Opioid Crisis: Declared a State Emergency by US President - Essay Sample

Introduction

The opioid calamity is now announced as a State emergency by the president of the United States because of the rate in which it affects people. Opioids are powerful pain killers that regulate pain in the human body system (U.S. health department and human services, 2019). This crisis is rooted in the over-prescription of painkillers made of the opioid to both medical and non-medical users (Kolodny, et al. 2015). The primary origin of death of the Americans below 50 years is opioids and the number of deaths is faster increasing (National institute on drug abuse, 2019). It is confirmed that these drugs have killed more people than road accidents or guns (The New York Times, 2017). That is why there is a call to implement measures that may reform the sorry state of the effects caused by this drug. Therefore, our measures have to be both qualitative and quantitative purposely to capture both services and numbers.

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Qualitative and Quantitative Goals Required to Assist in The Transformation Process

The main functions of these goals are to minimize the deaths and rescue the vulnerable group from an overdose. Firstly, our main qualitative goal is the adoption of an evidence-based preventive measures and treatment acts that are very comprehensive in public health. We are going to challenge the State to commit itself in this investment because the expected result is a better position of the government in the prevention process. Although the state might not overcome the present epidemic completely because it is a long-term procedure, they will be able to comfortably face future drug crises. The main objective of this goal is to overcome the epidemic and the ability of the health care system to face future crises concerned with drugs. Secondly, a quantitative goal that should be put in place is early intervention through screening and brief intervention procedures. The main objectives of this goal also is to offer an early diagnosis of the effects before it takes a toll on the user and preventing deaths that may occur due to negligence. Early intervention in most cases is administered to adults and adolescents whose lives are at risk of substance abuse. The screening and brief intervention procedure are considered effectual in reduction of at-risk substance use. Additionally, this procedure can work for a larger population and in different health care settings. This evaluation process requires specific principles guiding the administration process of the test (Goodman, 1998). This is because there are tools to be handled during the exercise.

In this case, we are going to use a community intervention program which is grant-funded like Hillside Community Intervention Program which is committed to serving both Fulton County and DeKalb County communities to implement our goals (Hillside, 2017). Early intervention through screening and brief intervention procedures is one of the goals that we are going to implement with the help of this program. Children and young adults at high risk will undergo therapy services because they need intensive care to help them get back to their normal lifestyles (Hillside, 2017). This program will offer diagnosis services to the parties because they have professionals who are specialized in various fields and from the results, solutions can be derived to quickly help the patients. Deaths can also be prevented once the curing process has begun and the patient is receiving intensive care from dosage prescription to counseling and close monitoring by the dedicated team. Once this program is successfully implemented, death rates and the number of young adults and adolescents at risk will tremendously reduce which is a positive feedback in winning this epidemic. To make this implementation successful, we created a plan that would create awareness for the community in the quest for their support too.

Marketing of this goal is going to be rooted from the village level because it is a communal affair and the community members are the primary beneficiaries that this project is intended to help. When it comes to diagnosis of patients, we shall seek collaboration with the local Health Centers that are within the community reach as well as the local government. These two parties will be of help in terms of financial help and testing kits required for service deliveries (Dekalb county health department 2018). Moreover, vernacular radio stations and national televisions are tools that can be used to mobilize members of the public to be part of the change. Apart from grants from the government, teaming up with anti-drug agencies for financial support and services is also part of the plan. Funds retrieved from the well-wishers, local government and anti-narcotic agencies will be used in the purchase of materials and payment of services as a token to the health workers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, once the implementation of these goals has taken place, then the ball will automatically roll towards positive attributes to the community. The majority of people will be saved from the jaws of death especially young people with hopes to see a better tomorrow as well as the community as a whole.

References

Dekalb county health department (2018). Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Need (I.P.L.A.N.) https://health.dekalbcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IPLAN-2017-2022.pdf

Goodman, R. (1998). Principals and tools for evaluating community-based prevention and health promotion programs. Journal of public health management and practice. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10186732

Kolodny, A., Courtwright, D. T., Hwang, C. S., Kreiner, P., Eadie, J. L., Clark, T. W., & Alexander, G. C. (2015). The prescription opioid and heroin crisis: a public health approach to an epidemic of addiction. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25581144

National institute on drug abuse (2019). Opioid involved overdose deaths https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-summaries-by-state/illinois-opioid-summary

Hillside, (2017). Hillside Community Intervention Program. Hillside Inc. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://hside.org/treatment-services/community-intervention-program/

The New York Times, (2017). Short Answers to Hard Questions about the Opioid Crisis. The New York Times Company. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/03/upshot/opioid-drug-overdose-epidemic.html

U.S. health department and human services (2019). Opioids and Adolescents retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/substance-use/drugs/opioids/index.html