Socio-Cultural Perceptions of Addiction and Population Health

BACKSTORY ON ADDICTION  It is important for me to recognize an addict. In the backstory episode on addiction, Brain pointed out " Morphine was one of the first opiates. When injected into a patient's bloodstream, it was much more powerful than opium pills or powders. And thanks to the spread of syringes, morphine soon flowed into wide use" (2018).   It is no secret that opiate addiction is a national epidemic. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services " In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to opioid pain relievers and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates" (2021). The U.S Department of Human and Human Service also stated "i ncreased prescription of opioid medications led to widespread misuse of both prescription and non-prescription opioids before it became clear that these medications could indeed be highly addictive" (2021).  In m...