Should Philly pursue even bolder steps to fight opioid crisis?
As the opioid crisis continues its deadly path of destructions, cities like Philadelphia are exploring new public initiatives such as safe injection sites.
As reported in Philly.com, one Temple University professor proposes that the city should push the boundaries even further and explore providing medical-assisted recovery, and even use prescription heroin as part of its harm reduction program.
Jillian Bauer-Reese writes – “our society treats people with addiction as though they don’t deserve the same tax dollars, empathy, and evidence-based services as individuals with other disorders and diseases.”
“Ask anyone who’s needed treatment for both substance use disorder and cancer, and I promise you they’ll affirm the fact that they’re treated differently depending on the diagnosis.”
“Imagine if more than 1,200 individuals died of cancer in Philadelphia last year, and our city proposed a location for them to receive a death-reversal antidote and medical treatment when they need it. Imagine if someone with cancer needed a medication called diamorphine to keep them alive and improve their life. Those patients would not be denied that treatment.”
“So why should it be different for those addicted to substances? The answer is that it absolutely shouldn’t.”
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To read more about how a Philadelphia professor proposes dramatically reconsidering our view of addiction treatment please visit Philly.com.