Reducing Opioid Use
To prevent new addicts, focus on addressing fentanyl solutions for students, the incarcerated, and health care providers.
The Kids are Not Okay
Students don’t understand the risk, are susceptible to peer pressure, and have exciting lives to live.
Yet, deaths from fentanyl overdoses are a leading cause of death for students.[1]
Nearly a majority of these deaths are accidental, and often found in counterfeit pills that look identical to other less-severe opioids. 6 out of 10 opioid fake prescription pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.[2]
The DEA has seen the Sinaloa Cartel using social media to “advertise” and sell opiod drugs that are often laced with Fentanyl.[3]
Policy Solution:
Naloxone distribution – make available in all middle schools and high schools to prevent overdose deaths.
Grants for drug education, test strips, and targeted student support services.
Ex-inmates
Prison is a place for reform, leaving prison shouldn’t be a death sentence.
Yet, individuals recently released from prison are 40 times more likely than others to die of opioid overdose.[4]
Policy Solution: Methadone and buprenorphine programs are reliably proven to increase retention in treatment during incarceration and after release to the community.[5]
Healthcare Providers
Health care providers can play a critical role in preventing overdose deaths and should be on the frontlines to provide care where necessary.
Yet, regulations prevent most doctors in the district from providing effective care
Policy Solution:
[1] https://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/the-flourish/flourish-april-2022/protecting-our-communities-what-fentanyl
[2] https://www.dea.gov/onepill
[3] https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/DEA-OPCK_Parent%20flyer_V2.pdf
[4] Ranapurwala, S. I., Shanahan, M. E., Alexandridis, A. A., Proescholdbell, S. K., Naumann, R. B., Edwards Jr, D., & Marshall, S. W. (2018). Opioid overdose mortality among former North Carolina inmates: 2000–2015. American journal of public health, 108(9), 1207-1213
[5] Moore, K. E., Roberts, W., Reid, H. H., Smith, K. M., Oberleitner, L. M., & McKee, S. A. (2019). Effectiveness of medication assisted treatment for opioid use in prison and jail settings: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 99, 32-43.
[6] Fatseas, M., & Auriacombe, M. (2007). Why buprenorphine is so successful in treating opiate addiction in France. Current psychiatry reports, 9(5), 358-364.
[7] https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2019/01/31/research-update-evidence-suggests-medicaid-expansion-increases-access-to-treatments-for-opioid-use-disorder/
