Drug Addiction and Overdose: Strategies for Addressing the Issue Essay

This essay delves into the critical issues of drug addiction and overdose, defining the principle of the common good and its relationship to the global challenge of substance abuse. The paper provides a critical analysis of the shared responsibility for the common good not being achieved, highlighting the devastating impact of addiction on individuals, communities, and global health. The essay proposes several strategies to address this challenge, including supporting medication-assisted treatment, exposing centers that fail to provide comprehensive care, educating healthcare workers and patients about effective treatment options, increasing the availability and affordability of treatment initiatives, incorporating drug addiction treatment in health insurance, utilizing media for education and prevention, and integrating drug education into school curricula. The essay emphasizes the need for advocacy and community engagement to implement these solutions, aiming to foster a healthier society and improve the lives of those affected by addiction.

Running head: DRUG ADDICTION AND OVERDOSE 1
Drug addiction and overdose
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Definition and clarification of the principle of the common good in relation to
increasing drug addiction and overdose
The principle of the common good refers to all social conditions that allows people,
either in groups or individually to achieve their fulfillment easily and fully. It’s all about healthy
progress (Dowell, Zhang, Noonan, & Hockenberry, 2016). Drug addiction has however
hampered such progress and fulfillment. People suffering from drug addiction also suffer from
mental disorders, HIV/AIDS due to sharing of contaminated syringes. Furthermore, most of
them are arrested thus fail to achieve their fulfillments in life.
Critical analysis with focus on shared responsibility for the common good not being
achieved locally and globally
Increased drug addiction has really hampered the progress and fulfillment of life among
different people. First of all, drug addiction and overdose has contributed to death both locally
and globally (Hall & Miczek, 2019). The World Health Organization report that nearly 190,900
people died as a result of drugs especially opioids. Locally, the rate or prevalence of HIV/AIDS
has increased from 12 % to 16% in the last five years and it is attributed to sharing of
contaminated syringes among drug addicts (Humphreys, 2017). Furthermore, drug addiction and
overdose has also contributed to poverty and violence both locally and globally. Studies report
that majority of drug addicts are spending much on drugs instead of investing thus leading to
poverty. Some drugs such heroin, narcotics and marijuana also stimulate violence among drug
addicts and this has led to significance deaths (Humphreys & Pollack, 2019). All these effects are
avoidable. It is therefore important that relevant strategies are implemented so as to enable
victims of drugs addiction and overdose to achieve fulfillment in their lives.

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Strategies to address drug addiction and overdose
Support use of medication. Several studies show that it is possible for a drug addict to
recover with the intervention of certain medications. Randomized controlled trials show that
drugs such as suboxone, methadone, naltrexone and naloxone improve the rate of both alcohol
and tobacco abstinence (Kolodny et al., 2015). It is therefore important that communities are
provided with this drugs and it should not be perceived as a violation of sobriety. This method is
suitable as opposed to other puritanical and outdated techniques and notions about recovery.
Exposure of facilities or centers that do not provide comprehensive treatment for
substance abuse. In a recent survey conducted in Australia, results how that only 13% of
treatment centers offer the desired comprehensive treatment services for patients suffering from
drug addiction (Neale & Strang, 2015). Some examples of the treatment options for drug
addiction and overdose include the 12 step recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous
and the Narcotics Anonymous. However, this methods are not effective alone. They should be
complemented with cognitive-behavioral therapy, prevention of relapse, motivational
enhancement and even family education and support. Furthermore, wellness efforts and
medication are encouraged to prevent relapse and sustain sobriety. Failure to provide
comprehensive treatment is one of the reasons why drug abuse and overdose has remained
relatively high (Sou, 2016). It is therefore high time to expose the centers that do not offer the
recommended comprehensive treatment services for necessary action.
Healthcare workers, patients and families should be educated about good addiction
treatment. Most of the patients suffering from drug addiction and overdose are unaware of the

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best treatment options available. As a result, they have continued to live in anguish and agony.
Even though they are willing to reform, there are few options that provide the best treatment
regimens. It is therefore important that doctors, patients and families are educated about the good
addiction treatment options. This would even stimulate the patients, to advocate for effective
treatments. Studies have found out that such an approach was very effective in United States of
America reducing the prevalence of addiction from 23% to 14% in two years, between 2011 and
2013 (Zoorob & Salemi, 2017). If this approach is utilized in Australia and other parts of the
world, the rate of drug addiction and overdose will reduce considerable.
There should be efforts to increase availability, affordability and access to drug treatment
initiatives or centers. Different studies note that there are many drug addicts who have the desire
to access treatment centers. However, this has not been the case due to poverty with studies
noting that almost 45% of drug addicts are poor to afford such programs or services. Moreover,
the facilities are also few to accommodate the high number of patients suffering from the same
conditions. In Australia for example, recent surveys show that between 80 and 90% of
individuals who wish to benefit from such treatment programs are not getting them (Zoorob &
Salemi, 2017). The study also found out they are only celebrities who cover most of the funds for
such programs and they can’t match the high population of the patients who are in need. In order
to reduce drug addiction therefore, it is necessary that respective communities improve
accessibility and affordability of the said programs.
There should be comprehensive insurance covers. A quick survey on major insurance
schemes show that very few insurance companies or schemes cover drug addiction and overdose.
The reason why this is the case is still unknown yet drug addiction and overdose is still a health
or medical condition (Strang, 2015). Such discriminations are the reason why drug addiction and

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overdose is still high both in Australia and globally. Respective governments or stakeholders
should therefore come up with strategies to incorporate drug addiction and overdose in health
insurance. This will eventually lower the rates of these conditions.
The media can be used to educate people about drug abuse and addiction prevention. As
explained in previous sections, majority of the people suffer to lack of knowledge. Most of the
people suffering from addiction are not aware of available options to treat and prevent the same.
The media can therefore be employed to provide information about the available methods (Von
Korff & Franklin, 2016). Television, radio and social media can be used together to educate the
people. This is one of the cheapest and quickest methods since information is able to reach many
people within a short time. Furthermore, information on the consequences of drug addiction and
overdose can motivate potential drug addicts to shy off.
Drugs should be included in the curriculum of schools from high school to universities.
According to surveys by Strang, majority of those suffering from drug addiction and overdose
are youths. Similarly, a study be demonstrate that 45% of drug addicts are adolescents (Strang,
2015). The study associate the vice among youths to peer pressure. In order to address such, the
topic of drugs should be included and made compulsory among all levels of learning so that the
youths are made aware. They should also be taught about the consequences of peer pressure.

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