Addiction in the Granite State: Heroin, opioid use hits home for student-researcher
It’s been a long road since freshman year — since being inundated with icebreakers like “Where are you from?”, “What are your interests?”, etc. This blog is my final chance to lead off with an icebreaker activity as I share a little information about myself, my background, and my research! My name is Patrick Ford and I’m a senior here at Providence College. I’m in the process of obtaining a B.S. in marketing, along with an English minor. I come from a small, rural town in southern New Hampshire. Home to the most prestigious private high school in the United States (Phillips Exeter Academy), Exeter is a sleepy, colonial town with a rich history — deep rooted in the heart of the American Revolution. Unfortunately, I attended the public school on the other side of town. Anyway, I mention my hometown and the peaceful surrounding area because that is where my research begins.
Exeter, along with the neighboring towns of Portsmouth, Hampton, Seabrook, and Dover are experiencing a frightening epidemic. Heroin use is at an all-time high in the United States, but there are pockets of the country that are witnessing even more destruction. Rockingham County in New Hampshire was recently classified as one of the top 25 most dangerous counties in the country in regard to drug overdoses. Normally, this collection of sleepy New Hampshire towns is relatively crime free, but from 2014-2015, the Union Leader cited 540 overdoses in the state alone. That figure is staggering. Thanks to Governor Maggie Hassan’s proactive approach to this epidemic, first responders are now armed with the opiate antidote Narcan, which has saved hundreds of lives across the state — leaving the overdose death count at 40.
The reason I am so invested in studying this epidemic starts with its proximity to my home. Also, doctors are prescribing painkillers (opioids) at the highest rates in history. These medications are extremely addictive and can turn a simple surgery into a lifetime of dependence. The problem really begins after the patient’s prescription runs out. Prescription opioids are expensive and many people cannot finance a full-fledged opioid addiction, so they turn to street drugs like heroin. Buying heroin on the street is a risky investment for a number of reasons. Street heroin is cut with harmful chemicals and sometimes even more potent drugs. Over the next few entries, I will do my best to fully explain opiate and opioid addiction and how easily it can spiral out of control.
Alternative medication has been viewed as a key to fighting, or at the very least, containing this epidemic. Medical cannabis is one of the fastest growing industries in the healthcare field. Although, federal laws still classify this drug as a dangerous narcotic, President Obama has left cannabis legislation in the hands of the states. Twenty three states have already legalized medical cannabis and four states have actually legalized recreational use of the drug. Through my research, medical cannabis is consistently advocated in place of prescription pain medication. It is true that the social stigma of the drug has impeded its progress into mainstream medical practices, but studies have shown that it suppresses pain and combats insomnia in the same ways that medications, such as prescribed painkillers, do. Now, I’m not saying that each time a doctor prescribes a patient with an opioid, the patient develops a need for that drug post operation, but the fact that it IS happening is extremely concerning.
I have created a survey that will be sent out to hundreds of folks across the country, asking about addiction, patient doctor satisfaction, and the perceived effects of medical cannabis and other drugs. The responses will be complied to study the social stigmas and benefits of drugs, primarily cannabis and opioids. Hopefully conclusions can be made that will slow down the heroin epidemic and advocate for serious consideration of other medications.
–Patrick Ford ’16
