The Opioid Crisis: 2012 vs. 2020
By aggressively marketing new opioid medications and assuring prescribers that they wouldn't be as easily abused as other painkillers, pharmaceutical companies misled doctors and hospitals and allowed the number of opioid addictions to soar. As opioid manufacturers continue to be faced with lawsuits, it's clear that citizens and governments contend that they are largely responsible for the Crisis.
The Opioid Crisis continued to worsen until 2012, when prescription rates started a consistent decline to their lowest levels since the start of the Crisis. (It's important to note that the CDC maps only cover prescribed opioids, not illicitly made fentanyl and heroin. In the beginning of the Opioid Crisis, overdoses were most commonly a result of prescribed medications. Unfortunately, for many addicts, their opioid prescriptions were a gateway to abusing illicit drugs.)
With over half of addictions between April 2020 and April 2021 being accounted for by fentanyl, there is still plenty of work for nonprofit hospitals and other organizations to do. Methamphetamine and cocaine abuse have also dramatically risen, and many addicts, no matter which drug they are addicted to, don't ask for help because they feel a stigma. Unfortunately, this is because most Americans still view drug abuse as a personal choice.
Interact for Health, a Cincinnati-area nonprofit, addresses opioid addictions by sending a quick response team of police, fire/EMS, and peer mentors (addiction survivors).
These response teams visit the homes of people who recently overdosed. They offer support and encourage the overdose victim to continue treatment after naloxone has been administered. The teams are particularly effective because they include peer mentors, who are living proof that recovery is possible.
Shatterproof is a very good example of what nonprofits should be doing to address the ongoing Opioid Crisis.
Their six-fold process involves
Identifying who has the greatest ability to shape substance abuse policy, including governments, the media, and employers
Implementing evidence-based best practices and removing harmful policies that act as barriers to addicts' recovery
Building a national coalition of institutions that work to reduce the stigma that addicts face
Creating an addiction stigma index to annually assess public attitude about addiction
Publicly designating institutions that follow best practices and help to establish new innovations as "Allies"
Using national and local news media to promote the movement, comment on its progress, and involve other organizations
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