A disastrous disease is raging across the United States – and it's being prescribed to its victims. This monstrosity of an epidemic is called the opioid crisis and is taking the world by storm. Opioids are powerful painkillers that have a numbing effect similar to morphine. Although some opioids, like heroin and fentanyl, are illegal and synthetically manufactured, there are many that are readily available at the local doctor's office; these medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine. This epidemic began as an innocent attempt by medical professionals to make pain management easier for their patients; However, due to the surplus of opioids supplied by pharmaceutical companies and the easy availability of these drugs, humans, both sick and healthy, become addicted to opioids. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay In the late 1990s, pharmacies encouraged members of the medical community that their patients would not become addicted to opioids ; which prompted health care providers to start prescribing the drugs at a higher rate. According to the National Poison Control Center, "During this period, pharmaceutical companies also began promoting the use of opioids in patients with non-cancer pain, even though there was a lack of data regarding the risks and the benefits in these patients. In 1999, 86% of patients using opioids used them to treat noncancer pain. This discovery revealed the fact that individuals were in fact abusing these drugs. Over time, the number of individuals who abused these drugs skyrocketed. As a result, the medical community began to obstruct the prescribing of opioids; However, this obstacle turned users towards a more powerful and illegal alternative. Heroin was the second best option for those who could not receive opioids. Lindsy Liu, Certified Poison Information Specialist, says, “Heroin use has increased in both sexes, in most age groups, and in all socioeconomic groups. Heroin-related overdose deaths increased 286 percent between 2002 and 2013, and about 80 percent of heroin users admitted to abusing prescription opioids before turning to heroin. The increase in demand for heroin has led to an increase in its illegal manufacture and sale, allowing the addition of synthetic opioids. Lindsy Liu also states, “The largest increase in drug-related deaths occurred in 2016 with more than 20,000 deaths from fentanyl and related drugs. The increase in fentanyl-related deaths has been linked to illegally manufactured fentanyl (not diverted medical fentanyl) used to replace or adulterate other drugs of abuse. Over the decades, individuals have become addicted to these drugs and the effects they cause, which has a dramatic impact not only on individuals facing personal experiences of addiction, but also on our country's economy and of our government. This epidemic is extremely costly, not only to those affected, but to our government who is paying for the repercussions. The Opioid Crisis Organization describes the multiple financial aspects of this situation: “They arise from (A) the medical care provided to individuals suffering from opioid addiction, overdose, or opioid-related medical problems; (B) treatment.