Ryan spent most of his adult life dealing with stress through self-medication. Substances in his teenage years turned into Oxycodone, which led to illegal opioids and Fentanyl. He was struggling to cope with the “feeling of a life poorly lived without drugs.”
On September 27, 2019, Ryan was in an accident, crashing his truck and nearly losing his life. Ryan was operating his truck under the influence of Fentanyl.
March 13 marks the third anniversary of Ryan returning home after six months in a rehabilitation treatment program for substance addiction. (click here to read the full post)
This is just one of many stories of individuals affected by opioids. According to the CDC, 10,375 people in the United States died of drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending in January 2022. 67 percent of those deaths were attributed to Fentanyl. The opioid crisis has had an immense impact across the nation, causing immeasurable suffering. How did we get here and what resources are available to fight back against the crisis?
What are Opioids?
Opioids are a class of drugs that work as pain relievers available legally by prescription. Prescription opioids come in various forms, including tablets, capsules, syrups, solutions, and suppositories. Common legal prescription opioids are Oxycodone, Morphine and Methadone, and are prescribed by doctors to treat those with severe pain. Any opioid used by an individual not as directed or not prescribed to them is illegal. Heroin is also an illegal opioid and is not prescribed by any physician in the United States. Other Illegal opioids include Hydrocodone, Loperamide, and Fentanyl which is a synthetic opioid. Read more >
This post is related to:
Drug Diversion Monitoring, Diversion Prevention
