Opioids are highly addictive drugs and are often prescribed as painkillers. Users begin consuming opioid drugs like pain relievers and end up becoming addicted to them. The number of opioid users has risen so much that it has led to an opioid epidemic in the country. But there’s one more alarming issue that has gone unnoticed under the opioid epidemic. It is the alcohol epidemic. Nearly an equal number of people die due to alcohol and opioid addiction.
Death Due To Alcohol
Alcohol is a deadly substance, yet easily available and accepted by society. People often consume alcohol at social gatherings, parties, and on weekends just to feel good and relax. This habit soon turns into an addiction and ends up causing serious issues like:
- Blurry vision
- Loss of coordination
- Slurred speech
- Nausea and vomiting
- Anxiety
- Compulsive behavior
- Agitation
- Irritability and aggression
- Sweating with flushed skin
- Dizziness
- Memory loss or complete blackout
As per the statistics given by the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism, about 88,000 people die due to alcohol and alcohol-related issues. There have been nearly 9,967 deaths due to alcohol-impaired driving in the year 2014. The number of deaths due to alcohol is ranked number three after tobacco and poor diet.
Alcohol could become a cause behind someone’s death due to:
- Alcohol poisoning
- Liver disease
- Heart disease
- Accidents caused when under the influence of alcohol
Death Due To Opioids
Opioids are a helpful drug for those experiencing chronic pain. But continuous intake of opioids can soon turn into an addiction and lead to several problems. If the user takes opioids beyond their prescription, it is a sign that they are creating a dependency on the drug to feel better. This way, the body develops a resistance to the drug and the user needs more amounts than usual to feel the high. This is an indication of developing opioid addiction.
Opioids cause several health hazards, death due to overdose being the most dangerous one. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that there have been 63,632 deaths due to opioid overdose in 2016, out of which about two-thirds of deaths were due to prescription opioid drugs.
Opioids when taken bind to the opioid receptors of the brain, producing a euphoric feeling. This is an addictive feeling and users tend to take more of their drugs to enjoy the high. Increased intake of opioids sedates the brain and heart leading them to function slowly. This eventually leads the user to choke to death.
Preventing Death Due To Overdose
The best way to prevent death due to overdose is by taking the antidote Naltrexone. The other best way is to treat the addiction before it becomes too late and this can only happen at a rehab center like Mallard Lake Detox Center in Houston, Texas. Visit us today and get the best addiction treatment.