The constant flood of news relating to the COVID-19 pandemic has inured us to so much else that has been going on in the world. As the high-profile crisis has dominated the airwaves, our thoughts, and the attention of public health authorities, the opioid crisis has been largely ignored. Addiction claims thousands of lives, affects millions of sufferers, and goes hand-in-hand with mental health issues that cause profound suffering to millions around the globe. Let’s take a look at how the COVID-19 crisis has been affecting the opioid crisis, and the lessons we can take from our response to the virus and apply to the fight against addiction.
Funding, Data, And Priorities
Although a great deal of lip-service has been paid to the opioid crisis, our response to the spread of COVID-19 exposes the lack of effort and funds which we’ve actually given to the fight against addiction. As one American doctor convincingly argues, the lack of real-time data available in the fight against opioid addiction and overdose deaths is forcing medical professionals to work “in the dark.” While we can monitor COVID-19 infections and deaths in our communities in real-time, we won’t know how many Americans died from overdoses in 2019 until early 2021! As the author concludes:
“The public has benefited from seeing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the moment. Although it is scary seeing the numbers of diagnoses and deaths rising day by day, these data help bring clarity and accountability to an ongoing crisis that requires both.
It is time to bring this kind of real-time outcome data to America’s opioid crisis.”
We couldn’t agree more.
While the COVID-19 outbreak is likely to divert health-care funding away from addiction services and towards battling the pandemic, there have been some positive outcomes. America has loosened the strict guidelines and procedures involving in-person visits to doctors, pharmacists, and social workers in order to receive opioid replacement treatment and other therapies. Rather than traveling for miles and wasting time in waiting rooms in order to receive buprenorphine or methadone, access to treatment can be obtained via phone, video chat, and courier. Addicts and medical professionals are united in singing the praises of the enhanced accessibility of these life-saving treatments.
The Deaths That Aren’t On The News
The lack of real-time data has serious consequences for addiction medicine: it pushes the deaths caused by opioid abuse onto the back-burner for news organizations and obscures the horrible scope of this pandemic in the consciousness of the public and policymakers. Even with the paucity of data available, we know that the COVID-19 crisis is causing profound suffering among the addicted. We already know that the unhealthy lifestyle that most addicts lead makes them more likely to have compromised health and immune systems, rendering them more vulnerable. Their precarious economic situation makes it harder for them to maintain social distancing and proper hygiene. They are likely to be wary of government and authority based on their previous interactions with law enforcement, and alienated from news sources, causing a shortage of information on how to remain safe and healthy. These challenges are coupled with increased stress levels, economic hardship, and the likelihood of mental health challenges in this marginalized population.
As borders tighten, and trade and travel are limited by public health precautions, the supply of illicit drugs is likely to shrink. This may sound like good news, but in fact the opposite is true. Daniel Ciccarone, a professor of medicine at UCSF notes that “overdoses go up, paradoxically, as supply goes down.” He reasons that during shortfalls, addicts are likely to substitute drugs they’re unfamiliar with or change their dosing habits, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes.
And we are already getting indications that this is happening. In British Columbia, Canada, the province’s top health official, Dr. Bonnie Henry, tearfully noted that 170 opioid overdoses have occurred in the province in May, the highest total in the province’s history. In the 3 months since measures to control COVID-19 were enacted, the province experienced 401 overdose deaths, another all-time high. Disruptions to the supply chain are cited as a primary reason for the wave of overdoses, as users in the province are “facing an extremely toxic street drug supply.” America seems to be experiencing the same catastrophe, with health officials and coroners in Chicago, Milwaukee, Tennessee, and Ohio reporting alarming upticks in overdose rates.
As Karen Ward, an advocate for drug users in Vancouver, B.C., notes: “It’s not a competition … [between the pandemics] but there never has been a consistent and sustained effort from all levels of government and the health authorities to address this,” she said. “There’s never been agreement on what to do.” She notes that drug-users have fewer checks on their behavior at this time, with limited interaction with family, friends, and co-workers, and that users are more likely to be using alone, with no one to get help in the event of an overdose. Ward notes that many of her clients feel left behind by the government’s differing response to the two pandemics, and calls on authorities to address “creating a safe supply, finding adequate housing, addressing poverty and decriminalization.”
A Time For Action
At Tabula Rasa Retreat, we would like to join the chorus of voices calling on governments to put the same levels of funding and energy that COVID-19 is receiving into dealing with the hidden pandemic of addiction. Far too many lives have already been lost, and we are overdue for concerted action in addressing this public health crisis. But experience has taught us that we shouldn’t be holding our breath. If you are an addict, it’s time to take your life and health into your own hands and take the steps necessary to end addiction before you become another statistic. If you’re interested in exploring ibogaine’s remarkable ability to minimize withdrawal symptoms and mitigate cravings, get in touch with Tabula Rasa Retreat today!
For further information visit www.tabularasaretreat.com or call PT +351 965 751 649 UK +44 7961 355 530