In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a public health emergency and announced a 5-Point Strategy to Combat the Opioid Crisis. The opioid epidemic has become one of the most devastating public health crises in American history.
The Scale of the Crisis
Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids — including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl — is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare.
How Did We Get Here?
In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers, and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates. This subsequently led to widespread diversion and misuse of these medications before it became clear that these medications could indeed be highly addictive.
The Three Waves
- First Wave (1990s): Increase in prescribing of opioid medications
- Second Wave (2010): Rapid increases in overdose deaths involving heroin
- Third Wave (2013): Significant increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl
The Path Forward
Addressing the opioid epidemic requires a comprehensive approach that includes:
- Improving access to treatment and recovery services
- Promoting use of overdose-reversing drugs like naloxone
- Strengthening our understanding of the epidemic through better public health surveillance
- Providing support for cutting-edge research on pain and addiction
- Advancing better practices for pain management
Getting Help
If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid use disorder, help is available. Conclusions Treatment Center offers evidence-based treatment programs that address the physical, psychological, and social dimensions of addiction.