Hall - Stimulants - Current Events
- Stimulants -
Current Events
The drug overdose epidemic here in the United States continues to worsen, and fatal overdoses involving stimulants (such as cocaine and other psychostimulants, primarily methamphetamine) have been increasing during the past few years (Hoots, Vivolo & Seth, 2020). The Covid-19 pandemic has effected the world and everyone in it, in some way or another. Conditions such as anxiety and depression aren’t the only mental health issues people have been facing since the pandemic. Experts are saying that misuse of opioids and stimulants is also on the rise (Abramson, 2021). A new study has found that the amount of adults using two widely prescribed stimulants (amphetamines and methylphenidate) has almost doubled over a recent five-year period (Silverman, 2021). Since stimulants can be highly addictive, this is raising much concern over the potential wave of abuse.
"The potential for abuse is just as great as the potential for benefit, and our society must not forget the great power of stimulants just because they are so common" (Aftandilians, 2009). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in June of 2020, about three months into the pandemic, 13% of Americans reported starting or increasing substance use as a way of coping with stress or emotions related to Covid-19 (Abramson, 2021). Sadly, overdoses have also spiked since the onset of the pandemic (Abramson, 2021). Based on research and clinical observation, experts are agreeing that pandemic-related strains, from economic stress and loneliness to general anxiety about the virus, are a major driver for the increase (Abramson, 2021). As a persons stress increases, they may have fewer ways to manage it, likely contributing to the uptick in substance misuse (Abramson, 2021).
For example:
- Resilience-promoting activities (like physical activity and social interactions) haven’t been as safe to engage in or easy to access, which can lead some people to start using drugs or use them more often or in greater amounts.
- Practical pandemic-related reasons for the rise in overdoses: People are more likely to have fatal overdoses when they are using drugs alone, since there’s no one there to call 911 or administer naloxone (an opioid-reversal agent). For those living alone, this isolation presents an even bigger risk.
- During the start of the pandemic, it was more difficult for people to get the medical care they needed for recovery because many clinics and community-based organizations decreased their services.
(Abramson, 2021).
- Behavioral: Reports of violence has also increased during the pandemic. A greater proportion of stimulant drug users and those with a stimulant use disorder meet criteria for both general and history of aggression (Hayley, Hart, O'Malley, Stough, & Downey, 2019).
- Culturally: The use and study of stimulants has fueled many debates, such as the dangers of caffeine during pregnancy or the administration of drugs for alertness in children (Aftandilians, 2009).
- Psychologically: These stimulating drugs that alter our state of being are extremely powerful (Aftandilians, 2009). Most people are expected to accomplish more in the same amount of time than they were only decades ago, and many are relying heavily on stimulants just to keep up. During the pandemic, many Americans have struggled with working from home and having to home school their children.
- Socially: There have been incidents of high school and college students selling their prescribed stimulants for profit, creating a great deal of trouble for themselves as well as for the buyers, who might be unaware of the addictive nature of the medications (Aftandilians, 2009).
Why prevention and intervention is necessary:
Globally, stimulants are the second most consumed illicit drug (second to cannabis) (Hayley, Hart, O'Malley, Stough & Downey, 2019). With observed increases in overdoses involving stimulants without opioids, (particularly in psychostimulants), we need novel, evidence‐based interventions which are necessary to address the expanding drug overdose epidemic (Hoots, Vivolo, & Seth, 2020). Although there is no effective medication for stimulant use disorder, professionals can implement an expansion of the public health approach to turn around the opioid crisis, including access to syringe services programs and a bigger approach to address socio‐economic factors associated with drug use, which can reduce the use of stimulants as well as opioids (Hoots, Vivolo, & Seth, 2020). Continued efforts with research and development of medications to treat stimulant use disorders are also needed (Hoots, Vivolo, & Seth, 2020).
References
Abramson, A. (2021, March 1). Substance use during the pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/03/substance-use-pandemic
Aftandilians, T. (2009). Stimulants and Society. Berkeley Scientific Journal, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.5070/BS3122007594
Hayley, A. C., Hart, C. L., O’Malley, K. Y., Stough, C. K. K., & Downey, L. A. (2019). Risky driving behaviours among stimulant drug users and the role of aggression: findings from a national survey. Addiction, 114(12), 2187–2196. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14759
Hoots, B., Vivolo, K. A., & Seth, P. (2020). The rise in non‐fatal and fatal overdoses involving stimulants with and without opioids in the United States. Addiction, 115(5), 946–958. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14878
Silverman, E. (2021, August 17). As use of widely prescribed stimulants increases, experts see troubling parallels to opioid crisis. Retrieved from https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2021/08/17/cns-stimulants-adhd-addiction-amphetamine-opioid/
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