The Opioid Crisis: Rhetorical Analysis

The Opioid crisis is the issue of the enormous rise in addiction to and overdose from Opioids. Opioids are really just painkillers – they are necessary to relieve pain for people who are struggling with chronic illness or undiagnosable disease. The overprescription of opioids, and their addictive quality, have caused a national epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 115 Americans die every day from opioid overdose. Many individuals, scientists and journalists have various thoughts and opinions regarding the causes, effects, and resolutions to this crisis.

On June 7, 2018 German Lopez published an article discussing solutions to the opioid epidemic on Vox.com. In this persuasive composition, Lopez discusses the stigma around people with opioid addiction and the issue with negative associations toward needle exchange and safe injection sites. According to Lopez, needle exchange sites “are places where someone can dispose of used syringes… and obtain sterile syringes.” Needle exchange and safe injection sites prevent the extra dangers that come from drug use and needle injections. Lopez explains that although these institutions are proven to help regulate and reduce drug use, the stigmas surrounding the establishment of safe drug use sites are holding back progress. The article concludes with the proposition that if opioid addiction was seen as a real disease, rather that a criminal act, there would be more progress in combating the opioid epidemic.

The purpose of this article is to spread awareness and refute stigmas surrounding potential solutions to the opioid crisis. This is clear because throughout the article, Lopez focuses on proving that safe injection and needle exchange sites are crucial, thereby refuting the stigma surrounding them while simultaneously letting his audience know that such stigmas exist. Lopez’s stance is clear from the beginning of the article, he takes the stance that needle exchange and safe injection sites are crucial, and that stigmatising opioid addiction only adds to the crisis. This can be inferred from the proofs he brings to support his claim such as studies that show that safe injection and needle exchange sites have been proven to “combat the spread of bloodborne diseases like hepatitis C and HIV… and link more people to treatment.”  The genre of this composition is a persuasive online political essay, this is clear from the way the author uses an online news site to persuade his audience to accept his political view on the controversial topic of opioid addiction. The audience for this article are likely adult Americans, specifically those who are connected to the opioid crisis in some way. This can be concluded because the article is found on Vox.com, which is a news and politics corporation that generally covers American centric news. Additionally, adults are more likely to have knowledge of the opioid crisis, and those who have a connection to it are more likely to click on the article, and would thereby make up more of Lopez’s audience. Lopez felt the need to write this article because he believes that the stigmas surrounding the opioid crisis serve to escalate it. By writing this article, and dismantling some of the stigmas surrounding the crisis, he is able to educate and eliminate some of this stigma.

“Prescriptions are not to blame for today’s opioid crisis” is an article by Sally Satel from the America magazine, written in May 2018. In this magazine article, Satel debunks the theory that most opioid addiction comes from overprescription of painkillers and asserts the need for prescription opioids. Satel further explains that prescription opioids are not the main reason for the epidemic, citing a 2016 survey that shows only two percent of people prescribed opioids developed an addiction. Although doctors should be careful when prescribing, and treatment for those struggling with addiction should be increased, Satel argues that opioid prescription is imperative in allowing those who are struggling with pain to live a life of normalcy.

The purpose of this article is to educate and inform readers that prescription opioids are necessary and crucial for many people. This is clear from how the majority of the article focuses on bringing in evidence to dismantle the idea that prescription opioids are a leading cause in the crisis.  Satel’s stance is that the limitation of prescription opioids would not only do little to combat the opioid crisis, but would make life harder for many people using opioids to deal with pain. This stance is evident throughout the article, and the title, “Prescriptions are not to blame for today’s opioid crisis,” sufficiently sums up Satel’s stance for her audience, even before they read the article. Despite her strong stance, Satel comes across as more reserved. She tends to state facts to back up her argument rather than bring in personal examples, and she presents details in a very straightforward manner.  The genre of Satel’s article can be described as a informative, explanatory magazine feature. This can be inferred from how article appears in America, a catholic political magazine, and it mainly focuses on informing readers of the limited effects prescription opioids have on the opioid crisis. Based on the genre of this article, Satel’s intended audience was likely Catholic American adults who read the America magazine. There have been several opioid epidemics over the past several decades with separate causes and effects. Therefore, there are many misunderstandings surrounding the opioid crisis of today. Satel wrote this article because she felt the need to clarify and inform her audience of the misrepresented causes of the opioid crisis. .

On June 19, 2018 the article “Addiction Policy Forum Launches New Chapter, Statewide Resource to Address Opioid Crisis in Kentucky” was released by the PR Newswire. This informative article educates readers about a nonprofit organization called The Addiction Policy Forum (APF). The APF is an organization that works to combat the opioid epidemic in states that need it the most such as Kentucky, the state this article focuses on. The article describes the work APF does to combat and prevent addiction. The organization has both a hotline and a website to give people access to information and resources for dealing with the crisis.  The article lists the goals for the APF program, including education, expanding treatment access, and prevention.

