With Utah moving to a moderate risk level and lifting some of the COVID-19 mandates, I want to focus on a specific population during this pandemic: people facing an opioid addiction. Since this pandemic started, there have been greater feelings of despair and anxiety (“Mental health experts warn of ‘2nd pandemic’ stemming from COVID-19,” March 13). Combine that with isolation and an already at-risk population, and we will see more problematic drug use along with a greater risk of overdoses.
We have all seen what happens when COVID-19 mandates are lifted too early: a spike in COVID-19 cases with a potential prolonged business shutdown. At the start of this pandemic many substance abuse treatment facilities had to close their doors or provided services remotely. This greatly limited patients’ access to care, which left them feeling hopeless and led to continued use, relapse and overdose.
According to the CDC, more than 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number ever recorded in a 12-month span. This pandemic has impacted all Utahns, but it seems to have impacted the recovery community more than most.
Please Utah, stay safe and wear your masks. The recovery community will thank you for it.
Weston Fredman
Murray
from Deseret News https://ift.tt/395dftP
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