Each week the Office of the Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging releases a Friday newsletter with information relevant to activities, issues and events for older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities across the Commonwealth.
“76 billion opioid pills: Newly released federal data unmasks the epidemic” – The Washington Post
“The data in the DEA database tracks the path of every single pain pill sold in the United States, including oxycodone, above. (John Moore/Getty Images)”
by Scott HighamSari Horwitz Steven Rich
“America’s largest drug companies saturated the country with 76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pain pills from 2006 through 2012 as the nation’s deadliest drug epidemic spun out of control, according to previously undisclosed company data released as part of the largest civil action in U.S. history.
“The information comes from a database maintained by the Drug Enforcement Administration that tracks the path of every single pain pill sold in the United States — from manufacturers and distributors to pharmacies in every town and city. The data provides an unprecedented look at the surge of legal pain pills that fueled the prescription opioid epidemic, which has resulted in nearly 100,000 deaths from 2006 through 2012.
“Just six companies distributed 75 percent of the pills during this period: McKesson Corp., Walgreens, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, CVS and Walmart, according to an analysis of the database by The Washington Post. Three companies manufactured 88 percent of the opioids: SpecGx, a subsidiary of Mallinckrodt; Actavis Pharma; and Par Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Endo Pharmaceuticals.”
Read this Washington Post article in its entirety, click here.
“The opioid crisis and grandparents raising grandchildren” – US Census Bureau
by Lydia Anderson
“In the wake of the opioid epidemic that was declared a public health crisis in 2017, there has been increasing concern about what happens to the children of parents with substance abuse disorders who may be unable to care for their children.
“New Census Bureau research shows that grandparents may sometimes step in to care for these children.
“The percentage of the population age 30 and over who are raising grandchildren is higher in states that have higher opioid prescribing rates, according to a new working paper, entitled “The Opioid Prescribing Rate and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: State and County Level Analysis.”
“Opioid Abuse and Seniors” – ForeverYoung.org
by Judith A. Rucki
“If you think the opioid epidemic is only affecting younger folks, think again. According to a report in Psychiatric Times, while opioid use disorders are more common in younger patients, ‘prevalence among the elderly is growing, and misuse poses unique risks in the geriatric population.’
The informational web guide Addiction Center concurs. ‘Drug and alcohol abuse among the elderly is a rapidly growing health problem in the United States.’ Adding, ‘Seventeen percent of people in the United States over 65 years old have abused prescription medications, according to the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.’
“The Center on Addiction states, ‘A growing number of older Americans are becoming addicted to prescription opioid drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin. While drug-related deaths have increased dramatically in all age groups, the greatest percentage increase has been among adults ages fifty-five to sixty-four.’
“So, what can we do to protect our loved ones and ourselves from falling victim to this epidemic? We can start by acquainting ourselves with potential triggers for addiction in our senior population.” Click here to continue reading this article at ForeverYoung.com.
Below is an extraction of a 2017 article at Medium.com describing opioid addiction in a Pennsylvania County. The article reinforces the impact of opioid addiction on “more and more senior citizens.”
“Yet, it’s not just the county’s youngest who are most vulnerable to the secondary threats of the opioid crisis.
Opioids’ oldest victims
“More and more Butler County senior citizens are being robbed of their golden years, and the sinister secondary threats of the opioid crisis are increasingly to blame.
“So said the county’s Area Agency on Aging Director Beth Herold, speaking at a county-wide opioid coalition meeting this fall.
“The opioid epidemic’s threat to Butler County’s oldest residents comes in many forms.
“Above all, their lives are at stake.
“In area where prescription opioids remain abundant, older people remain at risk of accidentally overdosing on the very medication designed to ease their pain. Indeed, overdose deaths recorded here have touched virtually every demographic, including those 60 and up, the county coroner reported.
“Other threats to seniors from the opioid crisis are much more subtle, unsuspecting, even sinister. Continue reading →
Overdose deaths are soaring among women over 30
“Drug overdose deaths among women ages 30 to 64 are soaring, according to a new CDC analysis of data from 1999 to 2017. Here’s a look at the findings:
- The drug data: The rate of drug overdose deaths involving any opioid rose 492 percent during that time. Deaths involving heroin rose 915 percent; benzodiazepines 830 percent; cocaine 285 percent; and antidepressants 176 percent.
- The age breakdown: Overdose deaths climbed most dramatically — nearly 500 percent — among women ages 55 to 64. In 2017, overdose deaths rates were highest among women ages 50 to 54.
- The takeaway: “Overdose deaths continue to be unacceptably high, and targeted efforts are needed to reduce the number of deaths in this evolving epidemic, including those among middle-aged women,” the authors write.
SOURCE: STAT | Morning Rounds
Drug Overdose Deaths Among Women Aged 30–64 Years — United States, 1999–2017
“What’s behind our appetite for self-destruction?” – The Conversation
“There seems be an attractive quality to things that are ostensibly unhealthy or dangerous.” Alisusha/Shutterstock.com
“Each new year, people vow to put an end to self-destructive habits like smoking, overeating or overspending.
“And how many times have we learned of someone – a celebrity, a friend or a loved one – who committed some self-destructive act that seemed to defy explanation? Think of the criminal who leaves a trail of evidence, perhaps with the hope of getting caught, or the politician who wins an election, only to start sexting someone likely to expose him.
“Why do they do it?”
Click here to continue reading this Conversation article about the nature of destructive behaviors.
“A visual journey through addiction” – The New York Times
PHOTO: Center on Addiction.org
“THE FINAL TRAP of addiction is laid when you muster the courage to stop. You may not even realize you are physically dependent until you experience withdrawal for the first time.
“There might be crippling pain, vomiting, insomnia, spasms, hot and cold flashes, goosebumps, congestion and tears. All this on top of debilitating anxiety and depression.
“You might feel like you’re having the worst flu of your life, or like a demon is crawling out of your skin.
“This misery could last for weeks.
“Dying from withdrawal is uncommon, but it doesn’t feel that way at the time. These harsh symptoms can make quitting seem impossible.”
Click here to read and experience the “A visual journey through addiction” at The New York Times
Friday Wrap-Up, December 14, 2018 | a message from the Secretary of Aging
Each week the Office of the Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging releases a Friday newsletter with information relevant to activities, issues and events for older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities across the Commonwealth..
Click here download the newsletter as a .pdf file.
“Pennsylvania sees significant rise in heroin overdoses among people 55 and older” – The Morning Call
“More and more older Pennsylvanians are hospitalized for heroin overdoses, according to a state report released Wednesday.” (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)
by Binghui Huang, Contact Reporter of The Morning Call
“A survey released Wednesday shows a troubling rise in the number of Pennsylvanians 55 and older being hospitalized for heroin overdoses, an increase that several public health officials linked to the deadly opioid epidemic sweeping the state.
“But, they cautioned, additional study needs to be done to explain why more older adults are resorting to heroin.
“According to the survey by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, the heroin overdose hospitalization rate among those 55 and older increased 36 percent from 2016 to 2017, the greatest increase of any age group.”
Click here to read this Morning Call article in its entirety.
