Opioid Crisis Demands Attention
RONY FOUMIA, RPH
BY RONY FOUMIA, RPH
All of us are sick and tired of seeing people we love lose their lives needlessly to opioid overdoses. Everyone in our community knows someone or has heard of someone dying because of an opioid overdose. Enough is enough! Let’s stop waiting for others to fix this issue and let’s do all we can to educate our youth. One thing I have learned over the years is that opioid addiction shows no prejudice. It is impacting every sector of our society, including Chaldeans. You’ll find people struggling with this horrible disease in Detroit, Royal Oak, West Bloomfield and all over this state and nation.
Most People don’t realize addicted individuals to drugs suffer from a true, chronic disease. They are battling an illness no different than those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. This is why we have to change the stigma that is associated with it. Some of the words that describe those that are suffering through addiction are “a junkie” or “ a druggie.”To change this stigma, let’s change how we refer to people that are suffering. The appropriate terminology is they are suffering from a “Substance Use Disorder” (SUD) or an “Opioid Use Disorder” (OUD) for those addicted to opioids. Most of these people want to get healthy but they simply can’t as their brain chemistry has changed and it takes time to heal it back to normal as they battle the disease.
Another thing that I learned is that we can throw all of the money in the world at this and it is not enough. We can set all of the laws in the world at this and it is not enough. The question that I receive many times is what can parents do to help protect their children and to prevent them from getting addicted in the first place? Education to PREVENT addiction is the key! As moms and dads are working hard to provide for their families, the day to day struggles of work and balancing that with raising children is never easy. Combine that with the influence of smart phones and social media apps, it makes a parent’s job even more difficult to shelter them from harm.
What are some of the things you can do as a parent to help prevent your child from getting addicted?
It’s never too early to talk to your youth about the dangers of addiction. We started talking to our children when they were younger than 10 years old and we discuss it almost daily. Every child is different as children mature at different rates. It is important to get to them early to let them know it is not ok to use drugs and that they can become addicted quickly. Keep the conversation going.
Know the signs and risks of opioid use and the behaviors that surround it (including heroin). Many times we ignore these obvious signs right in front of our eyes.
Examples include: Losing interest in activities they once enjoyed; failing to fulfill family obligations and a loss of relationships; putting themselves in risky situations; looking at their phone waiting for messages, nervously; changing in the group of friends they interact with and they dropped the old friends; acting distant, aggressive or angry all of the time; breaking rules; physical changes such as weight loss, shakes and tremors; eye pupils become pinpoints (constrict) and they are always wearing sunglasses, even indoors.
Other signs include: Track marks (little needle marks on the hands, arms, legs etc.); frequent flu-like symptoms; lack of hygiene; change in sleep habits (prolonged or limited); changes in spending habits; frequently lying; money missing at home; changes in work habits and you hear they are skipping work; wearing warm clothing even though it is hot outside and skipping school.
Educating Kids And Preventing Addiction
One of the most common ways people get addicted to opioids is through the use of prescription opioids (whether they were prescribed for them or not). It is estimated that 80 percent of heroin addicted individuals at one point used prescription opioid medications first.
Sporting injuries are common in children. Before an opioid is prescribed to your child, ask a lot of questions. By law, a doctor has to have parents sign a form that they were warned about the risk factors involved with using opioids. Use alternative treatments if possible before opioid use (such as Motrin/Advil, Aleve or Tylenol).
If you have someone in your household who uses prescription opioids, do not leave them in the medicine cabinet. Get a drug lock box or hide them in a safe place.
If you have opioids at home that are no longer being used, get them out of the home. Almost all police stations take back pill bottles with no questions asked. There are also commercially made products to inactivate drugs to be thrown out in the trash afterwards (i.e. Deterra and many others)
Make sure you know who your children’s friends are. They need to choose them wisely as the group they hang out with can heavily influence them. It is ok to ask questions about their friends.
Have your kids join youth action groups to get more involved and to become leaders amongst their peers. Kids are more prone to listen to messages from other kids.
Become more involved in your kids’ lives and have nightly talks or go for walks. Having open lines of communication without judgment is important. Kids are more likely to share their struggles with you.
Someone suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) will make you think your eyes are lying to you. It is very important to trust your instinct! By increasing awareness and by all of us working together, we can make a difference and save lives.