A game changer in battle vs. opioids
By GuestI pray you never lose a loved one to opioid use. I have, and it’s an agony I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Our son, Evan, died many years ago after overdosing on heroin.
Back in 2014, that was the drug of choice. But times have changed, and now fentanyl has permeated every segment of our society. It doesn’t discriminate, impacting Black, white, Hispanic, older, younger, rich and poor people.
And it’s become more difficult to combat because just a few granules (the size of salt) can kill, and it’s easy to lace it into pills so that people are unaware they’re even taking fentanyl.
And that’s the killer, literally. One pill leads to another, and another, and suddenly a person is addicted. It doesn’t take much.
As the opioid epidemic evolves, and as we learn more, we must adopt new treatments and all insurers must cover them.
A recent study by Avalere Health* points to a hopeful next step in the quest to stem opioid use disorder (OUD). The report found that long-acting injectables (LAIs) coupled with behavioral therapy have the best chance of keeping a person on their path to recovery. You’ve no doubt heard about LAIs as they’ve been in the news a lot for treating people with diabetes and obesity. They control cravings.
These medicines are given once a month, and that’s why LAIs could be a gamechanger for those suffering from OUD. As it stands, there are many challenges for those who are working hard to stay off drugs. Most treatments are daily or weekly and require going somewhere to get those medicines. That’s difficult for those who are trying to work or can’t get to a clinic that often. Stigma associated with drug addiction can also be a deterrent to treatment. Some treatments are oral, and it’s been well-documented how easily they can be misused.
But LAIs are just once a month. The medicine is slow-release and thus keeps the cravings at bay for much longer than other treatments. And since they are injectables, there’s no room for abusing the medicine.
The cost of opioid use disorder to the state and local governments is enormous. According to the Avalere Health report, the cost in Massachusetts is $145 billion annually with each case costing almost a million dollars.
The societal toll is even worse.
Data from the Massachusetts Department of Health** shows that 90 percent of opioid overdose deaths in the state are fentanyl-related. While you may have seen that opioid deaths are down in the state, the fact remains that opioids kill more than 2,000 people a year here. That’s still way too high.
For those in recovery, the temptation to relapse is strong. But LAIs keep that physical temptation at bay. Considering the cost to the state, lawmakers should also mandate that insurers cover all treatments.
Since the loss of Evan, I have dedicated my life to working with kids, teenagers mainly, giving them the tools to just say “no.” Peer pressure is tough, and if we can empower kids to refuse a pill, that’s potentially one more life we can save. These days, you never know what a seemingly harmless pill (like Adderall) contains. But the road to addiction is a step away. We should use every tool we can to keep people on the road to recovery.
John Greene is a telecommunications technician for Local 103. He is the founder of the Evan G. Foundation to help fight substance abuse.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=132154
Posted by Guest
on Aug 7 2025. Filed under Featured Content, Opinion.
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