Because of their power and addictive nature, opioid painkillers need highly visible warning labels, said Matt Hancock, the United Kingdom's secretary of state for health and social care. According to Hancock, prominent labels on opioid drugs may help protect people “from the darker side to painkillers."(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/27/opioid-painkillers-carry-addiction-warnings-goverment-warns/)
Other public health officials welcome Hancock's announcements. "We know that long-term use of painkillers can lead to life-altering and sometimes fatal addictions (https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48082736), so I am delighted to see measures put in place to raise awareness of the risks of codeine and prescribed drugs," said the chief medical officer for England, Professor Dame Sally Davies.
For over a decade, there has been about a 60 percent increase in opioids prescriptions in the United Kingdom. Secretary Hancock said, “I have been incredibly concerned by the recent increase in people addicted to opioid drugs.” While he acknowledges that opioid drugs are a breakthrough for modern medicine and may help people manage their pain, people should use them properly and with extreme caution.
Credit: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/drug-pill-medicine-health-1674890/
More on Opioid Use:
Opioids are drugs similar to another drug, opium. They are used to help people manage chronic or severe pain symptoms. Physicians prescribed around 14 million prescriptions (https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48082736) for opioid painkillers in the United Kingdom in 2008. This amount increased to about 23 million in 2018. Just like illegal drugs, opioids may be highly addictive and may cause damage to a person’s body and mind.
Rates of opioid addiction (https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis) are higher in the United States than in other parts of the world, but opioid addiction is still a global problem. Physicians, medical experts, and public health authorities need to act immediately to protect people from the dangers of falling into the darker side of painkillers.
We need to take action and make sure these medications are used properly, used solely for pain management, and used solely with prescriptions. We should do everything possible to inform people of the risks they take by using opioids. U.S. president Donald Trump has admitted the United States has a “big problem” with opioid addictions.
More News from Britain Regarding Opioids:
Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies echoes the sentiments about proper opioid use: “It is vital that anyone who is prescribed strong painkillers (https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48082736) takes them only as long as they are suffering from serious pain. As soon as the pain starts to alleviate, the drugs have done their job, and it is important to switch to over-the-counter medications ... that do not carry the same risk of addiction that comes with long-term use.” In the United Kingdom, there has been a significant increase in deaths due to opioid overdoses. England and Wales experienced a 29 percent increase (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-45083167) in deaths related to one opioid drug, fentanyl, from 2016 to 2107.
Doctors commonly prescribe opioid medications to help people manage their pain. Many people misuse them and become addicted to such painkillers. This is happening all over the world, but now is the time we all need to stand up and take action. If you are suffering from opioid addiction, today is the day to take charge and seek help. There are many programs and rehab facilities that are dedicated to helping people with opioid addictions. Let one of them help you.
As I continue to write for Sunshine Behavioral Health (https://www.facebook.com/SunshineBehavi1/), it is important that we get this information out.
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- Charles W
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