Opioids: Abling the disabled, and disabling the able

By: Addie Robinson

As a child, having a father with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a rare bone disease, meant watching him scream when trying to stand up. It meant letting him use my car to drive to his specialist hours away because it had better gas mileage, and probably the most important thing, it meant that I learned to not touch his medicine cabinet. 

Chronic illness affects more than the disabled. It affects everyone around them. Seeing a loved one in constant, excruciating pain is agonizing to watch. The able-bodied people around them can feel like there’s nothing they can do to stop or prevent it.

Think about how far modern medicine has come just over the last century. The development of antibiotics, life-saving surgical procedures and healthcare accessibility have made us a more healthy and able species than ever before. However, there is an ugly side to medicine.

Opioid products made from the opium poppy plant, are used to relieve pain from an individual that has a chronic illness or is recovering from surgery according to John Hopkins Medicine. Prescription painkillers, such as Oxycodone (branded as OxyContin) and Hydrocodone (branded as Vicodin), are examples of opioids a doctor would prescribe to a patient. 

When a pain reliever is taken, the chemicals in the medication is released, binding to the pain receptors in the brain, which blocks the feeling of pain, according to the National Library of Medicine.

These pills are not just used by people trying to relieve pain. They’re also used to get high. The biggest threat to able-bodied people is the fact that these products contain highly addictive chemicals that can ruin people’s lives. 

Opioids are making substances that are already dangerous even more dangerous. More accessible and less addictive “street drugs,” such as marijuana and cocaine, have recently seen more cases of being laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than morphine, causing drug users to unknowingly overdose. 

“[in Georgia] painkillers are used more by those aged 12-17 than those over 18,” said a researcher from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A study done by SAMHSA says that among 12-17 year olds in the state of Georgia, between 1.80%-2.06% misuse prescription pain relievers. 

The world has taken some steps towards solving the opioid crisis. With the creation of Narcan, an opioid antagonist, opioid-related deaths in the United States have seen a drastic decline. 

“Narcan is a nasal spray that a caregiver can use on you to help you regain consciousness if you overdose on opioid medication. It works by blocking the effects of opiates to relieve dangerous symptoms caused by a high level of opiates in the blood,” Kameron Lannan, a pharmacy technician, explained. 

Even Narcan has its drawbacks though. Lannan also said that, “Narcan is a prescription, and a doctor needs to write it for someone to get access to it, even then, the generic brand can be $40 without insurance and name-brand Narcan can be close to $150, so yes, it is life-saving, but it is also a lot of money for one-time use.” 

With the opioid crisis comes another dangerous side effect; the people who need opioids to combat their chronic illness have to go through great lengths to even keep their prescription, let alone the steps they have to take to get their prescription into their hands.

It is a common practice now to drug test people who are prescribed narcotics to make sure that it is in their system recently enough that they are not selling the drugs. If pharmacists or doctors have any amount of suspicion that a patient is selling their prescriptions or using them recreationally, they can revoke their prescription. It is precautionary, however, it can be humiliating for a patient to go through this.

There is still a glimmer of hope for the opioid epidemic. When it comes to accidental overdoses, advocacy groups have been pushing for the accessibility of recreational drug testing kits to prevent users from accidentally consuming fentanyl. 

They’re also pushing for more recovery efforts for those who have a narcotic addiction, and closely monitoring the dosage of opioid medication for those who need it to prevent possible addiction or accidental overdose. 

The first steps to ending the opioid epidemic is to destigmatize addiction, focus on recovery, and end the humiliation of both people with narcotic addictions and those with chronic illnesses that require opioids. This paves the way where people like my dad can live a life with less pain. 

Popularity of TikTok fuels social media addiction

By: Austin Carter

In a growing age of social media, TikTok has vaulted to the top of the conversation in terms of popularity and consumption, adding another layer to the issue of social media addiction. 

The video-based app became popular in 2018 after merging with a similar app called music.ly. TikTok’s popularity has grown considerably, sitting around an estimated 1 billion active users in January of 2022, according to Statista. 

 

Initially viewed as just a dance video app, its outreach and ability to be shared across various other platform has attracted a multitude of users. “I started seeing TikTok videos cross-posted to other platforms with incredibly interesting topics ranging from mental health to finances to comedy,” said Nefertiti Herbert, TikTok influencer. 

 

Herbert’s introduction to the app was similar to that of many others, transitioning from being skeptical initially to being fully engulfed upon downloading. As fulfilling as it was for her to become an influencer and reach an audience of over 100,000 followers, she realized she had to take a step back and evaluate her extreme usage of the app. 

 

TikTok is unique in the way that it attempts to keep its users on the app as much as possible. Its algorithm filters the content each user sees individually based on their activity on the app. The For You Page is an endless stream of tailor-made content that the app provides to its users to keep them consistently engaged. 

 

“I find spending more time on the app than I probably should,” said Gracie Griffith, TikTok user. “I have a time limit set on my phone for an hour per day, but I always end up extending it.” 

