Abstract: The United States Department of Health and Human Services officially declared the ongoing opioid crisis a public health emergency in 2017. Due to the increasing over prescription of opioids for pain relief, the production of illicit alternatives, and the broken American healthcare system that could not prevent the spread of the opioid epidemic, the U.S. saw a constant, rapid surge of deaths from opioid overdoses. These opioids include a variety of commonly prescribed medications, but recent data and cases indicate that synthetic opioids are becoming the main contributor to these fatal overdoses. Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are approved for medical purposes due to their designed potent properties for pain relief but are often misused due to false marketing by pharmaceutical companies that it produces a “safe and legal high.” Its potent properties are what get victims easily addicted and hence fatally overdose. This paper analyzes the role of synthetic opioids, specifically fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, and how it has shaped the opioid crisis and American public health.
Keywords: opioids, drugs, synthetic opioids, drug crisis, drug epidemic, fentanyl, public health.
Title: The Role of Synthetic Opioids in the U.S. Opioid Crisis
Author: Rachel Kim
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
Vol. 11, Issue 1, April 2023 - September 2023
Page No: 154-160
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 19-July-2023
