EDITORIAL: Opioid crisis expands to our highways

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin - 2/25/2019

Feb. 24-- Feb. 24--Not all seem to fully grasp the ongoing devastation caused by the nation's opioid crisis. Yes, it's clear the addiction to pain killers has led many down the path of addiction and death.

Yet, many don't see the connection between their lives and the opioid epidemic.

But the issue of opioid abuse isn't that simple as a new study on opioid abuse reveals. The study, which analyzed records for each driver in fatal two-vehicle crashes over a 24-year period, found that using opioids doubles the risk a driver will trigger a fatal crash.

Of the drivers who tested positive for opioids, nearly 32 percent were using hydrocodone, the active ingredient of Vicodin and other brands of prescription drugs; nearly 27 percent were using morphine; and more than 18 percent were using oxycodone, which is marketed as OxyContin and other brands.

"The impact of the opioid epidemic goes far beyond the body count from overdoses," said Guohua Li, a physician who was the study's lead researcher.

Those who are prescribed an opioid for pain control such as Vicodin, OxyContin, morphine and codeine are putting their lives at greater risk when they get behind the wheel.

And they are putting our lives at risk, as well as our children's lives, our friends lives -- all our lives. The study showed that among drivers who tested positive for opioids, failure to stay in one's lane was the most common error, occurring in an astounding 55 percent of fatal crashes.

The study found that before opioid use became widespread, only 1 percent of all fatally injured drivers were found to have prescription narcotics in their systems. That rose to more than 7 percent in the past two decades.

The nation's opioid problem is growing worse, which means the problems of opioid-related deaths are sure to climb.

The harsh reality is that despite vigorous and extensive campaigns by government and private groups to educate the public on the danger of opioids, more Americans are taking more opioids than ever.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in late 2018 that the number of opioid deaths were up 10 percent over the past year.

"Because it's a drug epidemic as opposed to an infectious disease epidemic like Zika, the response is slower," said Dan Ciccarone, a professor of family and community medicine at the University of California -- San Francisco. "Because of the forces of stigma, the population is reluctant to seek care. I wouldn't expect a rapid downturn; I would expect a slow, smooth downturn."

It's time to look past the stigma and make strides in reducing the use and abuse of opioids.

The toll this epidemic will take on our highways is too high a price to pay.

Opioid abuse is more, much more, than an addiction problem.

Editorials are the opinion of the Union-Bulletin's Editorial Board. The board is composed of Brian Hunt, Rick Eskil, James Blethen and Alasdair Stewart

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