The Opioid Epidemic and the Age Groups Most Commonly Affected
The opioid crisis has become a national epidemic, affecting more and more communities through misuse and addiction each year. Especially in areas in the United States such as Sonoma County, overdose and addiction rates of individuals ranging from adolescent to elderly has continuously risen as the crisis has continued. In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured patients and those within the medical community that prescription opioids or pain killers were non-addictive. In current studies and due to the rise in addiction of these pain killers, as recently as 2017, it was stated that nationally, more than 47,000 citizens in the United States have died as a result of overdose and that the rate of those who develop an opioid use disorder lies between 8% to 12%.
opioid misuse hasIn Sonoma County, there has been a spike in opioid addiction and overdose. Studies indicate that between 2010 and 2017, the rate of hospital visits due to prescription opioid overdose in Sonoma county increased to 50%. In comparison to the rate of emergency room visits regarding opioid misuse in California as a whole, Sonoma County is currently 80% higher. As of recently, the age groups primarily affected by opioid misuse has shifted from older individuals to younger. Studies show that the number of emergency room visits is currently up 40% for individuals aging between 15 to 19 and 64% for those aging around 25 to 29. Misuse and the number of death rates has also increased for older individuals from 55 to 64 year olds, but not as rapid as younger generations.
shifted from older
individuals to younger
As a result, it was indicated in 2018 that a growing majority of those affected by opioids are the younger generations. Some within the medical community believe that it is due to the legalization of the painkillers and due to the cultural shift around substance use that more and more adolescents are beginning to believe that the use of painkillers are fine due to the fact that they are legal within the United States. It has also been found that adolescents and young adults are commonly prescribed opioids after medical or dental procedures, some of which relating to wisdom teeth removal or sports injury related surgeries. Some are usually left with extra painkillers, leading to the possibility of later use or the possibility of passing the pills around.
In relation to older individuals, it has been reported in 2011 that over 50% of the elderly population are regularly affected and depend on opioids due to chronic pain. Studies have also found that opioid use is highly common and more frequently distributed to older adults in nursing homes in comparison to those who may live in a more community setting. It was also found that older individuals, older women in particular, have a lower risk of opioid misuse, but that they fall vulnerable to the unfavorable effects of opioid use, some of which may consist of accidental overdose, constipation, respiratory depression, and sedation. Overuse has also led to hospitalization among older adults. Though misuse among some individuals may not be as common, the aftermath of opioid use has its negatives that may affect the individual in the long-term.