Informative Speech Assignment

by


 

         Drug Addiction

 

Sakina Horton

General Speech 205

October 15, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drug addiction outline

  1. INTRODUCTION

Attention Device Opener: Do you know anyone who is currently dealing with opioid addiction? Research shows that close to 35 million people are suffering from drug use disorders globally.

Central Idea: Fentanyl drugs have addictive components that once a person overuses them, can lead to behavior changes such as mood swings, being socially withdrawn, and engaging in risky behaviors.

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the increasing problem of prescription drug abuse. For instance, opioids/fentanyl is one of the drugs that is commonly abused by many people.

Thesis Statement: Today, I will inform you about the effects that opioids/fentanyl has on people. The misuse and addiction of fentanyl have increased significantly over the past few years. This has therefore become a major health concern and can lead to chronic constipation, drowsiness, and withdrawal symptoms in newborns.

BODY

  1. This can lead to chronic constipation
  • The misuse of this drug activates cellular adaptations which in turn leads to constipation.
  • Opioid addiction further develops into chronic constipation whereby the victim has difficult bowel movements.
  • This can also be a sign of some serious problems such as brain issues.
  • Fentanyl addiction can cause drowsiness
  • Victims of fentanyl addiction experience excessive sleepiness and feel lethargic.
  • According to research, taking lower doses of fentanyl can lead to drowsiness while higher doses can lower the heart rate and cause breathing problems (Benyamin et al., 2018).
  • As a result, this can lead to death.
  1. Withdrawal symptoms in newborns
  • Reports show that a lot of women are misusing fentanyl during pregnancy.
  • This causes addiction in the unborn babies, hence leading to withdrawal symptoms. In other words, opioid misuse can lead to neonatal abstinence syndrome.
  • Moreover, opioid misuse during pregnancy has been associated with stillbirths, birth defects, and poor fetal growth.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, fentanyl/opioid addiction is indeed a major health concern. This is because its long-term addiction can lead to chronic constipation, drowsiness, and withdrawal symptoms in newborns. Remember, any form of addiction is bad. So it is up to you and me to choose the right path to follow.

 

 

 

References

Benyamin, R., Trescot, A. M., Datta, S., Buenaventura, R. M., Adlaka, R., Sehgal, N., … & Vallejo, R. (2018). Opioid complications and side effects. Pain Physician, 11(2S), S105.