Write about your inquiry. What made you interested in this question?

Briefly, tell the

story of your own experience with your chosen topic. (If you did the pre-writing
before the research proposal, you may have most of this written already.)
Your Answer:

1. My interest in my inquiry topic comes from some eye-opening events during

my senior year. In my graduating class, 3 of my classmates overdosed during
the year. Then one of my close friends overdosed, and I saw first-hand what
tragedies these events are. Opiate addiction is an issue that can be treated with
the right mind set and access to medical assistance. After my friend Zafer
overdosed, this has been an issue at the forefront of my mind. I want to spread
awareness about this issue, and hopefully it will help someone else.

Question 2
Why is your question important? Who else would want to know about what you are
inquiring into? How many people are affected by your topic? Why should anyone
care about this?
Your Answer:

1. This question is important because it is an issue that is prevalent in our

society, but social stigma over the years has painted it in the wrong light.
Spreading useful and accurate information, improving medical outreach in
communities, and creating awareness about the issue of opiate addiction can all
save lives. People with friends and family members taking pain medication for
chronic pain, or those who know people who choose to abuse these drugs can all
benefit from this information. Last year, 35% of American adults were prescribed
pain-killers. Fully understanding the potential risk of the medication, they are
prescribed could potentially save lives. Someday, someone you know could
accidently overdose, and knowing basic harm prevention could save their lives.

Question 3
In your search, who has made a significant contribution to the conversation on this
topic? What have they said, and how does that relate to your inquiry question?
What important questions do these other voices raise for you?
Your Answer:

1. In my search one doctor stood out to me, Dr. James Bell. Dr. Bell specializes in
addiction medicine, and has completed extensive research on how factor like the
delivery of the treatment will affect the success. One of his sources was
enlightening for me. His explanation of the global process of diversion for
prescription drugs quickly made it apparent to me the significance of this
problem. One important distinction I found, is that drugs used to treat opiate
dependence like methadone and buprenorphine have a significantly less chance
of diversion because of supervision in the clinics. Take-home pain-killer like
OxyContin have the highest demand and rate of diversion of prescribed
medications. This made me think about the cyclical nature of this problem. As of
 now, opiates are one of only effective ways to treat pain and people with chronic
pain issue obviously deserve relief. But how to find a balance that keeps the
medication from being diverted to places it shouldnt be?

Question 4
What was the most pervasive and convincing answer to your inquiry question? In
the end, whose voice was the most convincing? What might you add to the
conversation? What do you want to say?
Your Answer:
The most effective treatment for opiate dependence are methadone clinics and
buprenorphine strips. Every medical source I found spoke of the benefits of
methadone while helping others taper off their addictions. But making these
treatments accessible for the people who need them is the most difficult aspect.
Healthcare regulations, government funding, overcrowding and wait list, and
accessibility all affect how successful these programs could be. I would like the
negative stigma for drug addiction to be changed. Treating addiction as a medical
issue is the best way to break the cycle of abuse.

Question 5
What have you come to understand about the topic that you didn't fully appreciate
when you began your inquiry? What difference will the discoveries you made about
your question make in your life? In the lives of others (potential audience)?
Your Answer:

1. Going into this inquiry, I did not expect this to be such a complex issue with
as many influencing factors. Understanding how government regulations,
medical restrictions, and the prevalence of this issue has me realize that there is
much work to be done until there is a solution that can be accessed by those
who need it. The first step is an official change of dynamic that acknowledges
the medical aspect of addiction. This inquiry has definably changed my
perspective on opiate addiction, and I want to volunteer with an organization
that helps the families affected by addiction. Hopefully this inquiry will help clear
up some of the misconceptions about this issue that contribute to the
detrimental stigma.

Question 6
What do you remain curious about? What questions remain unresolved? What
directions would more inquiry take if you were to continue? What new questions
were raised by this inquiry?
Your Answer:

1. I remain curious about the benefits of emotional support and counseling

during therapy. During this inquiry, I was more curious about the medical and
scientific aspects of addiction. It would be interesting to do another inquiry
seeing how counseling can help the process of treatment. When I started this
inquiry, I didnt think I would be fascinated by the complexity of treatment. Im
still befuddled by finding a way to fix this problem. If opiates are the best
medicine for pain-management, they will always be around. I suppose properly
informing the public and creating easily accessible methods of treatment is the
best possible solution. To continue my inquiry, I would want to start researching
the history of government regulation of treatments. The next step is allowing
doctors to treat addiction as a legitimate medical condition At the end of my
inquiry, I started to research organizations that help the community with
substance abuse to volunteer. I feel passionately about this issue, and want to
get involved any way I can.