Introduction
The opioid crisis has been a severe societal problem, hurting people and communities nationwide. It is more crucial to address the underlying causes of this pandemic and develop successful prevention methods in light of the spike in opioid-related fatalities. As a platform for educating and raising awareness among young people at risk of opioid usage, school-based opioid prevention strategies have emerged as a possible response. The article “Awareness, Education, and Collaboration: Promising School-based Opioid Prevention Approaches” outlines some of the effective preventative initiatives adopted in schools and stresses the value of cooperation among diverse stakeholders to combat the opioid epidemic (Markiewicz et al., 2017). It offers a viewpoint on how schools might be crucial in avoiding opioid usage and emphasizes the necessity for ongoing initiatives to address this public health catastrophe.
Summary of the Main Points
The article examines the American opioid issue and offers suggestions for preventing opioid abuse. The author draws attention to the fact that people impacted by the opioid crisis live in rural areas, have poor incomes, and have mental health concerns (Markiewicz et al., 2017). Studies suggest that adolescents misusing prescription opioids also experience mental health issues like sadness and anxiety, putting the juvenile population at risk for opioid abuse. Preventative measures ought to address both the opioid crisis and mental health issues. Promoting open communication, safely disposing of prescription drugs, and expanding access to drug misuse treatment are examples of prevention tactics (Markiewicz et al., 2017). Schools can adopt evidence-based prevention programs and offer support to children experiencing addiction to reduce teenage opioid usage.
Questions
The article examines the crisis and provides recommendations for preventing opioid usage in homes, communities, and educational institutions (Markiewicz et al., 2017). He says those living in remote areas, low incomes, and mental health issues are the groups most impacted. Overdoses of opioids resulted in over 49,000 deaths in 2019. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl are the primary cause (Markiewicz et al., 2017).
Studies show that adolescents misusing prescription opioids experience mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. It puts the juvenile population at risk. Adolescent opioid use and dependence can result from early opioid use (Markiewicz et al., 2017). It emphasizes the connection between opioid usage and mental health, with many people turning to opioids to treat their mental disease symptoms. The opioid crisis and mental health issues should both be addressed in effective preventative initiatives.
The article suggests encouraging open communication, safe prescription drug storage and disposal, and seeking help if someone in the family is experiencing opioid addiction to reduce opioid misuse in families (Markiewicz et al., 2017). Increasing access to substance misuse treatment, encouraging safe prescribing practices among healthcare professionals, and launching education and awareness campaigns are a few examples of community-based preventative initiatives. It advises ECSU to create evidence-based preventive programs, educate staff on the warning indications of opioid abuse, and offer support services to students dealing with addiction (Markiewicz et al., 2017). To solve the opioid issue, cooperation among various parties is essential.
Conclusion
The article highlights the risks of the opioid crisis in the United States and the value of preventative measures. The author says it affects everyone, especially those in rural areas, low-income earners, and with mental health issues (Markiewicz et al., 2017). Too much use in adolescence results in dependence. Hence the article emphasizes the significance of preventing opioid misuse among young people. Prevention initiatives should focus on the opioid crisis and mental health issues because many people use opioids to self-medicate the symptoms of mental illness. Promoting open communication, safely disposing of prescription drugs, and expanding access to drug misuse treatment are forms of prevention (Markiewicz et al., 2017). The article makes the case that by implementing evidence-based prevention programs and offering support to children dealing with addiction, schools can avoid teenage opiate consumption.
Reference
Markiewicz, J., Swanberg, K., & Weis, M. (2017). Awareness, Education, and Collaboration: Promising School-based Opioid Prevention Approaches. SAMHSA, 1-15. https://www.escneo.org/Downloads/SAMHSA%20Opioid%20Brief.pdf
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