The year 2020 is holding nothing back, especially when it comes to the opioid crisis.
After seeing success in 2018, with drug-related deaths reducing for the first time in years, the coronavirus pandemic has increased substance abuse across the nation.
In particular, opioids and opioid-related deaths have soared, including in the state of Florida.
Read on to find out what experts say about the rise of opioid and other drug-related overdoses, including how this affects Florida. Also, how to get help for opioid addiction in South Florida.
American Medical Association Sounds the Alarm on Opioid Abuse
An issue brief from the American Medical Association (AMA) raises awareness about opioid and other drug-related overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AMA states:
“In addition to the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the nation’s opioid epidemic has grown into a much more complicated and deadly drug overdose epidemic. The AMA is greatly concerned by an increasing number of reports from national, state and local media suggesting increases in opioid- and other drug-related mortality—particularly from illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. The media reports below cite data from multiple and varied sources, including national, state and local public health agencies, law enforcement, emergency medical services, hospitals, treatment centers, research journals and others.”
“More than 40 states have reported increases in opioid-related mortality as well as ongoing concerns for those with a mental illness or substance use disorder. This issue brief underscores the need to remove barriers to evidence-based treatment for those with a substance use disorder as well as for harm reduction services, including sterile needle and syringe services and naloxone.”
AMA suggested solutions to help those suffering from drug abuse, which includes:
- Ensuring access to care for patients with an opioid use disorder
- Protecting patients with pain
- Harm reduction to help prevent overdose and spread of infectious disease
AMA believes in getting people easier access to treatment and more grants to fuel syringe services programs. Also, AMA believes in designating medications to treat opioid-related overdose such as naloxone as essential to reduce barriers from shelter-in-place orders.
The concerns by AMA coincides with information collected from the past few months. For instance, data has shown that people are becoming more anxious, depressed, and stressed that they turn to drugs during these difficult times.
It’s also true for the state of Florida, which has seen a 57% increase in drug abuse since July. Cities across Florida have seen spikes in substance abuse, such as Jacksonville, Central Florida, and South Florida. It became so rampant that Florida officials received an emergency grant to expand access to mental health treatment in the state.
Get Help for Opioid Addiction in South Florida
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