Editorial: Amid pandemic concerns, we can't forget fight against opioid addiction
Our nation was in the grips of an opioid epidemic when the COVID-19 pandemic only made a bad situation worse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in December reported that more than 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in a 12-month period ending last May. It was the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded.
At the time, the CDC said synthetic opioids - mostly illegally manufactured fentanyl - appeared to be the primary driver of the increases. It also said the rate of overdose deaths was accelerating during the pandemic.
Suburban communities are suffering from the ongoing opioid crisis. Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane and McHenry counties all saw a spike in overdose deaths in 2020 compared to the previous year, according to data released this month.
Locally, there have been efforts to address the epidemic and save lives. But as the numbers show, communities must continue to focus on fighting opioid addiction.
In a story published Sunday, staff writer Lauren Rohr detailed how the crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
"This is very COVID-related," DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen said. "I don't think there's any question that this pandemic is causing a long-term effect on our society."
Jorgensen said DuPage saw an "alarming increase" in fatal overdoses after the stay-at-home order took effect last spring.
Local drug prevention advocates say forced isolation leaves people with substance use disorder vulnerable to depression, loneliness and other mental health issues. Job loss, economic insecurity and emotional trauma can also cause people in recovery to relapse.
The forced isolation also is causing more people to use opioids when they're alone, with no one there to help or administer naloxone in the event of an overdose.
Treatment centers, meanwhile, have to turn people away because of limited capacity. Or they require people to get COVID-19 tests or meet new requirements, which take too much time and effort for someone using drugs and seeking help immediately.
Ultimately, drug prevention advocates say they fear the opioid crisis has taken a back seat to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of awareness and public health resources.
"I've had people in my life that have died from COVID, so I understand the seriousness of it," Laura Fry, executive director of Arlington Heights-based Live4Lali, told our Lauren Rohr. "But the opioid epidemic has been put on the back shelf."
The opioid epidemic should not be forgotten because of COVID-19. The issue needs to remain at the forefront of our attention, whether we are everyday citizens or top-level policymakers. One day, we will bring the coronavirus pandemic under control, but there is no end in sight to the opioid epidemic.