Opioid Drug Abuse
Culture is explained as a system of patterns involving beliefs and behavior that a particular group of people is identified with. It serves as a guide of how the society is supposed to behave. Each member of the community is expected to adhere to social obligations, failure to which dire consequences befall the victim. Opioids refer to a class of illicit drugs whose use leads to massive destruction of body cells. Communities in the world have been using alcoholic substances for entertainment for a long time. Those who drank were expected to carry themselves around in decorum so that cultural values are not broke. What is considered as drug abuse is culturally determined and varies from one society to another.
Initially, opium was used for medicinal purpose. Communities believed that the plant relived pain, in addition to curing diarrhea. With time, people started using the drug for no medicinal purposes, leading to complications in their health status. It is for this reason that culture stepped in to prevent its people from abusing the drug. Moreover, opiods completely alter the proper functioning of a person’s mind. The society would not want to have people that are not productive in any way. It will, therefore, put measures aimed at controlling the intake of opioid analgesics for the purpose of preserving its integrity (Fischer et al. 2014).
Religious groups and healthcare have held similar views on some topics for a long time. It will be remembered that early missionary work incorporated spirituality and healthcare to lure people. When people would gather, they would be attended to health wise and spiritually. An integral role of religion is to develop its members spiritually. Opioid dependency has led to an increase in the number of people with mental problems both in the US and the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the number is expected to rise in future because young people resort to abusing the drug citing an increase in the day to day life challenges.
According to Ram & Chisolm (2016) spirituality has been found to influence progress in addressing the opioid substance addiction positively. Studies conducted among individuals recovering from drug and substance abuse found out that religion played a prominent role in transforming their lives. The same can be said of inmates who have been convicted for abusing illegal substances. Since there is no chance of abusing the drugs, most of inmates are born again and when they come out they are completely different. They try to find solace in the word of God and would never imagine of backsliding. In as much as many would argue of the importance of rehabilitation centers towards transformation of people, the role of religion comes out strong. Those who subscribe to the religion would say God has a plan for the life of each person. For Him to change an individual, He will first let them undergo a difficult experience so that they see the other side which they regret not to have chosen.
Uebelacker et al. (2016) denote that prescription of non medical opiods remains a global challenge despite numerous legislations by governments across the globe. Deaths from opiod overdose are on an increase in this decade. In the US, the rural populations of Kentucky, West Virginia, Alaska and Oklahoma have experienced high death rates as a result of opiod intoxication. Reasons advanced for the increase in non-medical opiod prescriptions have been attributed to increased availability and access, lower perceptions of harm and self medication to alleviate pain. In one of his final addresses to the nation, the 44th president of the US called upon everyone from the political divide to put their efforts together and fight the menace of drug and heroine abuse.
Despite the fact that the two political outfits may be different ideologically, it was necessary for them to pull together towards a drug free nation. In his first address to the nation as president-elect, Mr. Trump reiterated his desire to build a wall on the border with Mexico so that the issue to do with drug abuse will be long forgotten. It is through the borders that drug barons smuggle in the drugs, despite there being tight security. It is believed that they issue the security officers at the border huge bribes for their items to get access into the country.
It is worrying that some countries have legalized hard drugs such as marijuana. Yet still, there are those countries and states that are in the process of legalizing other hard drugs. This is sad, taking into account the addiction cases around the world. The number of unproductive members in the community is increasing on a daily basis. However, there are those countries that have tightened up their borders so that nothing illegal may get access. The most unfortunate thing is the fact that politicians who have been mandated to take care of people’s lives engage in the unlawful business of drugs. In such a case, the country may be nothing since drug barons are the ones protected and will do as they would wish.
References
Fischer, B., Keates, A., Bühringer, G., Reimer, J., & Rehm, J. (2014). Non‐medical use of prescription opioids and prescription opioid‐related harms: why so markedly higher in North America compared to the rest of the world?. Addiction, 109(2), 177-181.
Ram, A., & Chisolm, M. S. (2016). The Time is Now: Improving Substance Abuse Training in Medical Schools. Academic Psychiatry, 40(3), 454-460.
Uebelacker, L. A., Bailey, G., Herman, D., Anderson, B., & Stein, M. (2016). Patients’ Beliefs About Medications are Associated with Stated Preference for Methadone, Buprenorphine, Naltrexone, or no Medication-Assisted Therapy Following Inpatient Opioid Detoxification. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 66, 48-53.
