Opioid Epidemic on the rise due to COVID

Opioid epidemic on the rise due to COVID

By: Moya Reid

With the COVID pandemic, we are now more isolated than ever before. This is not only messing with people’s ability to do their everyday activities, but also their mental health, bringing along anxiety, depression, and despair. One of the ways that we can see this shift is in the increase in overdose deaths. During the height of the COVID pandemic, these deaths were up 70% in some places in Central Florida. Nonetheless, all is not lost as adaptations are constantly being made to account for these ever-changing times.

Due to the nature of this pandemic, isolation is a big part of how to keep yourself and others safe. However, this isolation is also in turn harming people as well leading to deteriorating mental health and an increase in feelings of loneliness and helplessness. This has caused people to start using drugs more frequently and in more harmful ways; the isolation making early intervention less likely to happen. Part of the reason is that there are a lot of relapses. People are unable to access recovery meetings, leading to blockades in their progress to recovery. Another reason might be inaccessibility to healthcare. Many people have had a hard time getting in contact with their doctors about their medical needs and as such have turned to street drugs. For those who are on street drugs, there are also instances in which there have been disruptions in their supply; the desperation to procure it leading to lessening the need for reliability and increasing the volatility of use.

There has also been a large increase in stress, whether it be emotional or financial. People’s lives have become very unpredictable, with ever-changing rules and information coming out and having no time to adapt. People are unsure of who to trust and believe, how to protect themselves, and even if the pandemic is as serious as the news makes it out to be. People have also had to

Gregorio, Author: Renata Di. “Overdose Calls up 40% during COVID-19 Pandemic; Treatment Centers Seeing Relapses in Long-Time Sober Patients.” Firstcoastnews.com, First Coast News, 23 July 2020, https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/gmj/jfrd-averaging-15-overdose-calls-a-day-group-provides-narcan-training-in-response/77- Shanoor Seervai, “‘It’s Really, Truly Everywhere’: How the Opioid Crisis Worsened with COVID-19,” June 4, 2021, in The Dose, produced by Shanoor Seervai, Andrea Muraskin, Naomi Leibowitz, and Joshua Tallman, podcast, MP3 audio, 25:05. https://doi.org/10.26099/3d62-cv07fa78a385-d445-4e64-b31c-bcabb57a0925. Crawford, Author: Heather. “Dea Seeing Surge of Counterfeit Pills Laced with Fentanyl and Meth, and Just One Pill Can Kill.” Firstcoastnews.com, First Coast News, 11 Nov. 2021, https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/specialreports/dea-counterfeit-pills-laced-with-fentanyl-meth-surging/77-c0698bf6-9b82-4540-954f-4452b130c7ec.

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learn how to deal with close relations that they have lost during the pandemic or those who now have lifelong symptoms due to the virus, which might even be themselves. There has also been the constant threat of losing your source of income. Economic stress can be a big cause of harmful drug use. To expand on this, homelessness causes the way people use drugs to be a lot riskier and is a major risk factor of overdose. The seriousness of the situation is alarming. In the United States, there have been 100, 000 people who died from an overdose from March 2020 to March 2021. In June 2020, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) reported administering Narcan 500 times and averaged 15 calls about overdose a day which is a 40% increase from the previous year. In Florida, death by fentanyl increased 81% percent during the first half of 2020, making it one of the most dangerous drugs in the state. For the first time in six years, DEA has had to issue a Public Safety alert due to the alarming increase in counterfeit drugs that are laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine to make them more addictive. It is to be noted that fentanyl is extremely potent. The lethal dose is about the size of the tip of a pencil. The DEA has found that 2 out of 5 counterfeit pills could have enough fentanyl to kill. Not only is fentanyl in counterfeit pills, but it is also being worked into other illegal drugs such as cocaine. What makes this worse is that this is not fentanyl that is usually prescribed, but an analog that is usually even more potent.

It has, however, not all been bad news. The pandemic and the rise in opioid deaths have changed the way that we tackle certain issues. One is a big push for harm reduction strategies. An example of this is providing sterile needles and fentanyl test strips. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) have expanded the use of Telehealth services, including treatment and recovery programs and peer support groups. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has been advocating more flexible outpatient opioid treatment options such as a takehome methadone kit instead of having to go to the clinic every day. The DEA has also waived in-person office visits for controlled prescribing, including for buprenorphine. Additionally, they have extended the availability for a newer long-acting buprenorphine injection or implant. With more knowledge and support, even with the difficulties that COVID has brought, there is still hope that we can gain control of this epidemic.

SAntich, Kate. “Central Florida Drug Od Deaths up 70% during COVID, Report Shows.” Orlandosentinel.com, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Dec. 2020, https://www.orlandosentinel.com/coronavirus/os-ne-coronavirus-dramatic-rise-in-florida-drug-overdoses-during-covid-20201202-u6rognhntrh7foitil4h5kltqi-story.html.

“Opioids and the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Opioids, Indian Health Service, https://www.ihs.gov/opioids/covid19/.

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