In June, the New York Times compiled preliminary data showing that drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in Americans under 50. That built off other sobering statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), confirming that opioids in particular are a growing problem—including those given out by prescription.
Now, national authorities are giving the opioid epidemic the platform it needs: In October, President Trump asked the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency. That would free up some grant money to combat the problem, and also help with rules and regulations currently in place.
The national declaration follows states of emergency declared by Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia. This helps dispersal of naloxone, an antidote that reverses the effects of opioids, and provides some financial assistance.
The hope is, this public declaration can bring the opioid epidemic out of the shadows, and help people suffering from addiction get the help they need.
“So often, many of these conditions go undetected and undiagnosed,” Henry Young, Ph.D., the Kroger associate professor of pharmacy at the University of Georgia who outlined the opioid problem at Georgia’s State of the Public’s Health conference, told us in October. “This begins to change the narrative around substance use and shift that conversation from a stigmatizing condition to one that we’re all dealing with and need help with.”
Article source: https://www.menshealth.com/health/best-and-worst-health-trends-of-2017