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Running Head: COMBATTING THE OPIATE EPIDEMIC IN LUZERNE COUNTY 1
Luzerne County Community Health Action Plan:
Combatting the Opiate Epidemic
Rebecca L. Beighley
Colorado State University Global Campus
BIO201-2- Public Health and the Environment
Professor Benjamin Wright
July 3, 2019
COMBATTING THE OPIATE EPIDEMIC IN LUZERNE COUNTY 2
Combatting the Opiate Epidemic in Luzerne County
Worldwide there are approximately 27 million people who struggled with opioid use
disorders in the year 2016 (World Health Organization, 2018). There were over 118 thousand
over-dose deaths directly linked to opioid use. While the mass majority of people addicted to
opiates are using heroin, there is the numbers of prescription opiate overdose deaths is steadily
increasing around the world (World Health Organization, 2018). Luzerne County has not been
immune to the current opiate epidemic. Between the years of 2016 and 2017 there were 470
overdose deaths reported - that’s an average of 1 death every 2 days (Pennsylvania Departement
of Human Services, 2018). There comes a time with any community health issue that action
needs to be taken- unfortunately, when people are burying loved ones at an average pace of
every other day- that time has come. In order to save lives, and preserve the lives of the next
generation, Luzerne County and its residents must come together and put into action a plan to
combat the opiate epidemic.
Symptoms
An opiate is defined as a psychoactive substance created form the poppy plant, or
synthetic chemical equivalent. The most widely recognized form of opiate is heroin, but other
examples of substances that fall into this classification are morphine, fentanyl, methadone, and
oxycodone (World Health Organization, 2014). Opiate addiction is characterized as an
uncontrollable urge to take opiates (whether it be orally, inhaled nasally, or injected via iv
needle). This urge is prioritized over responsibilities, familial or work obligations, legality,
negative effects on health, and high risk of death (World Health Organization, 2014). A person
using opiates might exhibit signs such as being in a “euphoric state of mind”, lack of inhibitions,
and incredibly constricted pupils. As the high continues they are feeling progresses they might be
COMBATTING THE OPIATE EPIDEMIC IN LUZERNE COUNTY 3
seen “nodding off” and itching or picking their skin, and sometimes they become nauseous and
vomit (DrugRehab.Org, 2018). With repetitive and extended use of opiates a person’s physical
appearance can be a sign that a person is struggling with addiction- there is often severe weight
loss, bruising and needle marks on arms if they are using it intravenously, changes in personality,
and extreme mood swings. Physical signs are not the only thing that can signify a substance
abuse problem- a person may become secretive, become unreliable, they often have problems
holding onto employment, and many turn to theft in order to obtain the drugs that they feel they
need (DrugRehab.Org, 2018). Often, the biggest give-away that a person has become addicted to
opiates is the withdrawal they face if they run out or do not take another dose after the effects of
the drug wear off. Six to twenty-four hours after use stops, withdrawal starts. Symptoms of
withdrawal include restlessness, extreme irritability, confusion, dilated pupils, muscle spasm,
vomiting and diarrhea, and seizures. The longer a person does not use opiates the more the
physical symptoms of withdrawal subside, but the psychological cravings and feelings of
“needing” the drug to manage can continue for years, and some recovering addicts report that
they never go away (DrugRehab.Org, 2018).
Health Risks of Excessive Opiate Use
Addiction to opiates is a disease that can have far-reaching negative effects on the
individual’s health- ranging from mental disorders to increased chances of exposure to
HIV/AIDS, and Hepatitis B and C. It can cause collapsed veins, abscesses, liver or kidney
disease, weakened immune systems, weakened states of mental health, malnutrition, and
infections in the heart lining/valves, and possibly the most severe consequence: death (National
Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). An addict’s state of health relies heavily on their current amount
of drug use, and method of use (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).
COMBATTING THE OPIATE EPIDEMIC IN LUZERNE COUNTY 4
When drug usage causes a death, it is referred to as an overdose, and this is by far the
scariest risks associated with opiate use. Opiates effect the part of the brain that signals the
respiratory system to function- breathing. Opioids in high doses halt this area of brain function
and cause respiratory depression leading to death (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).
Negative Effects on Community Health Created by the Opiate Epidemic
Any time a member of the community dies, residents are affected. Children are losing
parents, parents are burying children, and widows are learning to raise their families as a single
parent as a result of the opiate related deaths in Luzerne County. Children raised by parents
abusing drugs are three times more likely to be abused, and four times more likely to be
neglected (Elements Behavioral Health, 2018). These children are the future of our community,
and each day that they are exposed to the harsh realities of opiate addiction, they become more
susceptible to behavior problems, academic problems, and are at a higher risk for developing
mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or even worse they are more likely to develop
their own substance abuse problems than children that are not exposed to opiate addiction
(Elements Behavioral Health, 2018).
