The White House has released its federal roadmap that will “stem the opioid crisis” in America. The report focuses on research goals for the organization. Critics and addiction experts are saying that with President Trump nearing the end of his first term, the report feels far too late.
While the number of deaths related to opioid use has somewhat decreased in the last year, the number of deaths compared to 20 years ago is almost six times higher. In 1999, there were 8,048 opioid use-related deaths in America. This increased to a staggering 47,092 in 2018.
The new White House report focuses more on proposed areas of research, whereas critics are calling for more decisive action, especially because it seemingly overlooks research that has already been done. The report also touches lightly on the effectiveness of opioid blocking medications such as Naloxone.
However, the report does not highlight effective dispersal of the drug through harm reduction campaigns nationally such as regional needle exchanges. Harm reduction campaigns may also include Narcan training, behavioral health analysis, and access to treatment for those who are struggling with addiction.
Although many non-profit organizations and local health departments offer harm reduction practices, they mostly operate without the assistance of the federal government. Instead, they apply for grants to function, making their existence tentative from year to year. It should be noted that this has been a standard even before the Trump administration began.
Yet there remains a great deal of push back on harm reduction initiatives on the part of the federal government. This can be seen today in the fight between federal prosecutors and Safehouse, a non-profit organization that is working to set up the US’s first supervised injection site in Philadelphia.
The White House report shows interest in understanding faith-based methods of social recovery, as well as reducing the stigma of addiction. Addiction experts say that the report stops short with distinct recommendations and steps to expand on effective social programs to treat addiction socially.
The report notably avoids including analysis into big pharma’s role in developing the epidemic early on through aggressive and misleading marketing of drugs such as OxyContin. Addiction experts are saying that this is indicative of an inability to understand not only the core of the epidemic but also effective pathways out of it.
Critics are saying that the report itself highlights how delayed the federal government action on the crisis has been for years. The Trump administration is well into its 3rd year, so considerably more steps should have been made by now. An estimated 130 people die every day because of an opioid-related overdose.
If someone in the family is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, it is important to seek help. A combination of medical detox and behavioral therapy can go a long way in the fight against drug abuse. But because every individual is affected by addiction differently, a comprehensive program tailored to their specific needs is necessary. Look for a nearby addiction treatment facility today and find out how drug treatment programs work.
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