Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Here’s how to win the opioid war

Dr. Leonard A. Sowah
Meds
November 27, 2017
910 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Trump recently declared a national public health emergency. In this statement he was not talking about HIV or hepatitis C nor was he referring to the increased incidence of gun violence in the country. The president’s statements focused on a very different public health problem; he was talking about America’s high incidence of opioid-related deaths mostly from overdose.

This declaration has been met with various pronouncements including some statements from politicians and some individuals within the minority communities on the fact that the labeling of this problem as a public health emergency was only because the majority of deaths in this crisis happened to be white Americans. I would say though that, I agree with Trump on this issue: this is a public health emergency irrespective of the color of the skins of the cases. To those who say this problem is a white-only problem, I beg to differ. Ninety percent of the cases are whites, but we must not lose site of the fact that 77 percent of our population is white. So if 90 percent of the deaths are white people, there is still a relatively significant contribution from minorities.

This is not a time to politicize issues especially when we are dealing with lives especially the lives of young Americans. A 2015 a Kaiser Family Foundation representation of vital registration data revealed that one in four of all overdose deaths involving opioids was among younger Americans ages 25 to 34 years. This problem was so bad it actually affected overall gains in life expectancy among white Americans. Although there were more overdose deaths among men than women the increase appears to be accelerating faster in females compared to males. American Association of Addiction Medicine Reports suggest that from 1999 to 2010 overdose deaths from prescription opioids among women have increased by about 400 percent compared to 237 percent among men.

The question that we need to address now though is: Why are we having such a rapid increase in the number of addictions to opioids and other addictive drugs today? While we may not have any good data to support this claim, it is well known that close and supportive family and other forms of social relationships have a positive impact on addiction as well as response to painful stimuli both physical and psychological. Over the past ten years, our dependence on technological gadgets including social media outlets has significantly reduced close interpersonal interactions. While there is a whole list of other factors driving this epidemic, it is my belief that our gradual decline in significant social interactions may be negatively impacting some of the other drivers. This theory is based on a an experiment by Bruce Alexander who used rats to prove that social isolation does negatively impact one’s risk of addiction, and rats in a socially enriched environment where more resistant to addiction.

If this theory is true, then what must Trump and our public health authorities focus on in our efforts to reduce the risk of addiction to opiates in our communities? To achieve control, we must not focus so much on the supply as we have always done in the past at great cost but on the demand. In the 1980s and 1990s, we fought a very costly war on drugs mostly in our inner-city neighborhoods and supply sources in South and Central America. Today, I cannot clearly say who won that war. In this current problem, we must address the disenchantment and social isolation that is driving our young people to ingest and inject chemicals into their body’s to make them feel better when our bodies have always been dependent on its own abilities to produce similar effects from chemical that are produced endogenously by the activities that we engage. Anyone who engages in physical activities and interactions with others regularly can attest to the life-enhancing effects of these activities whose benefits usually last longer than the high from any opioid and also tend to be much safer.

So President Trump, if you want to address this epidemic and make any big impact, please forget about your wall and do not go the same way that all your predecessors who attempted to address this problem have gone. To make any headway on this problem, we must look at our best we can enrich the lives of the individuals in the communities most affected by addressing the high rates of unemployment and our over-dependence on electronic devices to the detriment of better interpersonal relationships. I would like to state a major disclaimer: I do not have any good data to support this but when all else has failed then looking for solutions supported by good research data can be considered a frivolous. Mr. President, I would quote you on this, “What do we have to lose?”

Hope to hear from you soon.

Leonard A. Sowah is an internal medicine physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Is there danger in hoping too much?

November 27, 2017 Kevin 0
…
Next

We must ask patients obvious questions

November 28, 2017 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Pain Management, Primary Care, Public Health & Policy

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Is there danger in hoping too much?
Next Post >
We must ask patients obvious questions

More by Dr. Leonard A. Sowah

  • Let older people talk about sex

    Dr. Leonard A. Sowah
  • Let’s talk about sex — with our patients

    Dr. Leonard A. Sowah
  • America’s love affair with opiates

    Dr. Leonard A. Sowah

Related Posts

  • The pandemic’s epidemic: opioid use disorder and subpar suboxone access   

    Jonathan Staloff, MD and Claire Simon, MD
  • The other opioid epidemic that we ignore

    Hans Duvefelt, MD
  • The opioid crisis: Doctors cannot lose hope

    Linda Girgis, MD
  • Marijuana will not fix the opioid epidemic

    Kenneth Finn, MD
  • The war on drugs: America’s secret racist war today

    Jay Wong
  • How hospitals can help with the opioid epidemic

    Richard Bottner, PA-C and Christopher Moriates, MD

More in Meds

  • From Moscow Mule to the opioid crisis: Unveiling the tragic legacy and urgent solutions

    Osmund Agbo, MD
  • The deadly consequences of a shortage: The Pluvicto crisis leaves metastatic prostate cancer patients in limbo

    Matt Drewes
  • The real story of Xylazine contamination in street fentanyl and how we can manage it

    Julie Craig, MD
  • The cannabis education gap: Why patients are left in the dark

    Timothy Byars
  • Are doctors ready to discuss psychedelic therapies with patients?

    Thaís Salles Araujo, MD
  • The rise and dark side of fungi: Exploring health benefits and pathogenic threats

    Sandra Vamos, EdD and Deanna Lernihan, MPH
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

      Alice S. Y. Lee, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Unlock financial freedom: The physician’s guide to lucrative multifamily syndications and wealth accumulation

      Pranay Parikh, MD | Finance
    • From Moscow Mule to the opioid crisis: Unveiling the tragic legacy and urgent solutions

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Meds
    • From journalism to medicine: Unveiling the untold stories of patients’ medical conditions

      Veronica Bonales, MD | Physician
    • Unlocking resilience: a powerful journey from trauma to transformation [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Overcoming the lies of depression: Senator John Fetterman’s struggle with mental health

      Harvey Max Chochinov, MD, PhD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Is Getting Test Results Online Right Away a Good Idea? Yes, Patients Say
  • Residency Application System Cuts Section on Hobbies and Interests
  • Workplace Harassment, Cyber Incivility High for Minority Groups in Academic Medicine
  • Superior Cognition in the Oldest-Old; Novel MS Pathway; What Links Amyloid and Tau?
  • Phase II Study: Bispecific Oral Drug Tops Leading JAK Inhibitor for RA

Meeting Coverage

  • Phase II Study: Bispecific Oral Drug Tops Leading JAK Inhibitor for RA
  • Closing the Diversity Gaps in Urologic Oncology Leadership
  • Certain NSCLC Patients May Be Able to Stop Immunotherapy at 2 Years
  • No Survival Benefit With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Rechallenge in Metastatic RCC
  • Happy Sleep, Happy Couple?
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
    • The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

      Alice S. Y. Lee, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Unlock financial freedom: The physician’s guide to lucrative multifamily syndications and wealth accumulation

      Pranay Parikh, MD | Finance
    • From Moscow Mule to the opioid crisis: Unveiling the tragic legacy and urgent solutions

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Meds
    • From journalism to medicine: Unveiling the untold stories of patients’ medical conditions

      Veronica Bonales, MD | Physician
    • Unlocking resilience: a powerful journey from trauma to transformation [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Overcoming the lies of depression: Senator John Fetterman’s struggle with mental health

      Harvey Max Chochinov, MD, PhD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Here’s how to win the opioid war
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...