The nature of addiction can be debated on both social and biological perspectives. Most people view opiate addiction as a sign of irresponsibility among the users. Drug abuse generally has been accepted in most parts of the society due to the availability of corrective measures, such as treatment options. The American Medical Association prohibited the use of pharmacotherapy as a treatment to opiate addicts in 1920. The medical profession later renewed the policies on treatment of opiate addiction in the 1950’s when addiction was considered a medical disease (Barnett, Zaric, & Brandeau, 2001). Physicians began exercising short-term opiate substitution on addicts. Forcing an addict to engage in the treatment session does not substantial benefit, as the user may be lured into abusing the drugs again (Buchman, Skinner, & Illes, 2010). The society should embark on educating people about the negative effects of drug abuse, rather than relying on treatment as the sole solution.
Opiate addiction causes major problems on the addict, family, and the society. According to a 1997 National Health Institute research, the financial costs related to untreated Opium addiction cases increases by 12% annually (Barnett, Zaric, & Brandeau, 2001). Other costs include destabilized communities, broken families, increased crimes, high risk of disease transmission, increased mortality rate, and high health costs. Illicit use of opiates leads to an increment in the law enforcement costs in the attempt to stop social crimes and drug dealing (Gillian & Strang, 2003). Establishing clinics to conduct methadone maintenance programs does not solve the opiate addiction problem. The availability of methadone, which is an addictive drug, may increase problems in the society, which have adverse effects on the community’s future.
The treatment for addiction to opiates has created controversy among people, in political, social, and economical aspects. According to the Treatment National Agency for Substance Abuse in Britain, formulated strategies to intervene in the controversies created among the members of the Democrat coalition. The party leaders gave contradictory sentiments regarding the treatment of opiate addicts. Some people argued that the drug was effective in treating various ailments for several centuries, and it would be essential to conduct treatment practices on the addicts. Others argued that treating the addicts would be a way to encourage them to opt for another type of drug abuse.
According to Barnett, Zaric, & Brandeau (2001),the middle and upper class American women were the most common victims of opiate addiction in the late 1800s. The epidemiology of the opiate use in the USA changed when physicians noticed the addictive nature of opiate prescriptions. This process occurred after the clinicians ha created several addicts among the patients. The government intervened by confiscating the drugs, increasing the tax rate, and banning the use of opiates. The people that advocated for treatment of opiate addicts preferred the use of methadone, as studies revealed that it would be effective for opiate withdrawal. The historical challenge the use of opiates is their unique medicinal characteristics, which enable them to act as pain relievers (Smith, Pappagallo, & Stahl, 2012). Opiates have been effective in their usage as a recreational drug, which has encouraged several people to use them.
The studies conducted on the opiates reveal that they are addictive, and can harm an individual health, if not administered according to the physicians’ prescription (Gillian, & Strang, 2003). People’s ignorance leads to the addiction of opiates since most people have access to medical treatment. Establishing health facilities to deal with opiate addicts is a way of encouraging drug abuse. It is essential to discern between opiate addiction and abuse; the opiate addiction can occur when an individual uses them for either recreation or for pain relief. The pain management specialists do not focus on the side effect of opiate use, which limits the effectiveness of addiction reduction. Addiction specialists argue that opiates have negative effects even when used for the right reasons. According to recent household studies, one to two adults in the United States of America, Australia, and Europe, have used opiate drugs at some point in their lives (Smith, Pappagallo, & Stahl, 2012).
The presence of a clinic to serve opiate addicts encourages the continuation of drug abuse in the society. It shows that the public accepts that preventive measures are irrelevant in dealing with opiate abuse. Focusing on creating awareness, especially among young people is a better option rather than constructing a clinic to handle opiate addicts (Buchman, Skinner, & Illes, 2010). Drug abuse affects the family members and the society negatively; treatment takes a long period to complete, and the pain involved becomes traumatic to the family members. Establishing a clinic structure and treating opiate addictions does not necessarily mean that users will stop abusing drugs. Individuals may opt to abuse the drugs again since they have access to the clinic. It is relatively common for addicts to continue using the drugs even after treatment due to the historical length of use, complexity of addicts’ lives and reasons for the use, and the addictive nature of opiate (Barnett, Zaric, & Brandeau, 2001). Establishing a health facility to facilitate treatment of opiate addiction is against the moral aspect of a society.
Many patients who undergo treatment sessions on opiate addiction, lack control over the addiction and treatment process. This may tamper with full recovery due to lack of freedom to involve in the decision making process. Independence is an essential element in enhancing full recovery of an addict. The society may allow the establishment of a clinic, and have illusive expectations about treating opiate addiction. The recovery process of an opiate addict is usually a day-to-day process, and it comprises of various challenges, such as occasional relapse. According to Buchman, Skinner, & Illes (2010), substance abuse does not exhibit positive outcomes within a limited duration; this is because they are totally dependent on the length of treatment.