The opiate epidemic also has caused increased crime rates in Luzerne County. According to
police, 51% of prosecuted criminals cite the need to pay for their addiction as the reason behind
their crimes (Bezrutczyk, 2019). In one study done in 2017- 4,069 people addicted to Heroin
were interviewed, the participants were found to have committed over 500,000 crimes over and
11-year period. Crimes committed spanned from burglary, larceny theft, armed robbery, to
prostitution and check fraud (Bezrutczyk, 2019). Crime statistics in Luzerne County support this:
COMBATTING THE OPIATE EPIDEMIC IN LUZERNE COUNTY 5
Crime
Percent Above National
Average
Violent Crime
73.38%
Robbery
41%
Aggravated Assault
25%
Property Crime
296%
Burglary
28%
Larceny Theft
932%
(Crime Statistics, 2019)
The crime rates not only affect a community’s residents physically and emotionally, but
financially as well. The costs associated with arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating these drug
addicts for their crimes committed to support their addiction are paid from county funds and
taxes. Drug abuse and addiction has been estimated to cost more than $740 billion annually in
lost workplace productivity, healthcare expenses, and crime-related costs (Scot Thomas, 2019).
Diagnosis
The causes of opiate addiction are complicated, and there is no known “single cause” to
the addiction that is fueling the current opiate epidemic. Known “causes” range from genetic
predispositions, co-occurring conditions such as mental health disorders, and environmental
circumstances (Tracy, 2019). Many people who use drugs do not become addicted- one of the
factors that can make someone more prone to becoming addicted after only one or two times
using a substance is their genetics. There are subtle variations in DNA sequencing referred to as
single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP’s). It has been found by researchers that these SNP’s pass
through familial DNA’s- though more research is being funded and conducted- it has been
COMBATTING THE OPIATE EPIDEMIC IN LUZERNE COUNTY 6
concluded that certain SNP’s show up in the genetics of individuals diagnosed with substance
abuse disorders. Therefore, it can be concluded these SNP’s that are suspected markers for
susceptibility to addiction can be passed through genetics (National Institute on Drug Abuse,
2016).
Substance abuse has also been found to be prevalent in those with co-occurring mental
health conditions. In the year of 2017, 8.5 million American Adults suffered from both a mental
health disorder and a substance abuse disorder (Scot Thomas, 2019). Though mental illness
alone does not cause drug addiction- presence of one condition might make an individual more
prone to the other (Tracy, 2019). Many professionals believe that many drug addicts use drugs-
such as opiates- to “self-medicate” or attempt to manage symptoms caused by their undiagnosed
or untreated mental health condition. Examples would be someone suffering from depression
using drugs repeatedly to elevate their mood or a person suffering from ADHD or anxiety might
use a drug to slow themselves down and feel “normal” or lower their inhibitions, so they feel as
though they can socialize. These conditions did not cause the addiction but were nonetheless a
large contributing factor (Tracy, 2019).
Many drug addicts cite environmental factors contributing/causing their drug addiction.
Growing up in an environment with abuse, neglect, or drug abuse causes increased likelihood
that a child will grow up and develop a substance abuse disorder. Researchers often refer to this
as “next-generation substance abuse”. Links have been consistently found between a parent’s
opiate addiction and their child’s increased risk of developing an opiate addiction (Elements
Behavioral Health, 2018). Other environmental factors that signify an increased likelihood of one
developing a drug addiction are easy access to drugs, being raised in an economically challenged
COMBATTING THE OPIATE EPIDEMIC IN LUZERNE COUNTY 7
area, use of drugs by friends and peers, behavioral problems, and constant attention seeking
behavior (Tracy, 2019).
Another element that has contributed immensely to the current opiate epidemic is the
excessive and unmonitored prescribing of opiate painkillers such as Oxycontin, Vicodin, and
fentanyl, and morphine (Scot Thomas, 2019). Numbers recorded in 2017 showed about 1.7
million people age 12 and older had a pain reliever use disorder (Scot Thomas, 2019). People
who start to abuse opiate painkillers are significantly more likely to start using heroin in the
future.
Other Community Action’s Taken to Combat the Opiate Epidemic
Opiate abuse is not exclusive to Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, nor just the United
States. The Opiate Epidemic is one that countries and communities all over the globe are trying
