Project Introduction

Research Topic & Significance

Since 1999, more than 760,000 individuals have died from a drug overdose. 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid of some kind. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ) Opioids are drugs that alleviate pain and produce a positive/relaxed sensation in the brain and body. Typically prescribed as a treatment plan post-surgery or after a substantial injury, there are two legal types of opioids: prescription pain relievers (oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and methadone) and pharmaceutical fentanyl. Two illegal kinds of opioids are illegally manufactured fentanyl and heroin. Regardless of the type of opioid, all are addictive due to the body's ability to build up a tolerance quickly to these medications requiring more amounts to feel the same effect. (Wisconsin Department of Health Services) Fentanyl, specifically, is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin or prescription opioids. There is a current crisis with street drugs being laced with fentanyl, which has been causing a significant increase in the number of deaths due to purchasers not knowing the contents of their drugs. Fentanyl comes from carfentanil, which is used to anesthetize elephants. (U.S. Department of Justice) Due to the nature of these addictive drugs, we are at a crossroads in society, with addiction levels being at an all-time high with an increasing death count each month. This research aims to investigate if there are any similarities in drug classes and deaths, if demographic information and homelessness play a factor in addiction, which states are experiencing a higher addiction rate than others, if prescriptions are increasing over time for these drugs, and if pharmaceutical companies have taken any steps to help combat this epidemic. 

Why This Research is Important

The opioid crisis was officially declared an emergency in 2017, and the declaration was renewed in June 2024. It is still a crisis today, taking more than 220 lives daily. (Federal Communications Commission) It has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths since the emergency began.  These deaths alone show that understanding more about this epidemic is vital as it can help save lots of people, not only today but in the future. Finding patterns and trends in any dataset about this crisis can help inform the general public, politicians, and others about how to prevent it and where to seek help. Not only would they be helping people who use these drugs in a prescription or recreational way, but they will also help themselves, as almost one-third of US adults know someone or will know someone who has died of opioids. (JAMA Health Forum) Understanding the crisis in depth is the key step to prevention. Prevention can help educate others about when to seek help, as only 13.1 million people sought out help out of around 54.6 million who needed help for a substance use disorder. (CDC) Educating users and other people on how to get help for a substance use disorder is the first step in helping the crisis. However, it can be challenging for people to get help for various reasons, such as wealth, class, location, race, and other circumstances. This research can help show how politicians and leaders can delegate funding to specific programs and where to help prevent deaths and provide help to users and their families. The opioid crisis has a multitude of devastating real-world implications, including rising overdose deaths, economic strain, and increased crime rates. It is imperative we intervene in the opioid epidemic, otherwise, it will continue to devastate individuals, families, and entire communities. 

Who is Affected by The Opioid Crisis

The opioid crisis affects a myriad of industries, groups, and individuals, creating a widespread public health emergency. The healthcare industry, which is composed of hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and mental health services, is one of the most directly impacted industries and is often overwhelmed with patients suffering from opioid addiction and overdoses. Physicians and pharmacists who prescribe opioids must carefully manage patients' pain while minimizing the risk of opioid addiction. The pharmaceutical industry and the government also play significant roles in the opioid epidemic, as the opioid epidemic started in the 1990s when Purdue Pharma created OxyContin, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and led to the first wave of deaths linked to prescription opioids (Harvard). Law enforcement and the criminal justice system are also deeply affected, as police officers and correctional facilities have to handle opioid-related crimes.  Social services that focus on addiction recovery, homelessness, and mental health struggle to provide adequate resources and treatment to affected individuals. Families of those addicted to opioids face emotional and financial burdens while attempting to support their loved ones through recovery (APA). Vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness, low-income communities, and individuals with mental health conditions, are disproportionately affected and often have limited access to treatment (UChicagoMedicine). 

Existing Solutions & Gaps:

There are a variety of initiatives in place to fight the opioid crisis. Currently, public health professionals lead the fight with programs to educate the public about opioid use risk, distribute naloxone, and increase the sharing of data among state agencies, clinics, and treatment centers (Yale School of Medicine). Healthcare providers are encouraged to prescribe opioids less, and some communities have organized disposal efforts such as drop boxes to reduce supply in households (Wake Forest School of Medicine). However, the effectiveness of these efforts is largely unstudied, pointing to a gap in knowledge. There is also a considerable need for further research to understand opioid use disorder and the most effective ways to deal with it. While a traditional way to address addiction is to quit fully, this has proven harmful to some who relapse within 6 months and overdose accidentally with a lower tolerance (Yale School of Medicine). Thus, opioid agonists, such as methadone and buprenorphine, can be extremely effective in reducing cravings and relapse. However, there is a need to increase access to these medications and certify more providers to be able to prescribe them. Finally, there is a large potential to harness big data analytics to understand pain itself more (Wake Forest School of Medicine). Machine learning and natural language processing unlock the ability to analyze patient data regarding how they experience pain and how they respond to corresponding treatments. This has the potential to lead to a more personalized approach to pain treatment, thus lessening the risk of unnecessary opioid treatment.

Summary and Next Steps

The opioid crisis is at an all-time high and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. While some solutions like education programs and data sharing have helped, more work still needs to be done because this crisis is taking 220 lives per day! This research is aimed to try and identify if other areas can be targeted to help ensure that the number of overdoses starts decreasing over time. The goal of using data mining techniques is to see if there are any noticeable patterns in these data sets and determine if steps can be taken to protect the community from these dangerous, addictive drugs. By identifying these trends, we hope to inform policymakers, healthcare providers, and social services on how to allocate resources effectively. Additionally, understanding the demographic and geographic disparities in opioid misuse can help tailor inventions to the communities that need them most. The next steps in our project involve collecting and analyzing data from reputable sources. Through statistical and machine learning models, we will determine correlations and predictive factors for opioid misuse and overdoses. Furthermore, exploring the link between mental health disorders and opioid addiction may provide insight into more comprehensive treatment approaches. This research will help shape more effective prevention strategies, improve rehabilitation access, and guide policy decisions. Ultimately, our goal is to provide data-driven solutions that reduce opioid-related deaths and protect communities from this devastating epidemic.