Exposing Where the Opioid Epidemic in America Really Came From

There’s no way of going around it: the opioid epidemic in America is unrelenting. 

The use and abuse of prescription painkillers have reached record levels in the United States, devastating families and killing thousands. In fact, opioid overdoses killed over 81,000 Americans in 2022, more than any year on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

And now we know that the drug companies that make these drugs used aggressive marketing and questionable research to convince us that they were not addictive.

Unfortunately, the dangers for patients remain at an all-time high. The CDC also reports that in 2018, the last year for which complete data was available, more than 1 in 5 Americans had an opioid prescription filled. 

That year saw 40 Americans dying to this epidemic every single day. 

So, how do we climb out of the hole willingly dug by the healthcare professionals who take an oath to “do no harm”? 

Start by understanding the issue and how we got here.  

How the Foundation Was Laid for an Opioid Epidemic in America

How exactly did an opioid epidemic in America originate? Until the mid-1990s, opioids were only prescribed for pain from severe injuries or to cancer patients. That all changed in 1996 with the introduction of OxyContin, an extended-release opioid from Purdue Pharma. This drug was heavily promoted to doctors as less addictive and therefore appropriate for more common conditions, even though Purdue executives knew the opposite was true. 

As prescription opioids became a cash cow for many pharmaceutical companies, they continued to trivialize the risks while overstating the benefits of opioid usage. Meanwhile, overdoses from prescription and non-prescription opioids surged since OxyContin came on the market, leaving millions of grieving survivors across the country.

The effects of this duplicitous marketing and widespread distribution created the opioid epidemic we are still dealing with to this very day. For additional information regarding the resultant legal battles, see our blog post “Fighting Back Against Corporate Greed is a Victory for Accountability.”

Opioid Prescriptions Continue at Dangerous Rates

Despite efforts to curb opioid prescriptions, investigations have found that doctors and dentists in the U.S. continue to prescribe opioids at dangerous rates, contributing to the ongoing opioid epidemic in America. 

Research shows that many healthcare providers still prescribe opioids for conditions where safer alternatives exist. As one researcher noted, Americans are 5% of the world’s population, but we consume 80% of the world’s prescription opioids. Many safety advocates argue that a cultural norm within the medical profession prioritizes pain relief over the risks of opioid addiction.

“We’ve had an attitude about opioids that they are similar to antibiotics, where you can prescribe and forget,” Travis Rieder, a bioethicist at Johns Hopkins University, told NPR. “That’s a crazy view for a medicine like opioids.”

Rieder would know as he struggled with an opioid use disorder following a motorcycle accident in 2015. “I’d just call the surgeon, and he’d up the dose. They kept writing the prescriptions, and I kept taking them,” he added.

How to Take Personal Responsibility with Prescription Medications

What can you do to keep yourself safe with highly addictive prescription medications like opioids? Exercise extreme caution when coming in contact with prescription opioids in your life. If your doctor prescribes one of these drugs for you or a family member, ask about and seriously consider less addictive medications, appropriate therapies, and other ways to manage pain. If you do decide to go with opiates, consider these tips:

• Stay in touch with your doctor to ensure that your medication works and that the dose is appropriate.
• Follow directions carefully. Use your medication the way it was prescribed.
• When you are nearing the end of your prescription, discuss the safest way to discontinue use and prevent withdrawal.

Activism Can Help the Growth of Opioid Addiction

What can we do to help stem the growth of opioid addiction and create a future with fewer overdoses? One way is to support lawmakers who are taking on Big Pharma and holding them accountable.

Another way is to acknowledge doctors’ role in building an overprescribing culture. If you or a loved one has been a victim of the opioid epidemic in America and you wish to discuss the specifics of your case in a free consultation with an experienced Tucson personal injury lawyer, please contact us today.