The Tsunami of Painkiller Addiction

Little Johnny sheepishly peers up at the stranger identified to him as his "case worker".  He wonders who this person is and why he cannot see his mother, Sarah.  Sarah had been sick a lot lately, and then one day she failed to pick him up at day care.  He has had to sleep in shelters among strangers ever since.  He is scared, he does not understand that Mommie is a prescription painkiller addict, and why these people will not let him see Mommie. 

Sarah awaits a hearing having been arrested for DUI.  Before this is over, she will have used the services of a public defender, medical care, residential, and outpatient treatment, as well as police, prosecutors, court clerks, and a judge.  She will need a host of other services to get back on her feet. Johnny will remain in the shelter until foster care placement, in the custody of Child Welfare, getting complicated answers to simple questions.  His question, "Will Mommie and I ever have a home together again?" will take a lot of tax dollars and resources to answer, but nothing gives him the security he needs.  How did this happen? How could it have been avoided?

"A tsunami of sick and desperate people are about to flood the social services, criminal justice, health care, and behavioral health systems in Oklahoma," says Dan Cross, Regional Director of Marketing & PR for three substance abuse treatment centers in Oklahoma. Oklahoma tops the nation in prescription painkiller addiction, according to a report published in March of this year by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

The Drug Enforcement Agency is currently shutting down the main source of painkillers, illicit online pharmacies. "Once their cheap and easy source for drugs is shut down, these addicted people will get very sick and become desperate to find alternative sources and income to afford them," Cross said, referring to the exponential growth of opioid addiction fueled by online pharmacies.  "Check your spam email and you'll see what I mean!"

The Drug Enforcement Agency has estimated that some 87,000 Oklahomans are painkiller addicts, nearly 14,000 in Tulsa County, 17,000 in Oklahoma County.  "The result will be that many people suddenly desperate to access prescription painkillers will overwhelm several systems serving the public," observed Cross. "While emergency rooms already feel inundated with medication seeking addicts, they have just seen the tip of the iceberg. Physician offices and clinics will also see an increase in people demanding narcotic drugs."  Cross believes that forged prescriptions, attempted thefts, and an increase of other drug use, like heroin, are alternatives that will result in a clogging of the health and criminal justice systems.

Cross can see a "foreseeable progression" that we can anticipate for these sick and desperate people:

1)      Work/school absences.
2)      They will look for alternative sources of income to afford high street prices and/or resort to criminal activity to raise money to score drugs.  Transitions to street heroin and other illegal drugs will be an option.
3)      The result will be higher crime rate and criminal justice activity.
4)      Encounters with the criminal justice system will result in job losses, loss of income and health care benefits.
5)      Loss of income eventually means a loss of housing.
6)      A loss of housing means a breakdown of family structure, Child Welfare involvement, and a matrix of social, mental and health care services.

7)      All of these problems and more will put a financial strain on the State and County's already tight budgets. The Courts will have to beef up to handle the onset of this pending health crisis. Welfare caseloads will surge.

"The above progression ends in a mess that may never be put back together. Regardless of how many resources we deploy," Cross concludes.  "The volume of people suddenly heading for this progression demands that we as a community respond to divert the progression as early as possible, to prevent a huge demand upon resources and irreparable heartache for thousands," he challenged. 

Cross set up a MySpace site as part of his efforts http://myspace.com/nhsoklahoma where he has informative articles posted for blogging.  He encourages everyone to review the Warning Signs of Prescription Painkiller Addiction. "Recognizing the warning signs is the beginning of getting help. The earlier that's done, the less damage addiction causes the individual, the family, and the society around the addict," says Cross.  Cross represents the Quapaw Counseling Services, Miami, OK and Oklahoma City, and the Keetoowah Cherokee Treatment Services, Tulsa, treating both native and non-native addicted people. He is collecting information about services available to meet this need and welcomes any input.  "Getting information about help to those affected, as early as possible, is key to damage control for everyone involved," concludes Cross.

Cross advises, "Help is available. Life is much better free from drugs. If you have a problem or know of someone who does, ask for help. Our therapies can stop the progression we have talked about, and start a new and productive life."

Article submitted Thursday, June 05, 2008
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