Victoria DiPaola
PHR 2367.02
July 2, 2021
The Effects of Prescription Drug Use on American Culture
How does prescription drug misuse and abuse affect society? Although many people
see prescription drugs as a way to live a normal life, they hinder society. Many people form a
dependency on their prescribed drug and cannot live without it. These dependencies can be
detrimental to both the physical and mental health of the individual. For example, if a drug is
prescribed to help an individual with pain, without the drug, their pain is worse. Drug
dependence also affects mental health and people may act like someone they are not. People
misuse and abuse prescription drugs in many ways. For instance, some people might take a
double dose of their pain medication one day because they are experiencing more pain than
normal. On the other hand, some people form full blown addictions to the medications they are
prescribed and turn to street drugs, such as heroin to fuel their addiction. Addiction can lead to
other issues down the road that impact not only the individual taking the drug, but also the
people around them.
Opioids have become the second leading cause of death in the United States
(Semenkovich). Since 1999, unintentional overdose deaths have nearly quadrupled (Volkow).
An estimated 21 to 29 percent of prescribed opioid users misuse them and between 8 and 12
percent develop an opioid use disorder (NIDA). This is an alarming epidemic affecting
individuals and families across the nation. In fact, 54 percent of Americans know someone who
has died from a drug overdose (American Addiction Centers). Prescription drug misuse and
abuse negatively impacts society due to impairment of physical and mental health, increased
violent behavior, and increased healthcare costs.
Prescription drug misuse leads to negative effects on an individual’s physical and mental
health. While it may seem illogical that prescription drugs can cause harm to one’s mental
health due to its euphoric and analgesic effects, this is not the case. In a study documented in
Missouri Medicine, researchers found that prescription opioids increased the risk of developing
major depressive disorder. Factors that increase this risk are the increase of dose and the
duration of the dose (Semenkovich). Prescription drugs can be detrimental to a person’s
physical and mental health because many people form an addiction or dependence on the drug
they take. People addicted to prescription drugs are more likely to develop mood and anxiety
disorders compared to people not addicted to prescription drugs. In addition to this, people who
already suffer from poor physical health and mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety,
are more likely to use prescription drugs to cope with their problems. In fact, 16 percent of
individuals with mental health disorders account for nearly half of the opioid prescriptions in the
U.S. (Jerant). Substance abuse is quite common for individuals with depression and anxiety
disorders due to the feelings of loneliness and hopelessness the disorders cause (Lesser).
Because of this, they form addictions to the drugs they abuse and without it, they experience
physical withdrawal symptoms and may act like someone they are not.
A reasonable objective for this is that prescription drugs allow people to function in their
daily lives. For people with severe pain, prescription drugs, such as opioids, are a lifesaver.
They allow the individual to perform daily tasks without being hindered by the pain they would
experience without the drug. Many people would not be able to work and provide for themselves
if they did not have prescription drugs to alleviate their pain. In a study done by BMC
Musculoskelet Disord, participants that used opioids found themselves able to regain control
over their pain and began to feel like themselves again. Many patients experienced feelings of
desperation and loss of function before beginning opioids (Ljungvall). However, using
prescription drugs allows users to feel normal again, and without them their pain is unbearable.
For this reason, this is not a fair objection. If opioid use was contributing to physical and mental
health in a positive way, users should be able to easily cease their usage and begin to live an
ordinary life without being dependent on prescription drugs. Although they may not have an
addiction to opioids, their body still has a dependence on the drug and has a difficult time
functioning without it. Depression, body aches, and anxiety may occur in patients for months
after stopping the medication (Semenkovich). All in all, prescription drugs can be detrimental to
one’s physical and mental health due to the addiction that many users form while on the drugs.
Heightened rates of prescription drug misuse and abuse can lead to heightened crime
levels and domestic abuse. Because prescription drugs can affect an individual’s mental health
and make them more violent, they are more likely to get into violent behaviors. In addition, some
people with addictions to their prescription drug begin to steal to fuel their addiction. In the same
way that alcohol can make an individual more violent, prescription drugs can have the same
effect. If a person is abusing their prescribed drug and is taking more than their recommended
dose, they can experience a high from the drug. Inebriation from prescription drugs can cause
violent behavior and an individual is more likely to abuse someone physically or emotionally.
Moreover, buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction and withdrawal, showed
significant evidence in reducing crime rates, as well as accidental overdoses (Molero). This
means that once those suffering from opioid misuse stop using the drug, they reduce their risk
of engaging in crime or accidentally overdosing. The rate of crime is increased while on opioids.
