>>>
>>> EVERY
>>> EVERY DAY, MORE THAN 130 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES DIE
AFTER OVERDOSING ON OPIOIDS.
THAT'S THE LATEST STATISTIC
FROM THE CDC.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH
OPIATE USE DISORDER KEEPS
CLIMBING AND EVERY AGE, RACE,
GENDER AND PROFESSION.
WASHINGTON STATE HEALTH CARE
AUTHORITY IS LAUNCHING A
CAMPAIGN TO HELP YOU LEARN
ABOUT OPIOIDS.
ABOUT OPIOIDS. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> THANK YOU, MARGARET.
>> WE TALK ABOUT THIS AND
SOMETIMES WE DON'T KNOW WHERE
THE PARAMETERS ARE.
WHAT IS AN OPIATE OR OPIOID?
>> THEY'RE A CLASS OF DRUGS.
THEIR PRIMARY CLASSIFICATION IS
TO REDUCE THE INTENSITY OF
PAIN.
PAIN.
PAIN. THEY HAVE OTHER USES BUT
THEY'RE USUALLY PRESCRIBED WHEN
A PERSON HAS AN ACCIDENT, HAS A
BROKEN BONE OR AFTER SURGERY
FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
THE CHALLENGE IS THAT SOME
PEOPLE TEND TO RESPOND
DIFFERENTLY AND ARE AT HIGHER
RISK OF GETTING INTO PROBLEMS.
>> WE DON'T KNOW THAT AHEAD OF
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. >>
TIME. >> NOT NECESSARILY.
JUST TO SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT
ARE -- NAME SOME OF THEM,
THERE'S VICODIN OR HIDE RO
HYDROCODONE, OXYCODONE AND
OXYCONTIN.
OXYCONTIN. HEROIN IS ILLEGAL BUT IT'S PART
OF THAT GROUP.
>> ARE THESE MEANT TO BE USED
SHORT TERM ONLY OR ARE THERE
LONG-TERM USES OF THESE DRUGS
THAT ARE POSSIBLE OR SAFE?
>> FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE
AND WHAT SCIENCE TELLS US, THEY
SHOULD BE USED FOR A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME.
THE LONGER A PERSON TAKES THEM,
THE HIGHER RISK OF THEM STAYING
ON CHRONICALLY AND DEVELOPING A
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
>> REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH
THEY'RE TAKING?
THEY'RE TAKING? >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OR THE
SEVERITY OF THE INJURY, PEOPLE
WILL NEED DIFFERENT DOSES TO
REDUCE THE INTENSITY OF PAIN
BUT IT'S DURATION THAT PREDICTS
FUTURE USE.
FUTURE USE. >> VERY GOOD.
THESE ARE RISKY BECAUSE THEY DO
WHAT TO US?
WHAT IS THE CHEMISTRY OF THIS?
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. SO OPIATES ARE DESIGNED
PRIMARILY TO RELIEVE PAIN.
BUT THEY ALSO WORK IN OUR BRAIN
TO SORT OF CREATE PLEASURABLE
EFFECTS FOR SOME PEOPLE.
SOME PEOPLE FEEL RELAXED, OTHER
PEOPLE ACTUALLY FEEL HAPPY OR
GIDDY ABOUT IT AND THAT'S A
GOOD FEELING.
GOOD FEELING. FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE PREDISPOSED,
THEY WILL TRY TO REPLICATE THAT
FEELING BUT OUR BRAINS ARE
DESIGNED TO LEARN.
WITH THAT REPEATED PATTERN, THE
BRAIN LEARNS THAT BUT THE
RELAXED HAPPY FEELING GOES
AWAY.
AWAY.
AWAY. THEN IT'S A MATTER OF THAT
OPIATE HAS TO BE MAINTAINED
BECAUSE IF THAT PERSON STOPS,
THEY BECOME -- THEY DEVELOP
WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS.
WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. SO IT'S THIS VICIOUS CYCLE OF
CRAVING AND WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS
AND THE FUN IS GONE AND IT
BECOMES A DANGEROUS CYCLE.
THAT'S WHAT OPIATE USE DISORDER
IS.
IS.
IS. >>
IS. >> WHAT TYPE OF SYMPTOMS DO
PEOPLE GO THROUGH?
>> IT'S OPPOSITE TO WHAT
OPIATES CAUSE, SO PEOPLE WILL
SWEAT.
SWEAT.
SWEAT. THEY WILL HAVE DIARRHEA,
THEY'LL GET GOOSE BUMPS,
THEY'LL BE TWITCHY, NOT CALM.
>> THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED A
"START WITH ONE" CAMPAIGN.
WHAT IS THAT.
>> THAT'S THE HEALTH CARE
AUTHORITY REALLY TRYING TO
BEGIN THE CONVERSATION AROUND
THE OPIATE USE CRISIS.
TWO PIECES OF THAT IS EDUCATING
OUR CHILDREN ABOUT OPIATES,
WHEN THEY'RE APPROPRIATE AND
WHEN THEY'RE NOT AND TREATING
OPIATES LIKE OUR JEWELRY.
THEY'RE GOOD DRUGS BUT THEY'RE
DANGEROUS DRUGS.
DANGEROUS DRUGS. THEY CAN BE LETHAL AND INTERACT
WITH A LOT OF DRUGS.
THE STARTS WITH ONE CAMPAIGN IS
LOCK YOUR MEDICINES UP.
LOCK THEM UP LIKE YOU TREAT
PRECIOUS JEWELRY.
