Opioid Crisis Hits Home: Solutions & Support

Opioid Crisis Hits Home : Solutions & Support

Treatment, solutions, support….these are the things every person & family affected by addiction needs. Battling addiction solely on the law enforcement & judicial front does not deal with the heart of the matter. We do not need a war on drugs, we need resources & tools to help reverse the damage of addiction. Across the country communities are finding new and innovative solutions to the ongoing drug epidemic. Allocating funding for treatment and support can transform lives.

“We cannot arrest our way out of this epidemic. It can’t be done.”
– Vic Reynolds, District Attorney, Cobb County, Georgia

Withdrawal, treatment & after care are the first steps toward a healthy life. Learning new coping skills & healthy habits, along with healing a body and mind impacted by drug and alcohol use, build a stable foundation from which to grow & re-enter life with a fresh strength and renewed confidence. 

Some insurance plans cover addiction treatment, but not all. And the coverage is limited. Additional federal and local resources could help bridge the gap and allow more people to access treatment.

Methodone clinics are primarily used by individuals with lower incomes, who don’t have better options. Since methadone also carries a risk of dependence it is not the best resource to battle addiction. A few affordable treatment option exist, such as those run by the Salvation Army, but more are needed.

To save lives naloxone should be more widely available in public spaces. Naloxone can reverse an overdose via a simple nasal spray.

At The Zone in Marietta, Georgia addicts & their families can find a huge range of resources—meetings, counseling, exercise classes, haircuts, a library, classes, even a game room and cafe. Created by the Davis Direction Foundation The Zone aims to help individuals and families to access resources both inside and outside the addiction recovery community. Think of it as a YMCA for sobriety. This model can be recreated in cities throughout the US, both rural and urban.

“We need to treat it with the same urgency and compassion that we do any illness,”
– former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, 2016

Viewing the addiction epidemic as a public health crisis will focus attention and resources on the causes and the problems at it’s core. Addiction is the enemy and addicts are the first victims, their loved ones the next victims. Whole communities are impacted.