Opioid addiction still needs to be addressed

by Charlie Kaneer, Opinion Section Editor

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

Opioids are often prescribed by doctors, not all addictive drugs come from the streets."Oxycodone Prescription Bottle with Pills Spilling Out." by ShebleyCL is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Opioid addiction. This is a subject that is often swept under the rug of “modest” conversation and largely left out of the typical “Don’t Do Drugs” talk we all receive at one point or another. Why is that?

According to Janet Thode, a drug specialist in the Hilliard City School District who works with Syntero Inc., 14% of teens in 2019 admitted to participating in the use of opioids. That number shocked me. I couldn’t understand how such a large statistic is simply ignored by adults worried about their children participating in recreational drug use. 14%, and I have never once heard a single adult warn me about the effects of opioids. That needs to change.

I had to learn the hard way. A person close to me fell to opioid addiction a few years ago. It all started with a prescription, which eventually spiraled out of control. She ended up being cycled into trafficking. Her story, unlike some others, did have a happy ending. She was found and is now still seeking help to recover years later. However, at the time, I was absolutely blown away. No one had ever taught me that the drugs that doctors gave me could be dangerous. I thought addictive drugs only came from the streets. Al Hessler (10) was introduced to opioid addiction in a harsh way, confiding, “[Her] grandfather had a pill addiction.” Emma Hampton (10) also learned from example, stating “[She] learned about opioids through [her] grandma because [her grandma] lives in Tipp City. There are a lot of overdose cases there.” They had both been exposed to the harsh reality in a personal situation rather than a controlled environment.

Mrs. Buscemi also shared a personal experience with me stating that, “at [her] other job as a licensed social worker the families would come in with addictions and [they] would find needles in their rooms and pill bottles." She "had a student at a former school who had a heroin addiction, and when [the student] came to school, she was very lethargic"… "and would have to leave to shoot up. " Buscemi noted, "Her addiction was severe" and she "tried to help [the student] navigate to rehab because [the student] was depressed." Thankfully though, Buscemi said, "last I talked to her, she’s clean. She got sepsis from needle usage. That was her bottom.” Opioids and addiction have very real effects on families, personal health, and one's future.

According to Janet Thode, the effects of opioid addiction include pain relief, sleepiness, nausea, constipation, dependence, confusion, and euphoria. The negative effects are often temporarily eased by usage, which is what leads to addiction. Anyone who uses opioids is at risk for addiction. Women, people with family addiction history, young people, heavy tobacco users, risk-takers, and people with a history of depression or anxiety have a higher risk of forming an addiction. There are many resources Janet provided me for addiction rehabilitation that will be listed at the end of the article.

Withdrawals from opioids are dangerous and often will make a user cycle back into addiction to make it stop. Most of the time, when healing from an opioid addiction, one should seek medical assistance. Naloxone reverses the effects of opioid addiction in emergency situations. One can take classes to train in how to handle the drug if they work around or live with a user at risk of overdose. Many with opioid addictions also find help in 12-step rehabilitation programs.

If you know someone who may take or need to take opioids, it is important to know how to prevent addiction. Janet Thode recommends: do not take more medication than prescribed by your doctor, do not take medication that is not prescribed to you- even if it is the exact medication you take, only take medication for what they are designed to help- not for how they make you feel, dispose of unused medication safely, and keep medication locked up and away from children.

Opioid addiction needs to be discussed, in both school and family circles. Addiction can happen to anyone, which makes it crucial to educate the public on its existence, effects, and prevention. Once all of these steps are taken, the epidemic will finally be brought to light and addressed by both the public and public officials who then may work to make the world a safer place for those struggling.

Where to get help:

Locally, Syntero, Inc. Offers outpatient recovery to youth and adults: 614-889-5722 ext. 133

Netcare (18+): 614-276-2273

In an emergency always call 911