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UNDERSTANDING OPIOIDS

The term opioid painkillers is used to refer to prescription drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine. The most common brands of prescription opioids include OxyContin and Vicodin. When used as prescribed, these medications are often helpful for addressing physical pain following surgical procedures and severe injuries. Unfortunately, these medications are often misused and abused. Not all opioids are prescription medications. The class of substances also includes natural drugs like heroin (which is processed from opium poppies) and synthetic drugs like fentanyl . Heroin and fentanyl both affect the body and brain in similar ways as other opioids. They can also lead to dependency and addiction issues based on the body’s response to the drug and the sense of euphoria the drug can create. In the United States, opioid prescriptions have increased significantly. In 1991, doctors wrote 76 million prescriptions for these drugs. In 2013, they wrote nearly three times as many (207 million prescriptions). Between July of 2016 and September of 2017, emergency room visits linked to opioid overdose rose about 30 percent throughout the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The increased use of opioid prescriptions, and the sharp rise in overdose deaths, has created a public health crisis that the federal and state governments have been battling against for several years. First responders such as paramedics, EMTs, and law-enforcement officers are in the front lines of that fight.

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How First Responders and ER Doctors Save Lives and Educate