Opioids need to be more regulated and supervised. The drugs are quite different from others because of their easy accessibility.

The drugs are given to help patients with pain, although this can cause a major addiction. They are often prescribed from doctor, but because of their addictive nature, people who take them should be supervised.

It is very tragic that this issue has been around since the 1990s. Unfortunately, there are many students who are using these drugs that have many negative impacts on their mental and emotional health.

According to Psycom, an estimated 2.4 million people in the United States abuse prescription painkillers, but people abusing opioids also often face the additional burden of depression, low self-esteem and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The drug is way too easily accessible, for teens can easily find them in their parent’s medicine cabinets. Friends might feel like the drugs are a great idea to destress from life’s obstacles, but they do not realize that the drug they take could take away their lives.

Another factor when taking these drugs is that they cost a lot of money to consistently refill. Think about all the other great things that could be bought instead of these drugs.

Recently stated by the Chicago Tribune, there was a teen that is stated to have an addiction to opioids which resulted from the teen’s wisdom teeth removal treatment. As of for right now, opioid substance abuse is seen with similar teens getting their wisdom teeth removed and teens who obtain the drug with no prescription.

According to the Chicago Tribune, of the almost 15,000 adolescents and young adults who received initial opioid prescriptions in 2015 from dentists, 6.9 percent received at least one more prescription three months to one year later, a red flag for persistent opioid use. Moreover, 5.8 percent were diagnosed with opioid abuse within a year of the first prescription.

The death toll is rising from opioid abuse in Tampa due to the addicting elements found in the drug. According to News Channel 8 Tampa and the latest numbers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Manatee County leads the state in overdose deaths per capita when it comes to opioids, including heroin and Fentanyl. More than 200 people died in 2015 from overdoses.

Despite these devastating facts, there are many things to do to help eliminate opioid deaths. Doctors and dentists who prescribe the painkiller should be more careful about the number of doses they give of opioids because many patients can’t handle a lot. Friends and family should supervise the patient’s number of uses as well; regulations are what is needed for teens to continue to live on.

With that all said it is vital for teens who take opioids as way to destress from school to stop their intake because the drug only helps them relax in the moment, but it doesn’t help the stressful events go away.

As for teens who are accidentally prescribed too much of the pain reliever, they need to have a good support system of family and friends to help them cut back on their intake due to their addiction. Lastly, doctors and dentists should get their licenses taken away for giving their patients large amounts of opioids because they are dangerous towards their health.