Punjab’s Opioid Crisis

Image Source: Flickr

This post was peer reviewed.
Click to learn more.

Author: Hunter Singh Lau
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
AAEM/RSA International Committee

With the rapidly increasing number of opioid overdoses, increasing public recognition, and subsequent pressure for action, the opioid crisis has become a prominent issue.[1-5] However, I am not referring to the opioid epidemic in the United States (U.S.), rather, the lesser-known opioid crisis in the North Indian state of Punjab. Though these two opioid epidemics appear distinct from one another, they are deeply entangled, and Americans would benefit from examining how Punjab is reacting to their crisis and whether their recently enacted policies prove to be efficacious.

The Opioid Epidemic: Where Are We Now?

Image Credit: Pixabay

Author: Aaron C. Tyagi, MD
Chair, RSA Social Media Committee
Originally Published: Common Sense January/February 2018

We have seen the rate of overdose mortality in general and mortality of overdoses related to opioids continue to rise.[1,2] As a society, we were slow to recognize this problem, for a number of reasons. Now it is incumbent upon us to respond appropriately and in a timely manner. But our opportunity in which to do that in is quickly shrinking. It seems the executive branch and President Trump have recognized this.[3] But let’s actually take closer look at what we’ve done and what we’re doing currently.

Drug overdose and opioid overdose continues to be a problem in the United States. According to a 2016 report by the CDC, of the 47,055 deaths from drug overdoses that occurred in 2014, 28,647 (60.9%) involved an opioid. The following year (2015), the number of deaths from overdoses rose to 52,404 with 33,091 (63.1%) from opioids.[4] We are constantly exposed to this in the ED. We (the ED and our EMS colleagues in the field) are the frontlines when these patients come in dead or near-dead and need to be resuscitated. We know first-hand the potentially devastating effects of these medications.