WHAT IS THE OPIOID CRISIS?

THE OPIOID CRISIS IS A PROBLEM CAUSED BY:

• Pharmaceutical companies promoting new pain medications as safe and not addictive
• Doctors were concerned about people having too much pain and overprescribed the medications
• People became addicted and when the doctors stopped prescribing opioids, they turned to illegal drugs like heroin

The crisis started in the 1990’s and still continues today. People who started to take the medications became addicted over time.

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This is newsworthy because many people have lost their lives. Innocent people were prescribed opioids and became addicted. In many cases it was not their fault.

People have lost their jobs, gone broke, gotten arrested, and even lost their lives because of their drug use.

I think this article could fit in an economic lens and a cultural lens.

Economic Lens:
The pharmaceutical companies have been sued and the crisis has cost the country a lot of money.

Cultural Lens:
The crisis affects the communities of the people who have become addicted to opioids.
1. There is a culture of shame. People have been embarrassed to admit that they have a problem.
2. Communities have had to build more treatment centers to treat opioid addiction as more people have come forward.

Thanks for listening!