 

While social media use as a whole continues to rise and become the norm, TikTok’s specialized way of hooking its users can cause the procrastination of other priorities. “I put off things like homework, laundry, dinner and even sleep every day because of TikTok,” said Griffith. 

 

Social media addiction is classified as a behavioral addiction. One of the key criteria involved with this type of addiction is the obsession with social media to the point that it becomes a hindrance to other areas of someone’s life, according to Addiction Center. 

 

“Having such a wide variety of content at your fingertips in short, 15-second clips can have you mindlessly scrolling for way longer than you ever intended,” said Chris Schwartz, TikTok user. This seemingly endless loop of scrolling is caused by the feeling the users get from consuming the app’s content. 

 

Herbert described social media as a dopamine factory. The release of dopamine in a person’s brain is responsible for their feelings of pleasure. Essentially, social media is a “happy place” for people to escape to, and the rush of dopamine they receive each time they open the app keeps them continuously coming back for more. 

 

While Herbert has found considerable success on TikTok, she does warn that both new and current users alike should proceed with caution given how easily the app hooks people. 

 

“Reminding yourself to take a step back and examine the way your consumption is affecting you is extremely important,” Herbert said. 

The science behind sugar addiction

A row of snack cakes sits at the end of an aisle

in a college campus store. Photo By: Kaz Thomas

By: Kaz Thomas

Walk into a grocery store or gas station, and anyone looking for a quick snack can find sodas, frosted donuts and cheap candy. In the United States, people are consuming more sugar per day than ever before and becoming addicted to it.

Pre-packaged meals have sugar stealthily listed in the ingredients. For example, one can of Chef Boyardee mini ravioli contains six grams of sugar. Frozen chicken tenders are steeped in a sugar and salt brine for hours before being added to a flour mixture.

As unlikely as it seems, people can become addicted to sugar. With an increased amount of consumption per day, the risk runs higher.

During a busy day, a short food break is necessary to maintain energy. It might seem like a healthy snack, but in reality one Gatorade™ whey protein bar contains 60% daily value of sugar. Combined with that, a medium blue Powerade™ contains 41% to surpass the recommended amount in just one meal.

A quick energy boost from a protein bar or electrolyte drink can turn into reliance and cravings.

This happens because every time someone eats sugary substances, the body activates opioid receptors and releases dopamine, according to the NIH. It triggers a “reward circuit” in the brain, spurring a behavioral pattern tied to consuming more sugar.

“In medicine we use ‘addiction’ to describe a tragic situation where someone’s brain chemistry has been altered to compel them to repeat a substance or activity despite harmful consequences,” said Alan Greene, a pediatrician based in California.

Too much sugar does in fact have harmful side effects besides addiction. “Sugar activates the opiate receptors in our brain and affects the reward center, which leads to compulsive behavior, despite the negative consequences like weight gain, headaches, hormone imbalances, and more,” said Cassie Bjork, a registered dietitian.

The real problem comes into play when people do not understand how much of it they eat on a daily basis.

A single Fudge Round contains

96% daily value of sugar. Photo By: Kaz Thomas

Scanning around a typical college campus snack store, one could find shelves dedicated to various types of candy and cheap fountain drinks, as opposed to a basket of apples in a corner and pricey fruit and yogurt breakfast parfaits.

Two baskets of apples in a corner in front of

a soda machine. Photo By: Kaz Thomas

There is a way to break sugar addiction, but it takes time and effort. Michelle Hauser, a Harvard nutrition educator, recommends reducing sugar intake over time and replacing it with foods that are digested more slowly, such as whole grains and lean protein.

This method reduces blood sugar spikes and dips, evening out natural bodily processes and reducing cravings for processed sweets.

Despite the negative effects of too much sugar and the difficulty of breaking the habit, places that regularly serve college students such as in-building snack stores and restaurants do little to mitigate the potential of unhealthy habit building.

Demand drives supply here, and cheap sugary foods are what students crave.

“We order what sells the most,” said Zandra Young, assistant manager at Russell Union Gus-Mart. “If people want to buy it, that's what we have in stock.”

Trees on college campuses provide physiological, environmental benefits

By Joshua Jones

Trees can certainly add to the aesthetic of a college, but their benefits span far past their beauty for the students, faculty and staff that walk the campus.

Trees can boost both students’ mental and physical health, and make their area a quieter, cleaner and greener place to be.

Between commuters and pedestrians, colleges often have large parking lots and sidewalks that absorb heat from the sun and radiate it through the night, resulting in what is called an “urban heat island,” said David Husemoller, the sustainability manager at College of Lake County.

Husemoller said that trees “transpire,” a process he likened to the way that humans sweat, which lowers the temperature of the area around them through evaporative cooling.

Dropping temperatures up to 4 degrees Fahrenheit, trees can lead to reduced energy use and prevent heat-related deaths, according to Pitt Sustainability.

Trees can also protect biodiversity by providing a habitat for birds and pollinators, and they prevent urban flooding by managing stormwater.

Furthermore, trees with foliage that reaches the ground can be useful for noise reduction. Thicker mixed broadleafs and conifers can drop noise levels up to 10 decibels, according to The Washington Post.

