The crisis of addiction to opioids is currently sweeping the nation, much like crack cocaine during the 1980s. It’s a terrible crisis that carries a high mortality rate and is spreading rapidly to all corners of the nation. However, why is it spreading so fast? In fact, how has it spread so fast? The answer is quite simple: technology. The uses of various smartphone applications as well as various websites have made it easier to obtain opioids and, by extension, to fatally overdose on them. Technology has enabled the massive addiction to become a bigger problem than any other drug problem ever could’ve been.
The opioid crisis was born out of widespread addiction to opioids. These – usually helpful – pieces of medication which are prescribed by doctors have certain chemicals which can get the brain addicted to the medication. The major problem with becoming addicted to these is that the risk of overdosing on them is very high, and the majority of overdoses are fatal. The network that covers the country for the opioid trade is the major cause of these drugs getting in the hands of addicts, and what’s leading to their untimely deaths. It really is, hyperbole aside, an epidemic.
So, where does technology come into this? Well, opioid addicts use the internet, via black market websites in order to “score” (obtain the opioids) and to get high. The network that was previously mentioned wouldn’t exist without the help of the internet. People who get prescribed opioids for medical problems can make a quick turnaround by selling those to addicts who want to satisfy themselves. There are smartphone applications designed just for the purpose of connecting with buyers and sellers, but it would be better not to give them free publicity by listing their names here.
Technology is helping the opioid crisis spread rapidly. Despite this, the opportunity to receive treatment for the addiction is also being helped and spread to a wide range of people via the internet. That’s why organizations such as the Pathfinders Recovery Center have given themselves a large technological presence online. It’s the people who work here (and at places like them) that are helping to combat the crisis, and who can actually help people who have become addicted. Sending the addicted people you know to professionals is the best way to get them the help they so desperately need.
It may be impossible to rid the technological world of the opioid trade, but it’s not impossible to get the people we know off of opioids and onto the path of sobriety.
They just need professional help, which is why clinics and rehabilitation centers are the best paths for them. It’s also vital to keep a monitor on their technological habits and interactions. Keep in mind how easy it is to receive drugs via internet connections, making it the most important place to have a steadfast eye on, if only to insure that recovery is done in full.
Infographic Source: https://pathfindersaz.com/what-we-treat/prescription-pill-addiction/