Overview
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ASSIGNMENT: Please respond to the 10 classmate’s questions and discussion post responses that is pertaining to the specific presentation..
My presentation: (2)Please respond to Helen Grizzle and Sergio Ayala response of my PowerPoint presentation: Helen:
Hi Aj!
Very informative post. The Rise of synthetic Opioids is refers to the increasing prevalance and impact of opioid drugs that are manufactured in laboratories, rather than derived from natural resources like the opium poppy. Synthetic opioids causing a public impact the main driver being over dose deaths. Synthetic opioids are involved in twice as many deaths as heroin in the U.S. These synthectic opioids are more cheaper than herion. Why do you think that synthetic opioids are more cheaper than heroin to buy?
Sergio:
Good evening, AJ!
I hope you are having an amazing week so far. I want to first share how straight to the point your presentation was. I like that you made it short and really simple to understand. A few points that stood out to me about your presentation on the rise of synthetic opioids were that we are in the 4th wave of the opioid crisis. Being in the 4th wave is not surprising, but what stood out to me is that this wave is not our typical one and differs from other waves. For example, the wave is not talking about just one type of drug; it is talking about fentanyl and mixtures of who knows what mixed. And obviously, this is a public health crisis because it makes overdoses more unpredictable and fatal. But the other thing that stood out to me was the percentage of people who need help but do not get treated, which was less than 10 percent, suggesting the system is somehow failing. To keep it short and simple, this presentation explains the current opioid crisis, it also shows who is affected, it shows the treatments, and why these treatments and harm reduction are a much better solution than punishment. I do want to ask a more modern-technology question, because I definitely think we live in a society where technology is all around us from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep. But my question will focus on social media. My presentation was about social media, and I want to ask a related question. So, how do you think social media or online drug markets play a big role in the spread of fentanyl in regard to your presentation?
Danielle Gallant Presentation:(2) Please respond to Sydney Smith and Hellen Grizzle’s responses tonight Danielle Gallant’s presentation:
Sydney Smith:
Hey Danielle! I appreciated your presentation on the prevalence of vaping among adolescents in the U.S. On a side note, I work at a pharmacy/store, and we recently started selling Juuls along with cigarettes and nicotine pouches. It's always interesting to see that these items are placed right next to smoking cessation products. One preventative measure we use to prevent underage purchases is that the POS system requires the cashier to enter the customer’s date of birth and/or scan their driver’s license or ID card.
It's been mentioned before in posts about the DARE programs in schools, and how they were a response to the War on Drugs and deemed ineffective in stopping substance use in adolescents (West, 2004). Do you think updating the program’s mission to address modern adolescent health issues could make it more effective to implement in schools and other educational institutions today?
West, S. L. (2004). Project D.A.R.E. Outcome Effectiveness Revisited. American Journal of Public Health, 94(6), 1027. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.94.6.1027
Hellen Grizzle:
Hi Danielle!
Great power point I like how you incorporated the graph regarding advertising regulations compliance. I like how you point out how the study sums up of how many people did not comply with the FDA's regulations on social media. The different polices that you mentioned such as putting labels on all tobacco products that the FDA recommends, I also did not know that companies was not allowed to distribute samples, so that was good to know. What are the most effective policy interventions do you feel will curb the youth vaping epidemic?
Sergio Ayala’s Presentation: (2)Please respond to Danielle Gallant’s and Helen Grizzle’s responses to Sergio’s presentation:
Danielle Gallant’s Response:
Hey Sergio! Your presentation was very powerful, and I can tell that you feel very strongly about the issue of access to drugs through social media. It's a scary world out there, and social media is no help!
Something from your presentation that really stood out to me was the fact that 97% of teens use the internet every single day, and that they spend around 8 hours a day online. This was quite eye-opening to hear, as I was not expecting the numbers to be so high. Another point that stood out to me was how people get around obtaining drugs using codes online. I had never thought of how people could use this tactic and how it makes things much more difficult for law enforcement. This makes me very concerned for teens (and even children) who are online and how easily they can get access to substances online. I also appreciated how you mentioned that policies out there seem to be more focused on punishing people rather than educating them. Scare tactics do not work most of the time, and I truly feel that education is more impactful.