PRECIOUS JEWELRY. MOST OPIATE MISUSE HAPPENS FROM
PEOPLE GETTING IT FROM A
MEDICINE CABINET.
MEDICINE CABINET. >> IS THERE A WAY TO DISPOSE OF
THEM THAT IS SAFE?
>> THERE'S A PROGRAM CALLED
"TAKE BACK YOUR MEDS" AND YOU
CAN GO ONLINE AND PUT IN YOUR
ZIP CODE AND IT WILL SHOW YOU
DIFFERENT PLACES YOU CAN TAKE
YOUR MEDICATIONS FOR DISPOSAL.
>> I'M CURIOUS HOW A DRUG LIKE
THIS THAT CAN CAUSE DEPENDENCY
BECAME SO COMMONLY PRESCRIBED
WITHOUT US UNDERSTANDING WHAT
CAN HAPPEN?
CAN HAPPEN? >> IT'S A COMPLICATED QUESTION.
THE EASY ANSWER IS TO SAY,
WELL, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
PROMOTED IT, SAID IT WAS SAFE
WHEN IT WASN'T.
BUT WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE OPIATES?
THEY TAKE OPIATES BECAUSE
THEY'RE IN PAIN.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING, A LOT OF THE RURAL
AREAS ARE HARDEST HIT.
THEY'VE LOST THEIR JOBS,
THEY'VE LOST THEIR ECONOMY,
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF HOPE AND A
LOT OF THESE FOLKS HAD HARD
LABOR JOBS, FISHER PEOPLE,
LUMBER WORKERS.
LUMBER WORKERS. THERE IS PAIN AND THERE'S ANGST
AND NOT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY,
SORT OF CREATES THIS PERFECT
STORM AND THE MEDICAL
PROFESSION WAS TOLD THEY'RE
SAFE.
SAFE.
SAFE. >>
SAFE. >> IT MAKES SENSE THAT MAYBE
PEOPLE IN PHYSICAL PAIN OR
PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN FIND THIS TO
BE A SOLUTION FOR, YOU KNOW,
OTHER THINGS THAT MIGHT BE
BETTER TREATED IN OTHER WAYS.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
TREAT PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT
OUR OWN BEHAVIOR IF WE WANT TO
AVOID THIS HAPPENING TO ANYONE
IN OUR OWN FAMILY.
WHAT IS THE INDIVIDUAL'S
RESPONSIBILITY OR WHAT ARE YOUR
SUGGESTIONS FOR US, IN TERMS
OF, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
SURGERIES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
A BROKEN BONE, WHAT ARE WE
GOING TO DO.
>> TALK WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER AND I IS AN I SEE YOU
WANT TO PRESCRIBE AN OPIATE.
DO I REALLY NEED THAT.
A LOT OF TIMES MEDICATIONS LIKE
IBUPROFEN, TYLENOL, THEY CAN BE
AS EFFECTIVE.
AS EFFECTIVE. ARE THERE OTHER THINGS I CAN
DO.
DO.
DO. PAIN
DO. PAIN WILL LAST LONGER THAN THE
THE -- YOGA, ACUPUNCTURE, THOSE
ARE LONGER TERM INTERVENTIONS
AND THE OTHER THING IS, IF YOUR
DOCTOR WANTS TO GIVE YOU 30, 60
PILLS, SAY DO I REALLY NEED
THAT MANY, THEY SAY YOU MIGHT.
YOU CAN GO TO THE PHARMACY AND
ASK FOR A PARTIAL FILL.
>> LETS TALK QUICKLY ABOUT
SPEAKING TO OUR KIDS.
IS THERE AN AGE RANGE THAT YOU
-- I THINK PARENTS GO HOME, I
DON'T WANT TO BRING THIS UP IF
THIS KID NEVER HEARD OF IT AND
SEND THEM OFF IN THE WRONG
DIRECTION BUT WE WANT TO GET TO
THEM BEFORE THEY HEAR ABOUT
GETTING THIS OUT OF THEIR
GRANDMOTHER'S CABINET.
GRANDMOTHER'S CABINET. >> THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THAT, IS
AT LEAST THE MESSAGE AMONG
CHILDREN IS GETTING THERE AND
THERE'S EVIDENCE LESS KIDS ARE
TRYING PAIN RELIEVERS.
I THINK THAT PARENTS BEING
WATCHFUL, WHEN YOUR CHILD GOES
TO THE DENTIST AND HAS A TOOTH
REMOVED, DON'T ACCEPT OPIATES.
THAT'S NOT NECESSARY.
WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS A SPRAINED
ANKLE ASK IF OPIATES ARE
NECESSARY.
NECESSARY. PARENTS BEING EDUCATED WHEN
THEY'RE APPROPRIATE AND WHEN
THEY'RE NOT, OFTEN TIMES IT'S
NOT APPROPRIATE.
NOT APPROPRIATE. AND HOW DO YOU BE SAFE IN THE
WORLD AS A CHILD AND PARENTS TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AND WHAT
ISN'T AND IT'S A PART OF A
BROADER CONVERSATION.
BROADER CONVERSATION. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO MUCH.
SO MUCH.
SO MUCH. TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO
GETTHEFACTSRX.COM.
GETTHEFACTSRX.COM. WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
WITH THE DOCTOR OVER THE COMING
WEEKS.
WEEKS.
WEEKS. WHEN WE COME BACK, A LOCAL
AUTHOR TAKES US DEEP INTO THE