Letter: Remembering Evan- A Call to Action on Fentanyl, Recovery
I 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 fentanyl has become more difficult to combat because just a few granules (the size of salt) can kill. It’s easy to lace into pills, and many are unaware they’re even taking it.
And that’s the killer, literally. One pill leads to another, and another and suddenly a person is addicted.
Every year opioid use kills nearly 2000 people in our state. International Overdose Awareness Day is August 31st. Marshfield, Scituate, Cohasset, will pay remembrance to those who have passed away in ceremonies around that date. It’s a stark reminder of the toll and an inspiration to act.
As the opioid epidemic evolves, we must ensure access to all treatments.
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 of 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 mis-used.
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.
Pharmacists can play a key role in accessing these treatments. They already provide vaccines, and a bill at the State House—S1635—would allow them to administer LAIs. It would be a positive step and lawmakers should pass it.
The cost of OUD to the state and local governments is enormous. Massachusetts loses $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 90% 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, opioids kill more than 2000 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. Our program, No First Time is designed to educate young people on the dangers of experimenting with drugs and risky behavior. You never know what a seemingly harmless pill (like Adderall) contains. 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.