In addition to the high mortality rate, the fentanyl crisis has many negative consequences for both individuals and society as a whole. Those consequences include addictions, high mortality due to overdoses, other health problems associated to drug consumption and the development of the black market. The main consequence of the fentanyl crisis is also its main cause: addiction. Although addiction both comes from and causes drug abuse, many other factors play a role, such as previously explained. Still, it is an important outcome of the fentanyl crisis, because addiction has many sub-consequences that affect greatly the individual dependent on the substance and the society that person lives within. First of all, addiction comes with financial
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Therefore, solutions further explained in this paragraph include higher funding for healthcare and prevention, the regulation of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, the use of naloxone, and the education of health professionals to associated risks. To start with, the multiple cases of overdose need to be prevented and treated, which is usually done by administrating naloxone to the patient. “Naloxone is a medicine that reverses overdoses due to opioid, such as fentanyl, and can save lives in overdose situations.” (CCSA, 2015, p.1) Thus, an important measure of prevention of mortality is to make naloxone kits available and instruct both professionals and drug consumers how to use them. This part of the solution is called tertiary prevention, as it answers the consequences of drug consumption rather than its causes. This also includes rehabilitation, similarly to any other drug. However, in the case of fentanyl, there is a lot of primary and secondary prevention that can be done to either discourage people to start consuming or to prevent medical consumption to turn into addiction. In that optic, the Government of Canada injected $6-million in 2016 (MENA Report, March 11 2017) as part of a broader plan to address the opioid crisis. This plan includes making naloxone available, not banning heroin prescription as a way to treat opioid addictions, passing Bill C-37 to implement supervised consumption sites and restricting the regulations to import 6 key chemicals in fentanyl production. As for the bad prescribing practices of health professionals, many solutions have been found to eliminate that cause of the crisis. An recent article of the Medical Post advised health professionals to educate themselves about the signs of addictions, withdrawal and the treatment of dependence to opioid, including use of naloxone. (Giles, 2017, p.17) It
Therefore, solutions further explained in this paragraph include higher funding for healthcare and prevention, the regulation of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, the use of naloxone, and the education of health professionals to associated risks. To start with, the multiple cases of overdose need to be prevented and treated, which is usually done by administrating naloxone to the patient. “Naloxone is a medicine that reverses overdoses due to opioid, such as fentanyl, and can save lives in overdose situations.” (CCSA, 2015, p.1) Thus, an important measure of prevention of mortality is to make naloxone kits available and instruct both professionals and drug consumers how to use them. This part of the solution is called tertiary prevention, as it answers the consequences of drug consumption rather than its causes. This also includes rehabilitation, similarly to any other drug. However, in the case of fentanyl, there is a lot of primary and secondary prevention that can be done to either discourage people to start consuming or to prevent medical consumption to turn into addiction. In that optic, the Government of Canada injected $6-million in 2016 (MENA Report, March 11 2017) as part of a broader plan to address the opioid crisis. This plan includes making naloxone available, not banning heroin prescription as a way to treat opioid addictions, passing Bill C-37 to implement supervised consumption sites and restricting the regulations to import 6 key chemicals in fentanyl production. As for the bad prescribing practices of health professionals, many solutions have been found to eliminate that cause of the crisis. An recent article of the Medical Post advised health professionals to educate themselves about the signs of addictions, withdrawal and the treatment of dependence to opioid, including use of naloxone. (Giles, 2017, p.17) It