Answer:
Over the past several years, the misuse of opioids – ranging from prescription painkillers to black tar heroin – has reached epidemic proportions. In 2015, the Media Research Center reported that drug overdoses had surpassed motor vehicle accident fatalities nationwide for the first time. Since 1999, nearly 200,000 Americans have died from a prescription drug overdose. Heroin use increased in response to advocate and lawmaker efforts to restrict overprescribing, doctor shopping, and opioid sales via online pharmacies. As prescription drug overdoses fell from 2010 to 2015, the number of heroin overdoses tripled.
Opioids are synthetic or semi-synthetic substances originating from the poppy plant. Examples include heroin, Fentanyl, and prescription opioid painkillers, all of which operate in the same fashion, albeit with varying degrees of strength. Synthetic opioids are among the most dangerous and addictive. The synthetic opioid Fentanyl, for example, is 25 to 50 times more potent than heroin, which is a semi-synthetic substance.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains, “[Opioids] act by attaching to specific proteins called opioid receptors, which are found on nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord, gastrointestinal tract, and other organs in the body.” When substances attach to these receptors, they change how the brain perceives pain and instead produce feelings of euphoria. They also slow essential body functions, such as heart rate and breathing.