As I was watching your presentation, I found myself thinking back to lots of instances on social media where I saw people joking about using substances, commenting on posts using certain emojis to hint at certain substances, and even clips from Beyond Scared Straight, a show where minors (some who use drugs) are brought to a jail and scared out of their habits. However, I have seen some educational posts about substances that teens could benefit from, but not many. Prevention is not addressed enough, and social media is continuing to change and become more pervasive and it is not helping much at all. However, do you think that social media could also serve as an outlet to prevent substance use, such as by people who formerly used drugs sharing their story and educating people online?
Helen Grizzle’s Response:
Hi Sergio,
I can tell that you are very passionate on issue with social media and substance use. You provided a significant influence of social media on substance promotion, access and perception, particularly among younger demographics. It emphasizes that this influence is growing and poses a public health concern due to the ease of online drug sales and access. Your passages include stressing urgent need for better policies to address these challenges and prevent further escalation. Do you feel that social media creates a false perception that substance use is a normal part of social life? Explain, why?
Nicole Galicia’s Presentation: (2) Please respond to Danielle Gallant’s and Hailey Smallwood’s responses to Nicole’s Presentation: https://youtu.be/jIJYynZ_92c
Danielle Gallant’s Response:
Hi Nicole! Wonderful presentation on the dangers of synthetic opioids. This was a very eye-opening presentation, as I did not know just how many overdose deaths out there were related to synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl.
It was very interesting to learn that fentanyl is fifty times more powerful and stronger than heroin! I always knew that heroin was super powerful, but I never knew that anything could exceed the strength of it by that much. It is extremely scary to know this, and to hear that producing synthetic opioids is affordable and that it's easily transported. Enforcement of policies is not enough and could even be making matters worse, so I appreciated your recommendations to address this issue, such as by increasing funding for harm-reduction programs and integrating mental health into healthcare.
In the slide that showed recent data and trends with the picture of the map, I noticed that some states had many more drug overdose deaths compared to others. More specifically, Tennessee and West Virginia displayed the most deaths from drug overdoses. Is there a reason why some states may have higher rates of drug overdose deaths compared to others?
Hailey Smallwood’s Response:
Hey Nicole! Great topic for today’s society and something very mainstream within healthcare. As someone who works in the medical field, this opioid crisis is overbearing and is changing the dynamics of both frontline workers and in-house healthcare providers. Drugs that are laced with synthetic fentanyl, as you talked about, are one, if not the main leading cause of overdoses within a younger population. My question would be, in efforts to understand the overall aspect of the opioid crisis in general, how do you think healthcare providers, specifically doctors, could shift the way this medication is being prescribed? Medical doctors are prescribing opioids at an unhealthy rate, hooking patients and forming transformational addictions. Once healthcare is no longer affordable or access becomes minimal to these patients, they begin seeking the street version of these pills, which can be laced with fentanyl. How can the healthcare system change this cycle before patients reach that point?
Helen Grizzle’s Presentation: (2) Please respond to Sydney Smith’s response to Helen’s presentation, and respond to Helen’s reply to Sydney:
Sydney Smith’s Response:
Hi Helen! I appreciated your presentation on media representation of substance use. I agree that there has been a shift in how addiction is viewed publicly, but I also think substance use is still often glamorized in the media. Your Euphoria example highlights this well because it shows how impressionable adolescents are to substance use while also portraying the duality of addiction. Do you think efforts should focus more on prevention and education for adolescent substance use since this media is accessible to millions of youth, or should we prioritize stronger regulation, like increased content warnings, age restrictions, and limits on how substance use is portrayed in shows and movies?
Helen’s Reply to Sydney:
Hi Sydney!
Ultimatley, I feel that neither prevention alone nor regulation alone is likely to be fully effective. A comprehensive strategy would involve integrating both. Educational initiativies can enhance the impact of regulations by helping adolescents understand why certin content is restricted or warned about. Conversely, regulations can create a more conductive environment for educational efforts by reducing the constant barrage of potentially harmful media messages. This dual approach acknowledges the complexity of media influence and aims to build both individual resilience and a safer media landscape