

For the past years, I've been hearing news about an opioid epidemic in America. So I wanted to learn more about why these Opioids were so addicting, and why they created a high risk of death.


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This article has 1 comment.


on Oct. 15 2018 at 1:04 pm
Bethany28 BRONZE, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
4 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
No rain, no flowers.

Very well thought out!