Opioid Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Arnold, J.F., Arshonsky, J.H., Kiera, B.A., Holzman, E., & SadeR.M. (2019). Opioid Abuse Prevention and Treatment. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.Volume 25 – Issue 3 – p 221–228.
The authors who are researchers at New York University and the University of South Carolina have used data of South Carolina to evaluate the rate at which Opioid-related cases are occurring in the United States. The situation is spreading across demographic groups and spreading geographically, causing an increase in Opioid-related deaths over the years. The state’s representatives embarked on a study and have pointed out some recommendations that will help in reducing opioid-related deaths. Their hypothesis points out the strengths and weaknesses of the steps that the state is planning to use to curb the opioid deaths in comparison with the action taken by other countries. The authors recommend measures such as engaging the community and multi-stakeholders’ collaboration to make opioid treatment accessible mainly to the vulnerable populations. A study case by Zdanowicz cited below shows that opioid-related situations can lead to other deadly drug abuse disorders.
Zdanowicz, M.M. (2015) Prescription Opioid Abuse and the Heroin Epidemic in the USA. J Comm Pub Health Nursing 1:e105. doi:10.4172/2471-9846.1000e105
Zdanowicz of the University of Miami uses data provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) showing the increase rate of heroin usage in the United States that has been fueled by the widespread of opioid prescriptions and other controlled substances. The problem started as soon as states crackdown on illicit opioid prescriptions. Opioid deaths-related cases have increased in the United States and have led many states to launch initiatives that will work on combating the use of controlled substances. Such a move to curb opioid led to the emergence of highly potent heroin where young, whites, and those living in the suburbs were the most affected. The author suggests that the states should come up with valuable strategies such as enhancing naloxone availability and clean syringes as a way of reducing mortality and the spread of infectious diseases since heroin addiction takes long to treat, and it is hard to reverse.
Jones, C.M. (2018). Reprint of Trends and key correlates of prescription opioid injection misuse in the United States. Addictive Behaviors. Volume 86, P. 24-31 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.07.008.
Jones of the George Washington University uses data provided by National Surveys on Drug Use and Health as a means to estimate opioid injections prescription. As a way of examining syringe sources as well as the risky injection practices among opioid users, multivariable logistic regression was used as a means of identifying opioid users characteristics. The results were that opioid injection users between the ages of twelve years were misusing the opioid injection. The groups that were profoundly affected include the male, those with medic aid, and those with past use of heroin and cocaine as well as non-Hispanic most opioid users reused and shared the injection needles. Like the first researchers, the author suggests that there is a need to increase medical provision for the opioid use disorder. Seconding Zdanowicz, the author also believes in expanding access to ensuring that there are risk-reduction services for the people addicted to drug injection.