The Arguments
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Argument: Drug Treatment Programs are the most important strategy
Drug Treatment programs have been most effective strategy so far
To consider why drug treatment programs are the most effective strategy to combatting the opioid epidemic, let’s turn to German Lopez, a senior correspondent at Vox, to explain why. We still have long ways to improving the quality and quantity of drug treatment programs, but considering based off the current situation that models have estimated drug treatment programs will save over 40,000 lives in the next decade, proving the point that this is THE most effective way to end the opioid epidemic. This is about 20,000 than any other singular strategy and this is proven to be credible due to extensive research by a team of Stanford researchers.
Despite already being the most effective strategy, still has room to improve
Drug treatment programs are very important to decrease the amount of overdoses. The success we have had with drug treatment programs before expanding their use is a key point as to why these programs are so important. N.J Pauly who works for the Institute of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policies, along with a group of other University of Kentucky researchers, helps us understand the success and shortcomings of these programs and ways to make them more effective. The study examines the correlation between drug monitoring programs, a type of drug treatment effort, and risk of opioid related deaths, while leading us in the right direction for what could be the most full-proof way of implementing these programs. A simple statistic that shows how drug treatment programs are very useful and important is that states without drug monitoring programs had a 9.51% increase in overdoses over the past year compared to those who did. In all models, states without these programs have a significantly higher number of overdoses than states that provide them. This exhibits how crucial this strategy is to implement change to our crisis.
These programs legally give out useful counter-drugs
Drug treatment programs provide useful resources to help those in need. Doctor Thomas Kosten explains how useful and helpful these drugs can be. “Opioid tolerance, dependence, and addiction are all manifestations of brain changes resulting from chronic opioid abuse. The opioid abuser’s struggle for recovery is in great part a struggle to overcome the effects of these changes. Medications such as methadone, LAAM, buprenorphine, and naltrexone act on the same brain structures and processes as addictive opioids, but with protective or normalizing effects. Despite the effectiveness of medications, they must be used in conjunction with appropriate psychosocial treatments.” (Kosten, 1). This quote is a great way to summarize the way opioid addiction happens and what we can do to help those people. While these medications are proven to be useful, they require to be taken in while also receiving proper treatment found in drug treatment programs. Allowing access to drugs like lofexidine, methadone, buprenorphine, and naloxone is a big step in the right direction. These four drugs, helping with reversal of overdosing or opioid withdrawal, are critical resources that are dispersed to opioid misusers by drug treatment programs. Giving the funding to enable programs to give out these drugs legally is a terrific way to help those suffering with an addiction to opioids.
Counterargument: lower the amount of opioid prescriptions
A main counterargument against the position that drug treatment programs are the most important to fixing the opioid epidemic is that drug treatment programs only help after the fact, not before. Some people claim that in order to end the crisis, we should stop people from getting hooked on opioids in the first place by limiting the amount of prescriptions given out, instead of allowing people to get addicted then supplying quality drug treatment programs. It is a strong argument that pharmacies do not have enough control to limit prescriptions, which leads to the overprescribing methods that are currently in place. An article, written by a host of reputable researchers states this position, “Orthopaedic leaders, armed with information and strategies, can help lead the way to solutions to the opioid epidemic in their respective communities, institutions, and subspecialty societies.” (Jones et. al, 1). Jason Hoppe, a doctor at the University of Colorado, also argues that leaders and pharmacies are not given enough information, strategies and power to contain the problem. It is far too easy to get a prescription during the course of this epidemic because the process is too lackadaisical. An article, written by Sarah Ludwig also agrees, saying, “Opioids are overprescribed. This is perhaps the single biggest cause of the opioid crisis. Sales for prescription opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone have almost quadrupled since 1999. In 2012, 12 states had more opioid prescriptions than they did people.” (Ludwig, 1). This is a crazy statistic that so many opioid prescriptions are given out.