While the news gave us hourly updates on the Covid-19 pandemic, little was said about overdoses or overdose deaths.
Here’s what we could do (but won't) to help slow the rate of opiate overdose deaths...
1. Flood communities with Narcan. Make it rain Narcan. If the alcohol supply were tainted and people using it were vulnerable to death, what would America do to stop it? We should do that. The issue isn’t that we can’t or don’t know how to help, the issue is we don’t like people who like drugs and we don’t make enough efforts for their care.
2. Federally legalize cannabis use. To date, the death rate among cannabis users, covid or not, is holding steady at exactly zero. The hoops people have to go through to access cannabis need to be relaxed. While opinions swing wildly, fewer overdose deaths in communities with legal, safe, cannabis.
That’s without promotion. Imagine if there were messages on the side of a bus “why use opiates if cannabis will do?”
3. Federal Good Samaritan law. In other words, just call for help. Calling for help would eliminate any policing or arrests at the scene.
4. Treatment on demand for self-reporting. Walk into an admissions site and be admitted for care on the same visit.
5. Pop up clinics in hardest-hit areas. Get a clean needle, basic health care, a bag of cannabis, and information about treatment options.
The big question “how will you pay for it?” Simple, a .10/100 on beer, .20/100 on wine, and .50/100 on distilled spirits. We will have billions in a discretionary fund to deal with the spike.
Of course, there are things we can do, why aren’t we?
