My topic is about opioids in the Appalachian Region. The problem of opioid addiction originally began to take form in 1980. In 1999, opioid related deaths began to rise in the United States of America. This has continued to be a problem well into the 2000’s.

If we can learn about this topic, and become well versed in it, hopefully we can ease the problem. When we begin to know all the facts, not just our one sided opinion, then we will really be able to make a change. We will know the risks, and how to help people. The only way to move forward is to revisit the past and our downfalls.

The Opioid Crisis did not come up overnight. It arose by the efforts of people, who usually wanted what was best and to improve the management of pain. Another factor in the uproar of opioids was marketing of the pharmaceutical manufacturers. Some other factors were the regimen and regularly of taking the drugs, the social climate, and socio-economic trends.

Furthermore, the Opioid Crisis is not laid out the same way as the HIV/AIDS Pandemic. Opioids took more lives in 2017 then the HIV/AIDS illnesses, and related illnesses, did at the peak of their pandemic.

My purpose for researching this is to understand it better. Growing up in the Appalachian Region, you hear about the claws opioids have in this area almost everyday. Hopefully, after my research, I will be able to know why.