Opioid addiction is not new - many have suffered from this epidemic for years. Though highly addictive, opioids alone are not fully to blame for the overwhelming number of addicted individuals. There are other components which contribute to this deadly health concern.

Prescribed to treat acute pain, if a person is taking opioids for extended periods of time their body can become immune to the dose. At this stage, pain increases while the effectiveness of the medication decreases. Additionally, the body often develops a dependency. Once a person is dependent, they can experience withdrawal-like...