On November 10th Deborah King wrote an article based out of Wooster, Ohio, regarding the state’s opioid epidemic. You can read the article here. Being a licensed substance abuse counselor, recovery ambassador, and former addict herself, she speaks from both experience and knowledge. King believes the African-American community in Ohio is not receiving the best treatment options available to them, and that addiction treatment at large could use a little TLC. We here at Arrow Passage Recovery believe she is right.
King’s article begins with a sad but very true point: Ohio is “the face of the nation’s opiate epidemic.” On top of that, King points out, “the rate of illegal drug use among African Americans is 12.4 percent, greater than the national average of 10.2 percent.” On top of all this, there are more than 20 million Americans with a substance addiction, and less than 5% actually receive treatment.
King raises some serious points in her article, and Arrow Passage Recovery has listened. Here are the topics covered by King, along with some corresponding ways we know we can help.
“People who began using heroin in the 1960s were predominantly young men from minority groups living in urban areas…,” states NIDA. “The epidemic of prescription opioid abuse has been associated with a shifting of the demographic of opioid users toward a population that is… less minority…”
At Arrow Passage, we embrace the fact that people of all ages and backgrounds can become addicted to alcohol and opiates. We offer individualized treatment with a one-on-one patient to therapist ratio. This way, a personalized treatment plan is offered, accommodating any and all ages and backgrounds.
Not a New Problem
In speaking about how increases in prescription opioid abuse have been mostly attributed to white populations, King writes, “…minority communities have been struggling with the devastating effects of drug addiction for years.” She is absolutely right. Take a look at the graph below, provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Clearly, minority opioid abuse is not a new problem.
“People who began using heroin in the 1960s were predominantly young men from minority groups living in urban areas…,” states NIDA. “The epidemic of prescription opioid abuse has been associated with a shifting of the demographic of opioid users toward a population that is… less minority…”
At Arrow Passage, we embrace the fact that people of all ages and backgrounds can become addicted to alcohol and opiates. We offer individualized treatment with a one-on-one patient to therapist ratio. This way, a personalized treatment plan is offered, accommodating any and all ages and backgrounds.