Heavy opioid users commit crimes more frequently than moderate opioid users or users of other
drugs such as cannabis (Hammersley). Opioid use causes people to engage in violent behavior
and commit crimes. After all, many people believe that since prescription drugs are legal drugs,
there is no way that they can cause an increase in crime. As explored previously, prescription
drug misuse can negatively affect physical and mental health, allowing for people to engage in
crimes. Overall, the rate of crime increases with an increase in opioid use and abuse.
Some could argue that this is not true for all patients using prescription drugs. As
mentioned before, for many people, prescription drugs help them to live productive and happy
lives. Some may go as far as to say that opioids make an individual less aggressive. In fact, a
study done in 2009 showed evidence that opioid dependent individuals are less likely to
participate in aggressive behaviors (Moore). This is not true though, as more recent studies
show significant evidence against this. Chronic exposure to opioids is associated with more
aggressive behaviors (Moore). This means people that are on opioids for an extended period of
time are more likely to develop aggressive behaviors. Besides participating in crime, opioid
abusers are also more likely to participate in domestic abuse. Opioid-dependent fathers report
remarkably greater prevalence of severe psychological aggression, minor physical aggression,
severe physical aggression, and severe sexual coercion directed at the mother of their child as
compared to non-opioid-dependent fathers (Moore). In addition to this, mean prone to intimate
partner violence are more likely to demonstration hostile-coercive parenting behaviors (Moore).
Although one can make the argument that opioids have sedative and euphoric affects, this does
not mean they are less likely to engage in crime and violent behavior.
Opioid abuse greatly impacts healthcare costs for both the individual and society all
together. Opioid abuse has significant clinical and economic consequences for patients, health
care providers, commercial and government payers, and society all together (Moore). Opioid
abusers struggle financially and have healthcare costs approximately 8 times higher than those
of a non-abuser (Hahn). This is likely due to the fact that opioid abusers have more frequent
physician visits, go through more mental health services, emergency room visits, vehicle
accidents, and cases of trauma (Hahn). In fact, opioid abusers are found to be 4 times as likely
to visit the ED, 11 times as likely to have a mental health outpatient visit, and 12 times as likely
to have an inpatient hospital day, compared to non-abusers (Meyer). As mentioned previously,
opioid abuse has adverse effects on mental and physical health. This means users have to go
through more treatment, thus, paying more in healthcare costs. Some opioid users may begin to
struggle financially and have a difficult time supporting themselves because of all of the medical
bills they have to take care of. The opioid epidemic not only financially affects the individual, but
also the economy altogether. In fact, The White House Budget Office estimates that drug abuse
costs the US government nearly $300 billion a year (Meyer). This is costing the country money,
not just the individual abusing opioids. Opioid misuse and abuse has substantial financial
impacts on the individual and the economy.
Although the opioid epidemic has taken over the United States, there are measures that
can be taken to reduce the effects of this crisis on society. Educating healthcare providers and
patients on opioids can reduce abuse by introducing prescription monitoring programs,
preventing prescription errors, checking patient identification at the pharmacy, and the use of
abuse-deterrent drugs (Hahn). If healthcare providers prescribing opioids know more about
them and their risk for abuse, they can make a more significant effort at educating patients on
these risks. Many people that take opioids and begin to use them may not fully understand how
negatively the drugs can affect them, so simply knowing more about them can reduce the
number of people misusing them. By integrating prescription monitoring programs, patients will
have a lower possibility of opioid misuse because their past prescriptions will be monitored and
evaluated before being given a prescription. This epidemic is difficult to control and will be
challenging to put an end to it overall but following some of these measures can assist in
lessening the likelihood of someone misusing the drugs. Prescription drugs not only affect the
individual, but also American society as a whole. Dealing with loved ones that are misusing
opioids can be challenging and burdensome to watch because of the fear of what could happen
to them.
All in all, the bad outweighs the good when it comes to the use of prescription drugs.
Many people misuse and abuse their prescribed drugs. It may begin harmless or as an
accident, but later down the line addictions can be formed. Although many people use
prescription drugs responsibly, there are still many people who have let prescription drugs
negatively impact their lives and turn them into someone they are not. With this, people who
take prescription drugs can become more violent. As stated, this causes an increase in verbal
and physical abuse as well as increased crime. The addiction that prescription drugs cause in
some patients can be detrimental to their physical and mental wellbeing. This epidemic is also
affecting people and the economy financially. The healthcare costs of being an opioid addict are
much higher than those of someone who does not abuse opioids. Although there are some
positives to the use of prescription opioids, other drugs with less adverse effects should be
investigated to use instead. To conclude, prescription drug misuse negatively impacts an
individual’s physical and mental health, causes an increase in violent behaviors, and an
increase in healthcare costs.
References
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