Critique of Articles on Opiates - Essay Example

NIDA/NIH also states that “opiates used without a doctor’s prescription or in ways other than how they are prescribed, can be dangerous and addictive.” Additional information has also been provided on how opiates act on the brain and nervous system in giving feelings of pleasure, relaxation and contentment; acting as an automatic response mechanisms and how it acts on the spinal cord to reduce pain. The article also provides information on how persons can become addicted to opiates which acts on brain stems that controls the automatic response mechanism of the body.. Goodnough’s article entitled “Abuse of Xanax Leads a Clinic to Halt Supply” points to widespread abuse of the opiate Xanax.

It looks at preventative measures that have been taken at the Seven Counties and other Health Centers in the United States to prevent the abuse of opiates like Xanax. Goodnough indicates that: “The experiment will be closely watched in a State that has wrestled with widespread prescription drug abuse for more than a decade”. The article points to serious repercussions since its withdrawal such as the killing of a doctor by a patient demanding a prescription for the drug. Patients who have been taken off the drugs have complained of increased anxiety since the change as the alternative drugs are not as effective.

However, doctors have indicated that there are other ways to treat panic and anxiety disorders. In fact Dr. Hedges (qtd in Goodnough 2011) indicates that “the risk to the community, if we continue to use this medication is very high”. The article also points out that contrary to popular thinking, the misuse and abuse of Xanax knows no class boundary as people from all walks of life use the drug for various reasons. 3. Comparison and Critique Both articles take a different approach in controlling the use of opiates.

NIDA/NIH focuses on opiates in general and mentions a gives a few examples while Goodnough deals specifically with Xanax. Both use pictures to give the articles prominence but NIDA/NIH article was more prominent than that of Goodnough. The one picture used by Goodnough was over-bearing and does not really serve any useful purpose in terms of assisting readers in understanding the article. A reader has to really take a second or a third look to really connect the picture to the article. NIH/NIDA on the other hand used several pictures to explain how opiates work, the effects they have on certain parts of the body and how people become addicted to these kinds of drugs.

The pictures compel the reader to read the article by drawing attention to it and are useful for a better understanding and appreciation of the article. The use of a variety of colors in the text also added meaning to the NIH/NIDA article. While both articles state some disadvantages of taking the drugs pointing to the effects that it can have on persons who abuse it, NIDA/NIH focuses on how it affects certain parts of the body. Goodnough focuses on what is being done to control the use of a specific Opiate Xanax in order to prevent its abuse.

Goodnough also suggests ways in which misuse and abuse can be prevented. The article looks at the transition process in getting patients off the opiate to another the drug. NIH