Opioid addiction, also known as opioid use disorder, is an ongoing public health epidemic that affects millions of people and has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in recent decades. From 1999-2021, nearly 645,000 people in the U.S. died from prescription and illicit opioids, according to the CDC.
Given the magnitude of the crisis, addiction to opioids also impacts people in families and communities in the North Star State. In 2022 alone, 377 Hennepin County residents died from opioid-related deaths. That same year, 1,002 Minnesota residents died statewide, according to Minnesota Department of Health data.
These alarming numbers offer stark evidence opioid misuse is lethal. This guide from Hennepin County aims to raise awareness and understanding of the deadly issue and answer questions like: What are opioids? What is opioid addiction? What are opioid addiction signs?
What are opioids?
Opioids are pain-relieving medicines that travel through the bloodstream and attach to opioid receptors in brain cells to block pain messages and boost feelings of pleasure, according to the Mayo Clinic.
When used safely, prescription opioids can help someone effectively manage severe pain from an injury, post-surgery, or a chronic condition.
Common opioids include morphine, fentanyl, hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxybond), oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet), methadone and heroin.
What is opioid addiction?
Drug addiction (aka substance use disorder) occurs when a person feels like they must repeatedly use a medicine or drug, even if it causes harm. Opioid addiction can start when someone takes the drugs as a prescription or uses someone else’s medicine.
Opioids release endorphins that lessen feelings of pain and boost feelings of pleasure, and the effects are short-lasting. That’s why many people with an opioid addiction take desperate measures to get those good feelings back as fast as possible.
Repeatedly using opioids decreases endorphin release as the body builds up a tolerance to the drug. This tolerance can drive opioid users to satisfy a need and desire for higher doses to maintain those good feelings. As the addiction intensifies, a person may even get more opioids illegally or start using heroin.
In 2022, 358 opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl in Hennepin County, and 73,654 people died from a fentanyl overdose nationwide. When considering the most addictive opioids, fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times stronger than morphine. This potent drug is causing increases in opioid overdose fatalities.
Plus, drug dealers lace fake pills and other street drugs, including heroin, with fentanyl, and people unknowingly take it. This is extremely dangerous because even small quantities of fentanyl can be addictive and have fatal consequences.
How did opioid addiction grow into an epidemic?
In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies assured medical professionals that “patients would not become addicted to opioid pain relievers, and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates,” according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
However, increased opioid prescriptions spawned widespread misuse of prescription and non-prescription opioid medications before anyone realized they were highly addictive. In 2010, overdose deaths involving heroin rapidly increased. In 2013, another spike in overdose deaths occurred involving synthetic opioids containing illegally made fentanyl, according to the CDC.
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency, and overdose deaths continued to rise. In 2020, almost 75% of drug overdose fatalities involved an opioid.
A 2022 Stanford-Lancet report projected that the opioid epidemic deaths will total 1.22 million in the decade from 2020-2029 without immediate action. And in 2023, 8.9 million people misused opioids.
What are opioid addiction signs?
Recognizing if someone is battling opioid addiction (opioid use disorder) is vital for treatment and recovery.
Common signs of addiction include feeling compelled to use the drug daily or several times a day and needing more over time to get the same effect; taking larger amounts of a drug for longer than intended, and spending money on drugs, despite the inability to afford it; neglecting obligations and work responsibilities, creating problems at work or school, and curbing or avoiding social activities.
Those addicted to opioids often have physical health issues, like a lack of energy, weight loss or gain, and red eyes. They often also suffer from behavior or mood changes.
Extensive research across multiple decades shows that changes in the brain drive addiction. Many health professionals now recognize substance use disorder as a chronic illness instead of a “moral failing or character flaw,” according to a Surgeon General report.
Mental health also impacts opioid addiction, with a greater risk for people who:
- Have severe depression, anxiety, or PTSD.
- Have a history of problems with work, family and friends.
- Have a history of physical or sexual abuse.
- Are living with stress, including poverty or unemployment.
- Have a personal or family history of substance misuse.
To use opioids safely, take for three days or less to treat severe pain and work with a healthcare provider to take the lowest possible dose. Ask for pain-management alternatives. Providing widespread access to mental health treatment and medicine for opioid use disorder, such as Naloxone (or Narcan), is also essential for recovery.
Hennepin County residents struggling with addiction can find resources and treatment services online or call the Hennepin County Behavioral Health Center at 612-348-4111 for help.
