The IAA One Minute Blog

The Trump administration is finalizing a plan to combat the opioid crisis.

National Crisis

President Trump made an announcement in New Hampshire on March 20, 2018, regarding plans to battle to the opioid crisis. He called for broadening education and awareness about drug addiction, while expanding access to proven treatment and recovery efforts. The backbone of the president’s plan however, is to toughen punishments for those caught trafficking highly addictive drugs.

The outline of Trump’s plan is:

1. A national public awareness campaign.
2. Cutting the number of opioid prescriptions that are filled by one-third within three years.
3. Seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when it’s appropriate (under current law).

The plan directs the Department of Justice to aggressively go after criminally negligent doctors and to take criminal and civil actions against opioid manufacturers that break the law.

Opioids killed more than 42,000 people in the United States in 2016, more than any other year on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Effects of Opioids

About 20 percent of people will receive a medication called an opioid. These pain relievers are made from opium which comes from the poppy plant. These drugs are generally safe when you take them for a short time, as prescribed by your doctor. But in addition to helping you manage pain, they can also give you a feeling of well being or euphoria. Each of these effects could lead you to misuse the drug or take it in a way your doctor didn’t intend. You might:

• Become tolerant—need to take more of the drug or need to take it more often
• Can’t control or cut down use
• Have a strong desire or urge to use
• Have withdrawal—physical symptoms when you try to stop
• Spend a lot of time finding drugs or recovering from use
• Stop or cut down important activities
• Use despite legal or social problems
• Use despite physical or mental problems
• Use while doing something dangerous
• Using more of the drug or using them longer than you intended

Physical signs and symptoms of narcotic use and dependence can include:

• Agitation, drowsiness or sedation
• Confusion
• Constricted pupils
• Depression
• Lack of awareness  or inattention to surrounding people and things
• Problems with attention and memory
• Problems with coordination
• Reduced sense of pain
• Slurred speech

In 2013, 2 million Americans abused or were dependent on opioid medications.

What IAA has to Say

The nation is facing a crisis and Insurance Administrator of America hopes it can help by sending out information on the topic. Opioid use can turn deadly if not handled properly. Share this blog post with friends and colleagues so others can help understand the opioid crisis the nation is facing. Remember, with IAA one call does it all.

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