Healthcare Policy Brief Assignment
Part One
Novel Strategies for Reducing Substance Abuse and Drug Overdose
Executive summary
Substance abuse and drug overdose have inherently been critical health concerns in the United States. They are the leading causes of injury deaths along with social ills, related crimes, loss of productivity, poor health, and so on (Bryant, 2021). According to Swint (2009), every year, more than 130,000 Americans die due to Substance abuse and drug overdose, while the healthcare sector spends more than $275 billion on the same. Addressing the problem requires implementing promising and effective strategies in preventing, treating, and enforcing laws against substance abuse. Law enforcement should be complemented with early prevention of drug use onset and treatment of addicts, as discussed in this paper (Swint, 2009).
Introduction
Novel Strategies for Reducing Substance Abuse and Drug Overdose will analyze effective strategies the US can consider to reduce the country’s growing use of illicit drugs and drug abuse. The current opioid epidemic further heightens the problem. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2019), about 50,000 deaths were caused by opioid-involved overdoses in the United States in 2019. Almost 21 million people in the US struggle with at least one drug addiction (AddictionCentre, 2021). Among them, only 10% receive treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to take drastic measures to address the situation.
Approaches and Results
Many effective approaches have been proposed to curb the problem of substance abuse and drug overdose in the country. One is enhancing the ability of countries to provide drug abuse prevention services at the local level. A study conducted by the SAPT block grant reported Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant resulted in positive outcomes, such as reduced use of alcohol and other drugs, lowered involvement of the criminal justice system, and increased employment (Bryant, 2021). Additionally, the government can enforce adherence to the CDC Evidence-Based Prescribing Practices provided in the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. A study conducted in Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) by Losby et al. (2017) found that adherence to the CDC guidelines reduced high quantity prescriptions and high dose opioid prescriptions.
Conclusion
Substance abuse and drug overdose is a crisis in the US and should be addressed gently. This can effectively be done only by a collaboration among health, law enforcement, and social service urgencies. It is a problem that will affect individuals and the entire nation, as seen with the high mortality and government expenses associated with substance abuse and drug overdose. As such, legislators must take deliberate steps to enact policies that mandate the implementation of most of the viable strategies that have been proposed and empirically proven to curb the situation.
Implications and recommendations
- Enhancing Compliance to Evidence-Based Prescribing Practices by enforcing adherence to the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. This move will reduce prescription of high opioid doses and drug amounts.
- Increasing FY 2021 emergency and regular appropriations levels for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant in future appropriations. This will improve the positive results realized by SAPT (Bryant, 2021).
- Increasing FY 2021 emergency and regular appropriations levels for the Community and Mental Health Services (CMHS) Block Grant in future appropriations. This will improve the positive results realized by CMHS (Bryant, 2021).
Graphics and Tables
Figure 1: A Pie Chart Showing the Distribution of the Cost of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in the US reported by Recovery Centers of America (2016)
Figure 2: Drug abuse infographic obtained from UK Addiction Treatment Centers (2018)
Financial Considerations
Though there is a high monetary cost associated with implementing these policies, the statistics released by the Recovery Centers of America in 2019 can show the annual savings successful implementation of these strategies will bring, as shown below.