The use of methadone as the main treatment agent has raised concern in countries, such as United Sates of America (Gillian, & Strang, 2003). Recent studies reveal that methadone use substitutes an addiction for another. This indicates that the treatment of opiate addiction has severe effects on the patients, as the treatment complicates the healing process acquiring through other addictions. Public use of methadone as a treatment agent is likely to allow abuse among the people; this is because it is relatively difficult to control the access of the drug to the people in the society (Buchman, Skinner, & Illes, 2010). People are likely to engage in crime and drug dealing to supplement their income. The illegal sale of methadone is harmful to the opiate addicts as continued use the drug may lead to severe health complications. According to Elovich, Richard, & Drucker (2012), cities situated near clinics with Opiate Treatment Programs have registered excessive illegal sale of methadone and crime. Using an addictive drug to treat opiate contradicts the goals of the health care providers, which limits their success in eliminating drug abuse.
According to Gillian, & Strang (2003), the United States of America has formulated various strategies to control the dissemination of methadone among patients. It includes shifting the regulatory role from Food and Drug Administration to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) . Independent organizations conduct Methadone Maintenance Programs and they depend on the ‘best practice guidelines to facilitate effective treatment of opiate addiction in the country (Doweiko, 2012). According to the organizations’ standards, opiate addiction is a biomedical case with chronic brain effects. The principles argue that prolonged treatment and care can help to the patients to recover. This, however, has not deterred the illegal usage of methadone among the people in the society. The system has not been successful in implementing a successful methadone maintenance program.
Drug abuse is directly related to social crimes and unethical practices that may lead to infection of HIV AIDS (Elovich, Richard, & Drucker, 2012). Access to a clinic offering methadone as a treatment for opiate addiction will lead to social evils in the society, as people will be exposed to drug addiction (Doweiko, 2012). There will be high cases of social crimes in the region, which will affect the security measures in the area. Higher cases of HIV contraction can be expected; this tampers with the community development plans, which limits people’s productivity levels. The use of methadone in the treatment process has various effects such as sexual desires; this condition increases the chances of patients contracting transmitted diseases, which is lethal to the society’s welfare (Doweiko, 2012).
According to Doweiki (2012), intervention through detoxification on opiate addicts does not offer a long-term solution to the problem. This is because detoxification is merely a prelude to the actual treatment. Establishing clinics to offer detoxification services does not solve the opiate addiction problem. The drug free treatment programs are ineffective in maintaining the opiate addicts in treatment, which leads to the problem of continued use (Gillian, & Strang, 2003). The health care providers should initiate alternative means of preventing continued addiction to opiates, which include psychotherapy counseling. The treatment for opiate addiction should be based on individual willingness to quit. The addicts should have free will to determine the most appropriate measure to use in stopping the addiction problem.
According to the Center for Investigative Reporting, there has been a 207% increase in the prescription of opiates in the health centers (Gillian, & Strang, 2003). This indicates that addiction is set to rise with time, and treatment does not offer the required solution. The treatment process may be complicated, as it may involve the use of multiple interactive procedures. The substance use and mental illness are some of the factors that limit the treatment process (Baker, Boggs, & Lewin, 2001). Detoxification may not be successful in handling such situations, which may contribute to additional costs for the patient. The use of opiates as pain relievers often leads to addiction; treating the addiction may tamper with the treatment of the actual disease, and thus causing pain to the patient.
Treatment for Opium addiction causes adverse effects to the patients, family, and the society. The use of methadone as a treatment drug leads to addiction, which complicates the treatment process. The establishment of a clinic to treat opiate addicts will contribute to the availability of methadone in the community. The addicts are likely to continue abusing drugs in case they are exposed to them. Social crimes will increase in the society due to the availability of methadone, which is an addictive drug. The transmission of diseases increases with an increase in illicit drug dealing; opiate addiction is directly related to the transmission of diseases such as HIV AIDS and STIs. It is difficult to account for all the drugs in a clinic; this limits the success of a clinic in enhancing opiate addiction treatment. The government should embark on implementing strict regulatory measures to stop the illicit sale of drugs. This measure can help to minimize the opiate addiction problem.
References
Baker, A., Boggs, T. G., & Lewin, T. J. (2001). Randomized controlled trial of brief cognitive-behavioural interventions among regular users of amphetamine. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 96 (9), 1279-87.
Barnett, P. G., Zaric, G. S., & Brandeau, M. L. (2001). The cost-effectiveness of buprenorphine maintenance therapy for opiate addiction in the United States. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 96 (9), 1267-78.
Buchman, D. Z., Skinner, W., & Illes, J. (2010). Negotiating the Relationship Between Addiction, Ethics, and Brain Science. Ajob Neuroscience, 1(1), 36-45.
Doweiko, H. E. (2012). Concepts of chemical dependency. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Elovich, Richard, & Drucker, Ernest. (2012). On drug treatment and social control: Russian narcology's great leap backwards. New York: BioMed Central.
Gillian, T. & Strang, J. (2003). Methadone Matters: Evolving Community Methadone Treatment of Opiate Addiction. New York: CRC Press
Smith, H. S., Pappagallo, M., & Stahl, S. M. (2012). Essential pain pharmacology: The prescriber's guide. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
