From: THE LANCET: The opioid crisis and the 2020 US election: crossroads for a national epidemic
By Leana S Wen and Nakisa B Sadeghi
Published October 06, 2020
This is the conclusion followed by a brief outline of the 3 key points
Please read the entire article which is linked here
Dennis Haffron
Conclusion
On the cusp of the presidential election and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation finds itself at a crossroads with a crucial opportunity to decide the trajectory of the opioid crisis. Will the nation's next leader continue to fall short and tinker around the edges while many tens of thousands die, or will he commit to urgent, robust, and science-based action? The consequences of this decision will persist for generations to come.
First, the policy proposals differ in how they will treat addiction. Just one in five people with opioid use disorder in the USA are able to access treatment at the time they need it, and fewer than half of community health centres in the country have the capacity to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT).Medicaid expansion through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been instrumental in increasing coverage of mental health and SUD services.
Second, the candidates' proposals will determine the strength and capacity of the nation's public health infrastructure to curb the opioid crisis. Public health infrastructure to prevent and treat addiction has been chronically underdeveloped and underfunded in the USA
Third, the coming election will determine whether SUDs and overdose will be treated as diseases, rather than as moral failings or crimes.
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