National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Reveals Recent Opioid-Related Death Statistics During The Pandemic.  

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker sums up his blog with the notion that the country has been hit with three epidemics simultaneously: COVID-19, the opioid epidemic, and the systemic epidemic of racism, inequality and injustice.

ROCKVILLE, MD. June 29, 2020: Owner of Accessible Beltway Clinics and opioid crises expert, Dr. John Rosa, posted a new blog on his website entitled, “Opioid Deaths Increasing Across The Country As Pandemic Continues.” Dr. Rosa suggest that the number of people using opioids may not be increasing, but opioid-related deaths are.

Dr. Rosa states, “It’s been 3 months since the U.S. went into shelter-in-place mode due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.” He adds, “My immediate concern was how those in recovery from opioid use would fare without being able to have face-to-face substance-abuse treatment. And, now, the numbers are beginning to surface.”

“According to a report from the American Medical Association,” says Dr. Rosa, “they are greatly concerned “by an increasing number of reports from national, state and local media suggesting increases in opioid-related mortality – particularly from illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. At least 30 states have reported increases in opioid-related mortality…” https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-06/issue-brief-increases-in-opioid-related-overdose.pdf

Dr. Rosa writes, “Another recent article out of Martinsburg, WV, reports that overdose deaths in the tri-state area are outpacing COVID-19 related deaths. In Erie County New York, health authorities report that there has not been an increase in opioid use locally since the pandemic, but because of social isolation, more people are using alone, making it less likely someone is around to help them in the event they overdose. And, Jacksonville, Florida has seen a 20% increase in overdose calls from February to March.”

 

Read the entire blog at https://drjohnrosa.com/opioid-deaths-increasing-across-the-country-as-pandemic-continues/

 

About John P. Rosa
Dr. John Rosa owns and supervises Accessible Beltway Clinics, which is comprised of 17 clinics in Maryland and Virginia that sees over 60,000 patient visits per year. ABC Clinics combine medicine, chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and behavioral medicine to give a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to pain syndromes and musculoskeletal disorders. Active in sports medicine with consulting/treating athletes in several universities, NBA, MLB, NHL and USA Olympic Basketball. Creator of 24/7 RnR an FDA approved analgesic cream; a proprietary blend of the most potent materials resulting in the most effective product on the market for pain Relief and aiding Recovery. Founder of Accessible Wellness Solutions – an onsite corporate wellness program offering consulting, lectures and management of onsite clinics.

Leader in Chiropractic  

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board and given the honor or Board Emeritus post service. Awarded the highest recognitions in Chiropractic Medicine as Fellow of the American Chiropractic Colleges and Fellow of the International Chiropractic Colleges.

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

  • Current Vice Chair of the Board to Maryland University of Integrative Health
  • Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
  • Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
  • Expert/Speaker – Educating medical community on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain

Opioid Crisis Expert:

  • White House Surrogate
  • Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
  • State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
  • Corporate and professional organization consultant
  • Best selling author

Community Leadership:

  • Board member of the National Italian American Foundation
  • Founder of “Overdose Free America” a nonprofit 501c which uses the power of celebrity and entertainment to bring the Opioid Crisis the visibility and support it deserves
  • Volunteer at Crossroads Freedom Center – a residential facility in Maryland to help overcome addiction

 

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The Early Demise Of Innocence For Generation “O”

By Dr. John Rosa

Generation O

Generation “O” is a term I coined a few years ago while researching the under-reported effects of the Opioid Crisis on our nation’s children.

The “O” stands for overdose and yes, an entire generation is being affected by this opioid crisis. The “O” can just as easily also stand for “overlooked” and “outcast.”

Every Day Events

In our so-called sophisticated, civilized country these are events that happen every single day:

90 babies are born addicted to opioids EVERY DAY.
Children witness an overdose of their parent EVERY DAY.
Children are forced to take care of themselves and siblings as parents can’t get out of bed EVERY DAY.
Children are placed into foster care due to unfit parents or being orphaned from overdose death EVERY DAY.
Grandparents are taking in grandchildren when they don’t have the health or means to care for them EVERY DAY.

Overdosed And Overlooked

An entire generation of children is being born addicted to opioids or simply living lives of untold suffering as a result of parents addicted to opioids. And this is happening in the midst of supposedly the richest, most sophisticated nation on the planet. I don’t see us as so sophisticated or wise. We have become so numb to the problems society faces and although we know such problems exist we think someone else is fixed them. This is simply not true especially as it relates to the Opioid Crisis.

Why should the children have to endure this kind of suffering? The innocent children of this nation are the helpless victims of adults who fall victim to dependency and addiction or sometimes just act irresponsible. Greed is the motivating factor. Drug companies deliver false information, distribution companies don’t report excessive purchasing from pharmacies, pharmacies don’t report doctors who excessively prescribe, drug cartels see an opportunity to flood the market with heroin and Fentanyl and the result is 150 people a day die and thousands overdose and survive. The incident child falls victim to an opioid overdose without ever taking the drug.

We Need Adults To Take Action Now

We need action, and we need it now. We need to stop the flow of opioids. We need to combat the pervasive stigma, misunderstanding and fear about substance use and abuse. We must face the ugliness if we are ever to put an end to it.

Very specifically we need action in four areas as clearly pointed out by Carol Levine and Suzanne Brundage, co-authors of The Ripple Effect, The Impact of The Opioid Crisis on Children and Families. They write, “First, we must combat the pervasive stigma, misunderstanding, and fear about substance use. Stigma prevents parents from accessing treatment and shames children from reaching out for help when they are in a tough family situation; it also perpetuates a belief that children must be removed from home when, in many cases, this can be prevented.”

“Second, the ripple effect must become a public and political priority. For too long, society has underinvested in family-centered treatment programs that support child development. We need an infusion of resources.”

“Third, we must improve communication, coordination, and collaboration among government agencies, health-care providers, and community service organizations. It shouldn’t matter which door a parent enters to seek help; every door should lead to family-centered care.”

“Finally, we need to find compassionate and meaningful ways to identify children at risk and provide them and their families with ongoing support.”

Don’t forget the children!