In addition to these environmental benefits, student wellness is bolstered when trees are nearby, especially those who suffer from certain medical conditions.

According to The Nature Conservatory, trees can filter particulate matter through their leaves, resulting in cleaner air that reduces illnesses like asthma and heart disease.

They also absorb carbon dioxide through their food-making process called photosynthesis. A byproduct of this chemical reaction is the oxygen we breathe.

College can be particularly draining of students’ mental health, and according to Psychology Today, 1-in-5 college students suffer from anxiety or depression.

Research shows, though, that exposure to trees and green spaces can improve mental health, as well as increase performance in school, according to American Forests.

Maurice Coley, superintendent of grounds operations at Georgia Southern University, said the manicured look of his campus’s trees provides a sense of serenity.

“Take for example when there’s a new subdivision that’s been carved out and all the houses are there. Everything looks bland and open,” said Coley. “But with all the mature trees all together, it’s more inviting. It gives you a sense of relief, peace, calm.”

With all the positives trees offer, they can be a worthy investment for a college looking to improve its campus life, but they are by no means a cheap one.

Trees can cost hundreds of dollars to plant, and maintenance costs can be even steeper.

A tree in an urban landscape such as a college campus is going to be under some degree of stress, making it more susceptible to boring insects, said Chuck Dill, a tree expert for Southern Scapes Nursery in Statesboro, Georgia.

Dill added that if a tree becomes infested, a professional arborist would need to be called in to assess the situation, and treatment could cost $100 or more.

Further, trees could lead to hefty repair costs for structural damage, as roots can crack building foundations or sidewalks, said Coley.

Even with these potential expenses, though, trees can surely be a net positive asset. A study by Corinne Bassett at the University of Pennsylvania found that its trees saved the university over $60,000 in energy costs and stormwater runoff expenses, while generating around $80,000 in improved health outcomes from better air quality.

Through their biological processes and appearance, trees are a factory for improving the well-being of those nearby and cleansing the world around them, so their presence at a college or university is sure to render positive outcomes for those on campus.




Graphic by Joshua Jones

Plasma Donations Explained

By: F Liz Lavender

Plasma centers have become a popular way for individuals to give back to their communities, while also being financially compensated for their donations. Plasma donors can be given anywhere from $50 to $150 depending on their weight, as well as how many times they have donated.

The new plasma centers were strategically placed around locations that had high numbers of Covid-19 cases during the start of the pandemic. The financial benefits alone have caused a large amount of individuals to be willing to give plasma, but most are unaware of what is done with their blood samples after they leave the donation centers.

Former Georgia Southern Student, Matthew Daniel who is in his fourth year of medical school, described the process of getting plasma from a blood sample to its raw form. He noted that one of the main benefits of plasma treatment is how many medical issues and emergencies it can assist during the healing process.

One example was the use of plasma transfusions in trauma patients who have lost a lot of blood; plasma “can be given to increase their volume” as well as “give clotting factors they have lost” during traumatic incidents. Plasma transfusions can also benefit patients by giving them plasma that contains certain antibodies for diseases.

A specific example of one of these antibodies that Georgia Southern University nursing student Alyssa Solano notes, is that one benefit of donating plasma at this time is that people who donate who have previously had the coronavirus, can assist others by giving them the antibodies to fight off the coronavirus through their plasma donation. Which is a large assisting factor in the current state of the pandemic.

Daniel explained that, when giving blood, the sample is spun very quickly for 15 minutes on what is called a centrifuge machine. The spinning allows the machine to “separate the blood into three layers”. The three layers are “the red blood cells, the white blood cells, and the plasma”. He explained that the centrifuge is able to complete this separation by the different densities of the different layers. “The more dense an object is, the further down it will go,” so with plasma having the least amount of cells, making it the lightest, it will remain on top of the sample.

Once the samples have made it to hospitals they no longer are called “plasma”, it is referred to as FFP, meaning fresh frozen plasma. Which can be stored in medical labs for around one year.

Georgia Southern University senior, Josh Cobb, has personally given plasma in Savannah, Georgia, and claims he is planning to give more plasma this coming weekend. “I personally did it for the money, they gave me $150”. Cobb explained that a lot of other students around campus have also been giving plasma because of the compensation. Cobb is planning to donate locally this weekend at the Biomat plasma center on Fair Road.

Students or locals looking to donate must be 18 years or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and have photo identification. Once those three steps have been completed, a donor will check in, go through a screening process, and have a physical exam before their actual donation and later compensation for their plasma. But, a new donor must donate twice in order for their plasma to be deemed safe for patient use.

When there is a heavy influx of donations, plasma can be stored for up to one year in a freezer making it last longer for when needed. The plasma is frozen in medical labs until it is determined where it will be sent to be the most beneficial. Plasma donations are not always kept in local hospitals.

While the plasma will be sent to other locations, it is still resent to local medical facilities if there is a need for more plasma in those areas. This way, donors can feel confident in knowing they have helped their community by donating.