Fighting the good fight in the opioid epidemic
Although deaths from opioids are trending down, there is still more to be done for rehabilitation and support.
During the Sunday session “Strengthening Societal Bonds to Save Lives Affected by the Opioid Crisis,” a doctor and an author turned a critical eye to the history of the opioid epidemic and what is working – and not working.
Bonnie Milas, MD, a Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, spoke from a deeply personal perspective about the opioid epidemic, having lost both of her sons to accidental overdoses of fentanyl.
“I handle very large amounts of fentanyl every day, so how did my boys get into that?” she asked. “It was from the pills that were readily available in just about any school that you might be at in the United States.”
She said her sons were engaged in community and organized sports. She and her husband were involved in their lives.
“But yet, they had the right combination of items that put them at risk,” she said. “And they became dependent (on the drugs).”
Dr. Milas has since dedicated herself to making sure naloxone is as readily available as possible for anyone who needs it.
Co-speaker Sam Quinones, an award-winning investigative journalist and author of two nonfiction books about the opioid crisis, said naloxone alone won’t solve the crisis.
“Narcan has been used as a solution. It’s not a solution,” he said. “It saves lives in a temporary sense in that it saves people from overdosing, but then they go back to using and eventually die if they don’t get off the street.”
Beyond naloxone, Dr. Milas argued the rehabilitation industry needs a healthy review.
“Opioid addiction is a relapsing disease. You don’t know when their cognitive behavior is going to change,” she said. “We had many stints (with my sons) in recovery programs, and that entire industry needs to be overhauled. There is no outcomes data. You send your loved one into a recovery program, but what is their success rate? What is their recidivist rate? None of that data is immediately available.”
Quinones wondered aloud how challenges of rehabilitation in addiction stack up against treatment received for other diseases.
“This would not be tolerated in cancer care,” he said. “Addiction is almost like the stepchild. We need to change. We need to really think about how this care is administered.”
Dr. Milas said attitudes toward addiction and its treatment also need to change. She first recommended reaching kids as early as possible. Next, she urged more research to understand the brain science behind addiction, along with genetic components. Finally, she said treatment programs need to last nine to 12 months in a cloistered and controlled environment.
Quinones supported these ideas and added a less-than-scientific approach: hard work.
Referring to his recent book, “The Perfect Tuba,” he proposed that getting kids in the habit of feeling rewarded and exhilarated by hard work and achievement would go a long way in keeping them away from drugs.