The PR Newswire writes this article with the purpose of describing and explaining the aims and goals of APF, a non profit organization. When publishing this article, the newspaper may have had the intention of giving exposure to the organization to spread awareness and even possibly increase donations. This can be inferred from the fact that there are multiple links within the article directing to the organization’s website. Although the article describes the positive aspects of an opioid awareness website and hotline, no real stance is taken, and the author remains neutral. This is because the main and foremost goal of the article is to convey facts about APF – what the organization does and what its goals consist of. This article is a Informative news story, this is clear from the way article focuses on the recent launch of the Kentucky chapter of the APF organization. This shows that it is a news story because the article is dedicated to giving relevant information regarding recent activity. The intended audience of this article are likely citizens of Kentucky who either are struggling with opioid addiction or know someone who is in struggling. This can be inferred from how the article focuses on Kentucky’s new APF chapter and the clearly bolded hotline and website for those in opioid related crisis. The PR Newswire needed to write this article because the opioid crisis is a widespread epidemic, and many people who are affected don’t know how to get help or how to help those around them. Through this article, the audience is informed of an organization they can use or donate to, so that they can get help or help others dealing with the crisis.

“Medication storage and disposal safety” by Sharon A. Morgan was published by American Nurse Today in April of 2018. The essay explains that opioid poisoning is a crisis that often is caused by unsafely stored and badly disposed medical drugs. Morgan describes some of the solutions to the lack of proper drug disposal, including “mail-back programs, collection receptacles, and take-back events.” She suggests that nurses could assist in solving this issue by encouraging their patients to make use of drug disposal centers and educating them regarding the proper disposal of medications.

The purpose of this article is to explain the importance of the safe disposal of drugs and inform of solutions to this issue. This can be concluded from the way Morgan describes the dangers of unsafe medication disposal, and highlights some ways to implement proper disposal. Based on the mentioning of unsafe disposal as a large cause of the opioid epidemic, it can be concluded that Morgan’s stance is that safe disposal and storage of opioid drugs is a crucial part of solving the opioid crisis. This article is a clinical academic essay, this is shown by the fact that it is peer reviewed and published by a medical journal, and that it brings legitimate studies to back up analysis and claims.. The intended audience for this academic essay is likely nurses in the United States, this is seen from the American centric sources used to summarize the issue of the crisis, along with the advice Morgan gives specifically for nurses regarding education about proper disposal of opioid medication. The need for this article comes from an increase in overdoses related to improperly stored medications. Morgan wrote this article in order to bring light and give practical solutions to this widespread issue that is affecting many Americans.

The aforementioned articles all have both similarities and differences within their rhetorical situations and detail. The subject of the PR Newswire and Morgan’s articles are quite similar in that they both discuss methods of combating the opioid crisis. The PR Newswire has the purpose of informing and giving awareness to a nonprofit organization, while the purpose of Morgan’s article is to inform and persuade people of the importance of safe disposal of opioids  in fighting the epidemic. The intended audience demographic differs for each article, the articles by Lopez and Satel are intended for American adults, however, Satel’s article appears in America magazine which generally targets Catholic Americans, and Lopez’s article has a much broader American audience. The PR Newswire and Morgan’s article both have more specific audiences. The PR Newswire is specifically targeting citizens of Kentucky, while Morgan’s article is intended to give over information and advice to nurses. The stances of Morgan and Lopez greatly contrast each other, while Lopez is quite passionate and believes stigma is a major obstacle in combating the opioid crisis, Morgan is much more reserved. She factually describes why safe disposal of opioid medication is crucial in combating the crisis. The articles of Satel and The PR Newswire have somewhat similar genres, a magazine and newspaper article respectively. The genre of Satel’s article, is more persuasive, while the PR Newswire’s article is more focused on informing and educating. All of the articles are similar in that they discuss causes, effects, resolutions, or theories regarding the opioid epidemic.

 

 

Works Cited

Lopez,  German “A new study shows stigma is hurting our response to the opioid epidemic”  www.vox.com,  Jun 7, 2018  https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/6/7/17434480/needle-exchange-safe-injection-site-stigma-study

 

Mattson CL, O’Donnell J, Kariisa M, Seth P, Scholl L, Gladden RM. “Opportunities to Prevent Overdose Deaths Involving Prescription and Illicit Opioids, 11 States”  Centers for Disease Control and prevention July 2016–June 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6734a2

 

Morgan, Sharon A. “Medication storage and disposal safety.” American Nurse Today, vol. 13, 4, 2018, p. 44. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536398846/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=648db21a. Accessed 28 Sept. 2018. “Addiction Policy Forum Launches New Chapter, Statewide Resource to Address Opioid Crisis in Kentucky.”

 

PR Newswire, 19 June 2018. Infotrac Newsstand, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A543478392/STND?u=cuny_ccny&sid=STND&xid=93fbc7b6. Accessed 12 Sept. 2018.

 

Satel, Sally. “Prescriptions are not to blame for today’s opioid crisis.” America, 28 May 2018, p. 10 Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A543465902/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=OVIC&xid=70a35252. Accessed 12 Sept. 2018.