Informative Speech Outline 7/23/2010 Title: Pain medications nearly sack one of the NFL’s most successful quarterbacks. Topic: Pain Medications: Very easily abused and affects millions of lives. General purpose: To Inform and create awareness. Specific purpose: To inform the audience about the dangers of the prescription pain medication i. e. Vicodin (Hydrocodone) I. Introduction A. What NFL Quarterback is the first ever to win three MVP’s consecutively in a row while addicted to drugs? Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers. (D’Amato, 2005) B.
Brett Favre suffered a separated left shoulder after being sacked by Philadelphia Eagles, Reggie White in 1993. Brett did not want his coach to know how badly he was hurt, so after the game he asked the team doctor for a painkiller. That night would be the first time he took his first Vicodin. (D’Amato, 2005) C. Today I want to show just how addictive prescription pain medication can be, specifically the medication Hydrocodone. Transition Statement: I want to start by discussing briefly what Vicodin (Hydrocodone) is and what its effects are.
II. Vicodin is the brand name for a powerful prescription narcotic medication known as Hydrocodone. (Firm, 2010) D. Typically is prescribed by a doctor or dentist for moderate to severe pain due to an injury or after a medical procedure. 1. In fact if you’ve had your wisdom teeth pulled, or have suffered a broken bone. It’s very likely you’ve had it. 2. It is the most widely prescribed opiate in the U. S. today. (Firm, 2010) E. More than one-quarter of Americans or 26%, age 20 years and over or an estimated 76. million Americans report that they have had a problem with pain of any sort that persisted for more than 24 hours in duration. (Statistics, 2010) 3. Due to these numbers, more often these patients are being prescribed a pain medication. 4. These pain medications are prescribed to be used very carefully and only as needed. Transition Statement: Now I want to talk more about the effects abusing pain medications can cause to your body and how quickly an individual can become physically and psychologically addicted. III.
Hydrocodone when taken in high doses and over a long period of time can start causing health problems right away. F. Some of the side effects when taking Hydrocodone include drowsiness, nausea and lack of appetite. G. If continued use for longer periods of time, some of the initial side effects tend to not bother the patient over time, but make way for new side effects such as constipation, irritability, lack of sleep, and the need to itch constantly. H. Every passing day leads to the patient slowly building a tolerance and very quickly dependence to the pain medication.
In as little as a matter of week’s dependency can develop often with the patient not realizing what dangers lay ahead. (Health, 2008) Transition Statement: Now that we’ve went over some of the side effects, and just how quickly the addiction can progress. I want to really show just what the power these pain medications have over an individual. IV. Brett Favre continued to rely and use Vicodin. I. Brett Favre continued to sooth his various aches and pains with Vicodin throughout the 1992, 93’ and 94’ season. 5.
He was popping six pills a day, which soon became eight, then 10, then 15. 6. He was now obtaining the pills through teammates by complaining of shoulder or ankle pain, just to continue his fast developing dangerous habit. The entire time his teammates had no idea, what trouble their very well liked star quarterback was sinking into. (D’Amato, 2005) J. At the worst of Brett’s addiction, he was plagued with many of the drug’s side effects and they were just growing worse. 7. He would choke down 9 pills, and stay up all night unable to sleep, and play video games all night. . And finally he was having trouble keeping the pills down, and would vomit them back up, then carefully wash them off and force them down again. (D’Amato, 2005) V. Conclusion K. To close, I’ve talked about the dangers involved with prescription pain medication when uninformed patients fall in the dangerous cycle of long-term use and then the eventual full on abuse of Hydrocodone. I’ve told you the story of a very successful NFL athlete that slowly did unthinkable things just to feed his habit, risking his family, life and career. L.
Brett Favre did go on to beat his addiction to pain medication, and as of today has not used pain medications for over 10 years. (D’Amato, 2005) Works Cited D’Amato, G. (2005, October 22). Drug Abuse Rocks His World. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Firm, T. P. (2010, July 1). Drug Watch. Retrieved from http://www. drugwatch. com/hydrocodone/ Health, N. S. (2008). 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Statistics, N. C. (2010, July 1). Good Medicine Bad Behavior. Retrieved from http://www. goodmedicinebadbehavior. org/explore/pain_management. html
