Marketing seems to be a major driving force of our culture, doesn’t it? From the iconic “Got Milk?” and Fruity Pebbles cereal commercials in the 1990s to the colorful ads for health insurance in women’s magazines, marketing seems to be everywhere and doesn’t want to let go. After all, how many times have you visited a website for a tourist destination, only to have that same image appear in banner ads on your web browser? Advertisers are everywhere, and even the drug companies have gotten good at this game. Nowadays, drugs are popular products for advertisements, and the manufacturers have even managed to reach out to doctors, our sources for well-being and recovery. So, imagine how dangerous the situation can become when big-brand companies push opioids (possibly the most dangerous threat to our livelihoods right now) on our physicians. Let’s take a closer look at the situation and find out some more information.
A Growing Trend of Pain
According to a recent study, when drug companies push opioids on doctors via marketing campaigns, communities will start to suffer as a result. How is this possible, you may ask? Starting in the 1990s, marketing for these potent painkillers reached a whole new level of aggression, leading to an onslaught of opioid prescriptions that (as scientists put it) may have triggered the modern Opioid Crisis. In 2017 alone, an estimated 17,000 overdose deaths were caused by opioid painkillers (about 35% of deaths, overall). Now, let’s consider that (from 2015 to 2017) pharmaceutical companies used an average $39.7 million for marketing campaigns about opioids to help 67,500 U.S. doctors promote the drugs.
Paying off the Doctors
Overall, you may find the fact that pharmaceutical companies paid off doctors to help them market these drugs, but, in reality, this has actually happened. While some companies completely promoted the doctors’ approval, other groups paid some physicians through subtler measures. In a rather shady tactics, a representative may take a doctor out to dinner as an act of bribery. As research has shown, the larger the promotional payment, the higher number of deaths will take place.
Seeking Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Opioids are extremely potent and dangerous drugs that have a high risk for abuse and addiction. If you are ever instructed to take these medications, proceed with caution. Follow the instructions to the letter and never take more than the required dose.
If you are suffering from a severe case of opioid use disorder or have a friend or loved one who is coping with this illness, get in touch with Asana Recovery today. Our professional team of counselors and healthcare experts will help you endure the painful process detox and withdrawal and guide you through each step of the rehabilitation process to help you separate yourself from these deadly painkillers.
If you want to find out more about our residential treatment or supervised detoxification/withdrawal programs or enroll in one of these programs today, we are ready and waiting to speak with you at your leisure and your disclosure. Call Asana now at (949) 438-4504 to learn how you can overcome your attachment to opioids and take an essential step against the Opioid Crisis.
