Reframing the Opioid Epidemic as a National Emergency

Abstract

President Trump announced his intention to declare a national emergency following the recommendation of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. 1 Opioid abuse is among the most consequential preventable public health threats facing the nation. More than 600 000 deaths have occurred to date, with 180 000 more predicted by 2020. 2 Of the 20.5 million US residents 12 years or older with substance use disorders in 2015, 2 million were addicted to prescription pain relievers. 3 A declaration of a national emergency authorizes public health powers, mobilizes resources, and facilitates innovative strategies to curb a rapidly escalating public health crisis.

Role of mu, but not delta or kappa, opioid receptors in context‐induced reinstatement of oxycodone seeking

“…A major obstacle in addressing the current U.S. opioid addiction epidemic is high relapse rates (Rudd et al, 2016;Gostin et al, 2017;Volkow & Collins, 2017). Relapse to opioids and other drugs of abuse often occurs after exposure to environments or contexts previously associated with drug use (Wikler, 1973;O'Brien et al, 1992).…”

Trends in patient procurement of postoperative opioids and route of hysterectomy in the United States from 2004 through 2014

“…The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic, now classified as a public health emergency [1]. The evolution of opioid prescribing practices involves a complicated history of the Joint Commission and state medical boards’ stance on evaluating and treating pain, pharmaceutical companies’ influence without adequate evidence, and a movement towards a right to pain relief [2–5].…”

Non-opioid analgesia is as effective as opioid management in acute pain and supports a change in prescribing practice to help address the ‘opioid epidemic’

“…The opioid epidemic refers to a rapid increase in the use of opioids in the USA and Canada that began in the 1990s, recently reframed as a public health emergency 1. Long-term opioids use often begins with a prescription for an acute pain problem,2 and is associated with an increased risk of dependence 3…”