5 Concrete Actions You Can Take To Combat the Opioid Epidemic
If you haven’t heard about the devastating opioid epidemic that’s sweeping our country, you might be living under a rock. In 2015, there were 52,404 overdose-related deaths in the U.S., up from 38,329 in 2010. Sixty percent of all overdose deaths in 2015 involved opioids. No demographic is safe from opioid addiction and overdoses. The epidemic is severe enough that it was a main topic during the November 2016 presidential debates. It’s been the topic of documentaries, in-depth articles, and extensive research. But how can you as a common citizen help? When the weight of the world is on our shoulders it can seem overwhelming. That’s why it helps when there are concrete actions you can take to help make a change. Here are a few things you can do to help combat the opioid epidemic in the U.S.
1. Educate yourself
Learning about the tragic deaths of our brothers and sisters around the country can be daunting, but we need to dissect why it’s happening. Luckily, there now many resources available to us. The CDC has a guide to understanding the epidemic that includes overdose prevention information, facts on prescription opioids, current data, and other information concerning the epidemic by state. Familiarizing yourself with the path of prescriptions pills to heroin and other types of substance use is important. These are all connected and have made the epidemic what it is. Yesterday I signed up for a free online course by Havard entitled “The Opioid Crisis in America” which lasts 7 weeks and outlines the history of opioid misuse, how to manage pain with and without opioids, risks of opioid addiction, the disease model of addiction, and the many pathways to recovery. It’s the perfect opportunity to educate myself and take my knowledge out into the world and use it.
2. Support recovery ready communities
What’s a recovery ready community you ask? A recovery ready community is concept I first learned about from Young People in Recovery, an advocacy group establishing these types of communities around the U.S. for young people in, or seeking recovery from a substance use disorder. YPR’s goal is to create recovery ready communities which means paving the way for access to addiction treatment, educational resources, employment opportunities, and secure housing at the local, state, and levels. This will empower people to get involved in their communities and take charge of their lives and their recovery. YPR advocates for all of these services that are required to maintain a recovery ready community. They understand that treatment, employment, housing, and higher education are crucial pillars in helping people who are addicted find and stay in recovery, long-term. Join your local YPR chapter or start your own to get involved today.
3. Help get Narcan available in your community
Narcan nasal spray is the FDA-approved form of naloxone that is used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose. Administering Narcan reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. In theory, everyone should have access to Narcan and know how to use it. Trainings on how to administer the drug have started to grow around the U.S., yet some police departments and first responders were refusing to carry it. This year, Columbus, Ohio police will expand their naloxone piolet program, as well as departments in Connecticut, North Carolina, Virginia, and Arizona, will now carry the overdose-fighting spray. In order to reduce the number of deaths from opioid overdoses we need everyone to be able to have access to Narcan. Check to make sure it’s available in your community and that police and first responders are carrying it. If people are to thrive in recovery, they first need to be alive.
4. Question your doctor when it comes to prescription pain pills
If you’ve ever had surgery, chances are you’ve been prescribed some sort of opioid pain pill. It has become the go-to prescription from doctors to treat pain. I have had 6 knee surgeries in my lifetime, the first one at age 16. That’s when I had my first oxycodone. By college I was on my 5th knee surgery and using my prescriptions recreationally and sharing them with friends. For some reason my addiction didn’t progress to other types of opioids like it does for so many people, but it could have. In my story, alcohol was my drug of choice. Now that we are educated on the riskiness of becoming addicted to opioids and their devastating effects, let’s question doctors who feel that it’s ok to continuously write scripts for these hard-hitting painkillers. Are they necessary in some cases? Of course, but they are not necessary in all cases, or for extended periods or time for that matter. Let’s commit to questioning out doctors for answers and for alternatives.
5. Share your story
To some, sharing a personal story can seem painful, unnecessary, or pointless. But I disagree with all of these points. In my opinion we have a responsibility as citizens of the universe to help our fellow human beings. The simplest way to do this is to tell your story. Our voices of recovery are so important, especially during the current opioid epidemic. If you have struggled with addiction, have found recovery, work in any of these fields, or have had your life touched by the disease of addiction, I encourage you to speak out. Not only will it give you the comfort that you are not alone in your struggle, you can find support and healing through others who have been through what you’ve been through. On the flip side, you can do the same for others. Just by talking about hard issues we break the stigma and we open the door for others to do the same. By telling our stories we make these hardships real and we are able to empower ourselves to move past them. Like the famous quote says, “Don’t be ashamed of your story, it will inspire others.”
These are only a few actions that you can take right now, but there are countless. It’s an ongoing process. I urge you to stay involved, stay up-to-date on new information and news, volunteer, donate, speak out, and take care of yourself. But most of all, do not lose hope.
