Opioids: Benefits Come with Risks

Opioids are very addictive and can be deadly.

Opioids have been in the news for several years. They are very useful for treating severe, short-term pain. But they can also be dangerous. More than 100,000 people in the United States died of drug overdoses between November 2020 and November 2021, according to the CDC. Sixty-six percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids.

What is an opioid?

Opioids are powerful drugs. They have the benefit of reducing pain, but they are also risky. They are very addictive and can be deadly.

There are two categories of opioids: natural and synthetic. Natural opioids are extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants. Morphine and codeine are natural opioids. Heroin, which is an illegal street drug, is made from morphine.

Synthetic opioids are synthesized in a laboratory. They act on the same targets in the brain as natural opioids. Synthetic opioids are available by prescription and include oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and fentanyl.

How do people misuse prescription opioids?

It is generally safe to take prescription opioids for pain relief if they are taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor. However, opioid use has risks even when prescribed by a doctor.

Opioids can be misused by:

• taking the medicine in a way or dose other than prescribed
• taking someone else’s prescription medicine
• taking the medicine for the express purpose of getting high

Can repeated use of prescription opioids lead to addiction?

Yes, repeated misuse of prescription opioids can lead to a substance use disorder (SUD). Substance use disorder is a medical illness. It can range from mild to severe and can be temporary or chronic. A substance use disorder develops when continued misuse of the drug changes the brain, causes health problems, and makes it difficult to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home.

Where can one go for help?

---

If you or someone you know is experiencing problems due to use of opioids, there is hope. Recovery from misuse of drugs is possible. Here are some sources of help that can reduce the misuses of opioids.

Substance Abuse Council

• You can call or text CARES Warm Line at 1-844-326-5400 (365 days a year 8:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.)
• You can participate in an All Recovery Meeting via Zoom: If you are looking to join this zoom meeting via laptop at https://zoom.us/j/695949293 Meeting ID: 695 949 293

Recovery Community Organizations (RCO’s)

RCOs are peer-operated centers that serve as local resources of community-based recovery support. RCOs in St. Mary Health Care System’s service area include:

• Divas Who Win
• People Living in Recovery
• Warrior’s Reprieve
• Reboot Jackson
• Walton Empowers

You can visit Georgia Council on Substance Abuse for a directory of other RCOs in Georgia.

Harm Reduction

Harm Reduction offers strategies that can reduce consequences associated with substance use. To get a Naloxone Kit or information about harm reduction, you can contact:

• Access Point
• Georgia Overdose Prevention

Twelve-Step Support Groups

• Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Clinical Treatment Services (may accept insurance)

Find state-licensed providers, use the SAMHSA Find Treatment

Residential Recovery Centers in Georgia (Note: usually do not accept insurance)

Georgia Association of Residential Recovery Centers (GARR)

---

About the author

Dr. Esther Maddux is an opioid public health analyst with the Northeast District of the Georgia Department of Health and co-facilitator of HEALTHY Athens, a workgroup of Envision Athens. HEALTHY Athens convenes each month to discuss the current priority action for the health domain of the 20-year economic and community development plan for Athens, Ga. St. Mary’s Health Care System has been a proud funder and supporter of Envision Athens since 2017.

Sources:

• Calhoun, Nancy. The Opioid Epidemic: 35 Things Everyone Needs to Know.
• Mayer, Lochtefeld, Wendy. Opioid Misuse & Overdose: What Friends and Family Need to Know.
• United States Drug Enforcement Administration – Synthetic Opioids
• National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• United States Drug Enforcement Administration – National Fentanyl Awareness Day
• United States Drug Enforcement Administration – Synthetic Opioids