Opioid Addiction in America

     Opioids are a type of medication prescribed by doctors to help treat chronic pain. These drugs are addictive because when consumed, release endorphins that cause a feeling of pleasure in the body. Overdose on opioids across America is an issue that has led to the deaths of many innocent lives. Companies like Johnson & Johnson have been prescribing patients opioids for years, promising the public that they are safe. In an article published by Carmen McCrackin, she highlights the opioid issue in America and the $26 billion settlement that Johnson & Johnson will face. She states that “In 2001, the company continued to market the drugs as having a low risk of abuse and misuse, even after its medical advisory team and the FDA warned against it” (McCrackin). Johnson & Johnson was all in for the money but did not consider the lives that would be impacted. This issue is important because it helps society be aware of the medications manufactured by Big Pharma and the potential side effects they may have.

In the article, "Opioid-induced rewards, locomotion, and dopamine activation: A proposed model for control by mesopontine and rostromedial tegmental neuron", Stephan Steidl addresses the effects of opioid exposure on rodent brains, specifically in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). Steidl reviews where opioids act in the brain to induce DA activation, locomotion, and reward in drug-naive animals. He finds that the brain pathways such as the mesopontine LDTg and PPTg nuclei lead to rapid DA activation via glutamatergic input to the VTA and DA activation via cholinergic input to the VTA. The model he proposed shows that opioid-mediated disinhibition of VTA DA neurons continues to influence rewarding and locomotor effects indirectly through LDTg and PPTg neurons.

The research conducted by Dr.Steidl demonstrates the ability that opioids have in exciting dopamine-producing neurons. This is the cause for addiction in my consumers of opioids that can lead to overdose. Big Pharma continues to profit off the addiction of innocent people who are simply trying to treat their pain. Informing the public of this issue in the pharmaceutical industry is crucial to help combat the number of lives lost to overdose.

 

 

Works Cited

“J&J $26 Billion Opioid Settlement Finalized.” Addiction Center, 2 Mar. 2022, https://www.addictioncenter.com/news/2022/03/26-billion-opioid-settlement-finalized/.

Steidl, Stephan, et al. “Opioid-Induced Rewards, Locomotion, and Dopamine Activation: A Proposed Model for Control by Mesopontine and Rostromedial Tegmental Neurons.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 83, 2017, pp. 72–82., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.022.