The Root Causes of the Current Opioid Crisis/Reply

[...]income inequality, social disparities, and other structural inequities are important considerations in chronic illnesses, disease management, premature deaths, infant mortality, maternal illness, and all epidemics past and present, not just the current opioid epidemic. In Washington, DC, respon...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inMayo Clinic proceedings Vol. 93; no. 9; pp. 1329 - 1331
Main Authors Pendyal, Akshay, Srivastava, A Benjamin, Gold, Mark S
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Rochester Elsevier Limited 01.09.2018
Subjects
Addictions
Chronic illnesses
Disease
Epidemics
Inequality
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mortality
Narcotics
Opioids
Overdose
Pain
Public health
Substance abuse treatment
Urban areas
United States > US
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:[...]income inequality, social disparities, and other structural inequities are important considerations in chronic illnesses, disease management, premature deaths, infant mortality, maternal illness, and all epidemics past and present, not just the current opioid epidemic. In Washington, DC, response to the crisis and its inextricable link to crime, universal testing for all criminal offenders, and access to methadone treatment was provided through the Narcotics Treatment Administration, resulting in substantial public health and safety successes: heroin overdoses fell from 74 to 3, and the crime index in Washington, DC, fell by 50%. Access to drugs and lack of opportunity may be more relevant to methamphetamine, cannabis, and alcohol use, which afflicted the same communities as those disproportionately afflicted by opioids today.4 Drugs of abuse are an equal opportunity destroyer of lives and families, and we strongly emphasize the importance of prevention rather than ignoring the entire scope of the problem and trying to treat the consequences.5 Although the current opioid epidemic differs from that of the 1960s, the fundamental components of the approach-prevention, identification (in which law enforcement is an ally, not an adversary), entry into treatment, maintenance of recovery through mutual support groups, and continuing care-which may very well involve finding meaningful employment, establishing community, and focus on overall health and wellness, and ultimately a celebration of recovery-are still readily applicable today. [...]the data that exist today point to both the "demand" side and the "supply" side contributing to the problem we have with opioids.
ISSN:0025-6196