If you haven’t been living in a cave for the past several years, you know that the United States of America has been suffering from an opioid addiction epidemic. The amount of citizens who have become addicted to opioids over the last 10 years is staggering. With this rise in addiction, it is natural that there has been a significant increase in overdose deaths. This drug dependency epidemic has become such a problem that the President of the United States has declared a national “health emergency” in relation to the epidemic. On October 26, 2017, President Trump has officially declared a health emergency in the opioid crisis.
When any president declares a “health emergency” this is normally the first step that has to occur in order to allow the Federal government to start to act in a certain way. In his declaration, President Trump commanded Federal resources and departments, including the Department of Health and Human Services, to take certain steps in order to combat the deadly opioid epidemic that is affecting our nation. In his speech, President Trump stated that “No part of our society- not young or old, rich or poor, urban or rural- has been spared this plague of drug addiction. And this horrible, horrible situation that’s taken place with opioids. This epidemic is a national health emergency.”
Over 60,000 people die due to opioid-related deaths each year. And the numbers of deaths have been increasing year over year for the past decade. Most of the opioid-related deaths are due to overdoses where the addict took too much of whatever drug and was not found in time to be pulled out of the overdose. One of the drugs that have been become a drug of choice to pull people out of an overdose is Narcan. This drug is a standard in all ambulances and emergency rooms and used by EMTs all the time. The number of drug overdoses and deaths related thereto is so significant that it is overwhelming the resources of some emergency rooms, government-run drug-related agencies and even county coroners offices who have to deal with the bodies after the overdose-related deaths.
The Trump Administration has developed a plan to be put in place in order to combat the opioid epidemic crisis. One of the things that the administration would promote and pay for is a significant advertising campaign to help stop people from becoming addicted in the first place. As the President stated, “Really tough, really big, really great advertising.” The declaration of a national health emergency also allows government agencies to spend Federal monies on opioid abuse treatment, the hiring of specialists and opening up more treatment centers.
Another aspect of the federal plan is to expand the use of telemedicine services for rural areas which have seen their share of opioid addiction and deaths. Often times, rural, poor areas do not have the resources that are needed to combat this epidemic. There are not the necessary number of addiction professionals to help rural counties combat this crisis. Hopefully, the Federal declaration will help in this endeavor.
The supervised detoxification and residential treatment programs at Asana Recovery are offered in a supportive, relaxing, and inspiring environment. We’re deeply committed to ensuring your long-term recovery and guiding you on your path to a healthier and happier future. There is no better time than now, and we’re always available to speak with you. Call us at (949) 438-4504 to learn more about our comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment program today.
