Answer

Opiate Addiction

Opiate is an addictive drug substance derived from the chemical opium, which occurs in puppy seeds naturally (Nygaard et al., 2016). It is clinically used to treat minor as well as serious pain experienced by patients. This substance has extremely great rates of addiction and abuse because of its powerful calming effect (Gormley et al., 2020). The opiate addiction problem starts after a patient, who is recommended to take the medication for purposes of mitigating pain begins to feel that the medication is not as effective as it was in the initial stage. Such feeling is normally brought about by an increased forbearance to painkillers of the opiate group, hence causing the drug to build up within the patient’s body. This can cause a patient to take more doses than prescribed so that he or she can achieve the desired effect. This contributes to physical reliance that makes the patient continue taking the drug in order to feel normal like the rest of the people (Albertin, & ÍÑiguez, 2008).

The physical reliance thereafter leads to cravings and perennial urges to continue taking the medication irrespective of its consequences. This is what results in an addiction problem which is graver than the strong urge one has to use medication (Albertin, & ÍÑiguez, 2008). Users of opiates get introduced to them through their influential and compulsive-seeking kind of behavior. For example, a patient is introduced to it when he or she tries to obtain more than the prescribed medication and, in doing so, may visit several medical practitioners to obtain new prescriptions (Nygaard et al., 2016). Furthermore, users get into taking opiates due to pathological urges and influence which leads them to either borrow or steal it from patients who use it or from family and friends (Gormley et al., 2020).

Factors that Contribute to Opiate Addiction Problem

One of the factors that contribute to opiate addiction problem is a genuine need brought about by serious and chronic injuries or diseases (Hurse, 2019).  People use opiates to alleviate and suppress both physical and emotional pain which in the long run turns to be addictive if it fails to work as they want. It is crucial to note that the prescription of opiate is administered legitimately for the intended purpose and for a specific period of time of which turns to be abused by the patients. Social pressure rooted in both social and behavioral theories as well as peer influence also contributes highly to the opiate addiction problem (Farisco, Evers, & Changeux, 2018). People learn a lot from what they see, hear, and experience others go through; this impacts and influences others in their actions and decisions in certain ways that resonate with the opiate victims.

In the same breath, the opiate addiction problem is brought about by the high rate of opiate prescriptions by physicians for therapeutic reasons (Hurse, 2019). This has caused the drug to be highly disseminated and improperly used, thereby resulting in high rates of overdose and addictions. When physicians prescribe opiates to patients, it is considered as either less or not harmful to them. Furthermore, physicians legally prescribe them as painkillers to patients who, thereafter, consider them as safe medicine hence develop a complacent attitude in taking them (Albertin, & ÍÑiguez, 2008). This contributes to the addiction problem. Lastly, most patients consider the pain that they go through as a negative experience which they tend to alleviate by all means, and this pushes them to use more opiate drugs as a remedy. Other factors include boredom, addictive personalities, energy boosters, and sexual intimacy challenges, which patients tend to think are solved by opiate drugs (Farisco, Evers, & Changeux, 2018).

Recommendations for Resolving Opiate addiction Problem

The opiate addiction problem should be approached as a healthcare issue, meaning a continuous care strategy that views it as a chronic and degenerating illness should be employed to ensure there is long-lasting follow-up with the victims (Srivastava, & Gold, 2018) Furthermore, therapy should be exercised at all times as well as mutual care, support, and resources need to put forward to help prevent the misuse of opiate drugs. This can be implemented through the introduction of health care programs focused on drug education and addiction interventions (Sederer, 2016). The medical centers should offer treatment options anchored on cognitive-behavioral treatments, human wellness programs, and change of attitude as well as psychological interventions that help to change perception (Gormley et al., 2020).

Healthcare facilities should introduce health care policies that strictly prohibit any medical practitioners from giving opiate medication to patients and distinguish legitimate ones who can make a follow-up with the patients. Moreover, they should introduce educative media programs to sensitize not just sick people but potential victims on the effects of abusing opiate drugs and their addiction implications (Gormley et al., 2020). This will help reduce the non-medical use of the drug.  Furthermore, health care facilities should introduce and implement medical procedures for chronic pain treatment vis-à-vis opiate drug (Srivastava, & Gold, 2018). This can be carried out through both performance and quality improvement mechanisms. Opiate drug screening should be made a standard of care and a universal practice; this will help to pinpoint patients headed to addiction before it exacerbates and overtakes the victims (Sederer, 2016). Medical facilities should also sensitize medical practitioners as well as patients about the positive side of embracing opiate addiction challenges.

Expected Changes in Community’s Perception of the Criminal Justice System

The opiate addiction problem places a costly burden upon communities, and thus the implementation of the highlighted policies and recommendations will lessen the problem and render its prevention cost-effective (Farisco, Evers, & Changeux, 2018). Policies on universal prevention strategies focus on establishing strong and just families and communities that tend to offer opiate victims with skills and knowledge to make the right choices (DuFour, 2016). This can play a leading role in mitigating the vices and crimes that come along with abuse and addiction of drugs that tend to affect the community negatively. They also bring about community-based strategies that are active and involving hence keep the young people active and find ways to deal with their pain vis-à-vis taking opiate drugs as a remedy. These services help to identify people at risk of addiction, rehabilitation centers for all affected people, and behavioral and medical centers that help reduce implications of addiction in the society (Sederer, 2016).

Furthermore, the recommendations and policies will facilitate the effectiveness of the criminal justice system by outlining the strategies that advocate for legal sanctions, thereby offering leverage for the victims to remain in treatment (Sederer, 2016). This promotes behavioral treatment which is mostly advocated by society because it upholds personal accountability and reduces criminal thoughts. The criminal justice system associates opiate addiction problems with not only crime but also with health and economic impact (Farisco, Evers, & Changeux, 2018). However, jailing the victims has not solved the problem because it fails to address their community and economic costs. This means punitive measures may not prove remedial; instead, change of attitude and being accommodated in the society, like any other person, is a proven effective alternative (DuFour, 2016).