Understanding the Opioid Epidemic
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), more than 90 Americans die every day after overdosing on opioids. “The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when you add up the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment – including professional treatment in Florida detox centers – and criminal justice involvement, the ‘economic burden’ of prescription opioid misuse in the United States is estimated to be about $78.5 billion a year.
How did we get here? “In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers, and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates. This subsequently led to widespread diversion and misuse of these medications before it became clear that these medications could indeed be highly addictive,” NIDA reports.
The result, of course, is that the number of opioid overdoses began to rise. Also on the rise has been the need for qualified and caring drug detox in Florida. “In 2015, more than 33,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose, including prescription opioids, heroin, and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid,” the NIDA says. “That same year, an estimated two million people in the United States suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers, and 591,000 suffered from a heroin use disorder (not mutually exclusive).”
The numbers continue to tell a troubling story. Again, these figures are from NIDA:
- Approximately 21% to 29% of patients who have been prescribed opioids for chronic pain, for one reason or another, end up misusing them.
- Anywhere between 8% and 12% of these patients go on to develop an opioid-use disorder.
- An estimated 4% to 6% of the patients who misuse prescription opioids end up turning to heroin.
- Among heroin users, about 80 percent first misused prescription opioids.
As you can see, those who are struggling with opioid addiction and in need of a detox center in Florida are not alone. “This issue has become a public health crisis with devastating consequences including increases in opioid misuse and related overdoses,” the NIDA says.
In addition to destroying individual lives and tearing families apart, the country’s opioid crisis has led to an increase in the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome because expectant mothers misuse prescription drugs during pregnancy. Infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis C are also on the upswing because of the increase in injection drug use.
On the national level, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has established a number of priorities. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a component of HHS, is taking the lead in addressing the crisis by researching new and better ways to prevent opioid misuse, treat opioid use disorders, and manage pain.
Progress in confronting the epidemic is welcome news but for those who have already become victims of this national public health crisis, a different kind of help is needed.
At Spring Gardens, a leading center for drug detox in Florida, we understand that there are many steps involved in overcoming an opioid addiction. First and foremost is the need to stop taking the drugs. The withdrawal symptoms associated with that step are very real and very difficult to face alone. Without medical supervision, they can also be very dangerous. Our unique Florida detox center has helped many already and we can help you.
You don’t have to detox in Tampa. Detox services at Spring Gardens in nearby Spring Hill include:
- Fully licensed staff
- Upscale amenities with a tranquil environment
- Renowned doctor as the medical director
- Amino acid and pediment IV infusions
- Shaman-led yoga classes and guided meditation
You can recover from prescription painkiller dependence. You just need the right detox treatment center in Florida to start your addiction recovery journey. Call Spring Gardens Recovery today at (866) 244-9556.
