By Emily Coombs
Statistical Breakdown
Out of the 50 United States, Pennsylvania as a whole is ranked at number 13, tied only with Michigan, for highest opioid overdose death rates. As of 2017, Pennsylvania had 21.2 opioid related deaths for every 100,000 individuals. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/opioids/50-states-ranked-by-opioid-overdose-death-rates.html Approximately one person dies every 11 minutes in the United States from Opioid overdose. Though casualties are directly linked to the overdose of the drug, it is the risks associated with having an opioid addiction that are making the opioid epidemic a crisis. Opioid addiction is a problem that seems to have no solution, but the risks surrounding it, such as infection, HIV, and Hepatitis C, have proven to be preventable. Research suggests that the implementation of institutions such as Prevention Point Philadelphia and safe injection sites may not be the answer to ending this addiction, but will diminish the illnesses and deaths that are spread by unsafe injection while aiding addicts with the tools to get back on their feet.
The Risk of HIV and AIDS
Living in Philadelphia and being a temple student, I have had many experiences interacting with those in the community who have an addiction to opioids. There is a distinct slowness of speech and sleepy manner in which someone with this addiction speaks. You can see that they seem confused or irritable, all of which are effects of these drugs. Coming from the suburbs, these experiences were really a wake up call. Living in affluent communities will sway you to believe that these issues are not as prevalent as the media claims. I can say first hand, just as many other students can that opioid abuse in Philadelphia is a major issue. The sharing of needles in unsanitary conditions leads to these diseases, that when contracted in conjunction with an opioid addiction, becomes a dangerous cycle. Within the HIV community opioid overdoses have increased by 42%. People living with HIV often experience excruciating pain and are more likely to receive opioids as treatment. Someone with an opioid addiction who contracts HIV from sharing needles is then plummeted even further into their addiction. “One in 23 women and one in 36 men who inject drugs will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime if current infection rates continue, according to a CDC report on HIV and injection drug use.” https://nursing.usc.edu/blog/supervised-injection-sites/ It is also believed that these rates are lower than what is accurate because of unreported cases.
There are approximately 100 safe injection sites throughout Canada, Australia and Europe, all of which have had zero reported deaths as of September 2018, but there are currently no supervised injection sites in the United States. These 100 safe injection sites have proven to be effective. “A study on overdose mortality in Vancouver found the fatal overdose rate in the area around the Insite injection facility decreased by one-third after it opened. The rest of the city saw a 9 percent drop.” Below is a link to a video about the succes of injection sites in Vancouver. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw1BIJqUz4s
https://nursing.usc.edu/blog/supervised-injection-sites/ This success has spurred the push for safe injection sites in the United States and specifically Philadelphia.
Prevention Point Philadelphia
Prevention Point Philadelphia is an organization whose goal is to end overdose deaths in Philadelphia. The organization is located in Kensington and offers a range of services. They provide testing, treatment, and medical clinics. As mentioned, opioid users are at extreme risk for HIV and HCV which is why the testing and treatment centers are crucial. PPP also provides a drop in center for users to find safe shelter, off the streets, so they can stay in sanitary conditions. Finally, the program provides a syringe service program that provides clean syringes in order to reduce the number of HIV cases that arise from sharing and reusing needles.
In addition, they offer smaller services that can have a greater impact than it would seem. They offer free meals, a legal clinic to inform users of their rights, and a mail service to stay in touch with loved ones and secure jobs and aid. “Prevention Point Philadelphia began syringe service operations in North Philadelphia in 1991. At the time, PPP was an underground, grassroots outgrowth of the Philadelphia chapter of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power).” https://ppponline.org The PPP and the services they provide have grown exponentially along with the epidemic.
By removing the dangerous conditions and unsupervised injection of these drugs, we become a few steps closer to solving the problem and saving lives.
Emily's Writing For Internet Blog 