“Because much of the focus on the opioid epidemic is on diverted prescriptiondrugsandnotintravenousdruguse,thosepartakeinthelatter are more likely to receive jail time than treatment.”
into treatment programs. Thus, fear of punishment means many do not seek help. Because much of the focus on the opioid epidemic is on diverted prescription drugs and not intravenous drug use, those partake in the latter are more likely to receive jail time than treatment. For those that do seek treatment, African-Americans experience significant delays entering treatment
compared to whites. For them, it can take 4 to 5 years of waiting on waitlists, during which they continue to struggle with addiction and leaving time for the possibility of a fatal overdose to occur. Once in treatment, African-Americans are 77% less likely to receive bruprenorphine. Instead, methadone is the most common medication prescribed for Black individuals. Methadone is a much more restricted treatment regimen, which creates barriers and limitations in accessibility and ability to follow through with treatment. Methadone patients are required to show up in person daily in a clinic to be administered the medication, which makes holding down a job, taking care of children or other obligations difficult. For many AfricanAmericans in inner cities, treatment facilities may also be far away and lack of transportation creates hurdles in accessing treatment. Public policy and policing have scapegoated Blacks, casting blame and stigma over them when in reality rates of use are similar between Black people and White people. And lack of access to treatment have let them fall through the cracks, resulting in higher rates of overdose among the Black population.
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“Public policy and policing have scapegoated Blacks, casting blame and stigma over them, when in reality rates of use are similar.”
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