At a time when the U.S. government is trying to deal with a nationwide opioid epidemic, many jails across the country are only now rolling out medicines to help inmates overcome addiction. And most of those jails dispense only one of the drugs currently available.
Nearly 1 in 5 jail and prison inmates regularly used heroin or opioids before being incarcerated, making jails a logical entry point for intervention, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Medication, when paired with counseling and social support, is considered the standard treatment for opioid addiction. Three medications treat addiction to opioids. Methadone and buprenorphine diminish opioid withdrawal symptoms and can reduce cravings. Naltrexone blocks the effect of opioids and also treats alcoholism.
About 220 of more than 3,000 jails nationwide offer naltrexone for inmates — mostly to those about to be released, said Andrew Klein, project director of a Department of Justice grant program that supports agencies providing drug treatment for inmates. Only about 20 jails offer methadone or buprenorphine, he said. The numbers don’t include facilities that offer methadone for pregnant inmates.
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4 comments:
The opioid addiction has been tremendously good for the US Military and CIA. The War for Poppies (War on Terror) has enabled the black operations to be fully funded with drug proceeds. The international banks who participate in laundering CIA drug proceeds have also benefitted.
People should remember that several wars have been fought in history for the control of the Opium in Asia and the Middle East. Poppy production is a very valuable agricultural commodity. The oils of the poppy plant are worth more than gold by weight. It is extremely valuable and as such will remain a priority for the US Government Corporation.
let em od! end of problem! why is this my problem or better yet why do my taxes have to support these pos?
Sounds like redundancy all over again!
7:22 same reason you're paying for diabetes and cancer.
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