September 30, 2024
Still too little known, addiction to opioid drugs has become a real public health problem in France. Each year, 12 million French people consume painkillers to deal with chronic pain. At the same time, the number of poisonings and deaths is also increasing sharply.
More and more intoxications
As the United States faces a health crisis with pain medication, ANSM (National Medicines Safety Agency) records four deaths per week due to an opioid overdose in France. In France, hospitalizations linked to the consumption of painkillers jumped 146% in fifteen years.
To prevent excess, since July 2017 regulations have prohibited so-called “weak” opioids such as codeine or Tramadol, which must now be prescribed by prescription. Strong opioids like morphine are available by secure prescription. However, their consumption has increased by 120% in the last three years.
Associations of dangerous drugs
Opioids can cause nausea, dry mouth, and drowsiness. Overdose can manifest as attention disturbances, muscle twitching and difficulty breathing, primary cause of death in case of overdose. To avoid overdose, it is essential not to take other drugs which have the same effects such as benzodiazepines such as Valium®, paracetamol in high doses or anxiolytics.
This is what caused the death of Joseph, an 18-year-old boy who died on December 29, 2016. The young man was overdosed on opiates by swallowing painkillers and anxiolytics. Faced with these overdoses, it is necessary to inform patients as well as possible and to remain vigilant in order to avoid addictions. ANSM has set up surveillance for these drugs through its addictovigilance network. To prevent the health crisis, an antidote, naloxone, can also be injected in case of an overdose to stop the action of opioids.
Stéphanie Haerts
Read also : 4 essential pain relieving oils
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