An Overview of the Drug Epidemic in the United States with a Focus on Opioids, Cocaine, and Marijuana

The prescription drug epidemic and illegal drug crisis has been at a steady incline for the last few decades. The United States have recently seen a rapid increase in overdose deaths, E.R. visits, and reports of misuse of prescription opioids and drug abuse (Meyer, Patel, Rattana, Quock, & Mody, 2014, p. 380). Part of the problem stems from doctors that write prescriptions for any ache or pain without thought for the potential addiction and destruction that it can cause if not used responsibly (Malinowski, 2018, p. 1032). As of 2016, at least 174 people die every day in the U.S. as a result of drug poisoning (Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA], 2018, p. v). Part of the issue also results from the constant flow of counterfeit and illegal drugs coming across the border and being sold on the street. There have been attempts in the past to stifle the outbreaks but with little success. While most prescription opioid addicts start as patients, they often end up moving on to hard drugs because of the easier access. For others, it has become so easy to obtain drugs on the street that they fall into the trap of temptation and are then addicted, causing drastic changes to their lifestyle for the rest of their lives. This epidemic is creating huge consequences for our nation and how it functions as a society to the point that none can argue that the state of the epidemic seems to require the focus of the nation in order to achieve success