Syndemic of Opioid Crisis and COVID-19 Pandemic: A Call to Invest in Solutions

Document Type

Editorial

Publication Date

8-1-2021

Publication Title

Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education

Volume

65

Issue

2

First page number:

5

Last page number:

11

Abstract

Preliminary data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC, 2020] indicated a significant surge in the number of opioid involved deaths amidst COVID-19 pandemic and these trends are concerning, which warrant a collective investment in finding the solutions (Baumgartner & Radley, 2021; Becker & Fiellin, 2020). [...]this editorial aims to reflect on the interaction of the COVID-19 pandemic with the existing opioid crisis and its role in widening the gap of the pre-existing disparities, and discusses implications of practice to protect the health of vulnerable drug-users. Recently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) allowed take-home dispensing of opioid antagonists through the mail, providers, law enforcement officers, or mobile outreach and extended addiction treatment prescriptions for longer duration (Grebely, 2021; Henry et al., 2020).

Keywords

Drug abuse and alcoholism; Physical fitness and hygiene; Public health And safety

Disciplines

Mental and Social Health | Public Health | Substance Abuse and Addiction

Language

English


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