| Costs | Cost
(in Thousands) |
Double Counting Adjustment (12.29%) | % of Direct + Indirect | % of Total |
| Health | 96,034,026 | 84,229,252 | 15 | 5.8 |
| Productivity Loss | 385,853,292 | 338,423,117 | 59 | 23.3 |
| Crime, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice | 96,402,325 | 84,552,279 | 15 | 5.8 |
| Research and Prevention | 1,767,099 | 1,549,883 | 0.27 | 0.11 |
| Fires | 1,807,558 | 1,585,368 | 0.27 | 0.11 |
| Public Assistance and Social Services | 17,975,012 | 15,765,473 | 2.73 | 1.09 |
| Traffic Collisions | 59,370,133 | 52,072,189 | 9.01 | 3.58 |
| Direct & Indirect Subtotal | 659,209,446 | 578,177,561 | 100 | 40 |
| + Intangible Costs (Quality of Life Lost) | 997,007,245 | 874,452,302 | 151 | 60 |
| Direct, Indirect, Intangible Total | 1,656,216,692 | 1,452,629,863 |
Part Two
The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee is the incumbent United States House of Representatives of the 18th Congressional District of TEXAS, mainly covering central Houston. She is a strong advocate for the eradication of drug abuse and drug overdose in the US. In 2018, she attended the Opening of the Memorial Medical Center’s Texas Rapid Drug Detox Center and said that “the need to address the rising numbers of Americans afflicted by the scourge of drug abuse is growing more urgent by the day, which is why I am grateful for the lives which will undoubtedly be saved by the United Memorial Medical Center’s Texas Rapid Drug Center” (Boney, 2018)
A letter to The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee
The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee
United States House of Representatives
The 18th Congressional District of TEXAS – Houston
1919 Smith Street, St. 1180
Houston 77002
Date: November 20, 2021
Re: Novel Strategies for Reducing Substance Abuse and Drug Overdose
Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,
The present statistics on Substance abuse and drug overdose in the US are still alarming despite the moves and efforts that have been put in place to address the situation. More than 130,000 Americans die due to Substance abuse and drug overdose every year. Opioid abuse alone caused nearly 50,000 deaths in 2019. Among the 21 million people suffering from substance abuse, only 10% are treated. All this evidence calls for rejuvenated efforts in this area.
This policy brief has given three significant recommendations to consider for better outcomes. Namely;
- Enhancing Compliance to Evidence-Based Prescribing Practices by enforcing adherence to the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.
- Increasing FY 2021 emergency and regular appropriations levels for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant in future appropriations.
- Increasing FY 2021 emergency and regular appropriations levels for the Community and Mental Health Services (CMHS) Block Grant in future appropriations.
As explained herein, these strategies are associated with major savings (40% of the current cost of drug abuse) that will cover and justify the cost required for the implementation.
It is with confidence that I urge you to advocate for this policy in congress for its consideration. With this, the milestone you have been pushing for in the fight against Substance abuse and drug overdose will surely be met.
Sincerely,
Fabian Opiyo
Nurse Research
Houston Methodist Hospital
References
AddictionCentre. (2021). Statistics On Addiction in America. https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-statistics/
Boney, G. (2018). Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Has Texas Rapid Drug Detox Center Dedicated in Her Honor. Forward Times Publishing Co. https://forwardtimes.com/congresswoman-sheila-jackson-lee-has-texas-rapid-drug-detox-center-dedicated-in-her-honor/
CDC. (2021). Preventing Opioid Overdoses among Rural Americans. https://www.cdc.gov/ruralhealth/drug-overdose/policybrief.html#r9
Bryant, B. (2021). Enhance Counties’ Ability to Prevent and Treat Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Disorders. National Association of Counties. https://www.naco.org/resources/enhance-counties-ability-prevent-and-treat-mental-illness-and-substance-abuse-disorders
Losby, J. L., Hyatt, J. D., Kanter, M. H., Baldwin, G., & Matsuoka, D. (2017). Safer and more appropriate opioid prescribing: a large healthcare system’s comprehensive approach. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 23(6), 1173-1179. https://www.cdc.gov/ruralhealth/drug-overdose/https//doi.org/10.1111/jep.12756
Swint, P. A. (2009). The Effect of Family Therapy on Prison-based Substance Abuse Treatment and Recidivism Outcomes for Incarcerated Women.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019). Opioid Overdose Crisis. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis
The Recovery Centers of America. (2019). Economic Cost of Substance Abuse in the United States, 2016. https://recoverycentersofamerica.com/economic-cost-substance-abuse/
UK Addiction Treatment Centers. (2018). The Hidden Cost of Substance Abuse in The US. https://www.ukat.co.uk/drugs/hidden-cost-of-substance-abuse-us-infographic/