8/7/2019 The Opiate Problem

1/1

Adult admissions to state-funded treatment for prescription-type opiate addiction are 11 times what they were in 2001.

364 446 596836

1,2111,729

2,2242,630

3,4744,089

OPIATE OVERDOSE DEATHS, 2005-2009

ADULT ADMISSIONS TO TREATMENT

The number of kilograms of heroin seized by drug task

forces in Washington state.

KILOGRAMS SEIZED

The number of free, clean needles exchanged for drug usersthrough the Kitsap County Health District, 2008-2010.

NEEDLES EXCHANGED

HOW METHADONE WORKS

25

20

15

10

5

02005 06 07 08 09

50

40

30

20

10

02001 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

800

700

600

500

400

3002005 06 07 08 09

Kitsap County Washington State

(hundreds)

2006 26

2007 53

2008 14

2009 47

2010 1,490

2008 282,039

2009 436,390

2010 682,462

Note: No data prior to 2008

1 All opiate-based drugs heroin, oxycodone, morphine andothers travel through the bloodstream to the brain, wherethey attach to specialized proteins called mu opiod receptors,like a key going into a lock.

2 These receptors, which are located on the surface of braincells, are triggered by the opiates to release feelings ofpleasure from the brains reward system the high aperson gets.

3 The more the brain is exposed to the artificialopiate, however, the less responsive its receptorsbecome in triggering those feelings of happiness

hence the tolerance the person gets for the drug andthe more they need of it to get high.

Prolonged opiate use actually alters the brainschemistry to where the addict simply needs adose of opiates to feel normal.

4 Methadone can be used to treat an opiateaddict by quelling the addiction without givingthe high from the drug. Methadone does so byattaching to the receptors and occupyingthem, as other opiates do, but in a lowenough dose not signaling a release ofpleasure from the brains reward system.

5 Buprenorphine, a more recent drug used to treat opiateaddiction, is similar to methadone in that it occupies thereceptors, which quell the addiction. But the drug hasthe unique ceiling effect in which it will actually block

not just occupy the receptors from other opiates.

Axon

Neurotransmitters

Receptors Synapticgap

NEURON

1

2

3

45

The body has its ownnaturally occurring

opiods, such asendorphins, that also

attach to the samereceptors. Those bonds

come naturally whenpeople engage in thepromoting of basiclife functions, such

as eating or sex.

Sources: Kitsap County Health District; Northwest HighIntensity Drug Trafficking Area; Treatment and Assess-ment Report Generation Tool; Division of BehavioralHealth and Recovery; Washington State Department of

Social and Health Service; Center for Health Statistics;Washington State Department of Health