By David Jannetty, M.S.
What is the Opioid Crisis?
The opioid crisis in America, which involves the widespread misuse of prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs, has led to devastating public health, public safety, social, and economic problems. Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription pain relievers, such as oxycodone and fentanyl, and illegal narcotics such as heroin. The opioid crisis has created significant increases in addiction, overdoses, and deaths.
How and When Did the Opioid Crisis Start?
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (2022), beginning in the late 1990s, certain pharmaceutical companies assured medical professionals that their patients would not be susceptible to addiction to opioid pain relievers, leading medical professionals to start prescribing those drugs at higher rates. As a result, increased prescription of opioid medications led to widespread misuse of both prescription and non-prescription opioids before it became apparent that these drugs were highly addictive. Furthermore, the development of potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl made the crisis even more deadly. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2024) reports that the crisis is largely fueled by opioid use, either alone or in combination with other substances.
Addressing the Opioid Crisis with Fentanyl
In recent years, most overdose deaths have been linked to illegally produced fentanyl and other powerful synthetic opioids, which are often mixed with other drugs and taken unknowingly. Fentanyl is 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin and can lead to respiratory arrest and sometimes death. Most illegal fentanyl enters the country across our southern border, trafficked by Mexican drug cartels. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (2024), Mexican cartels have established lucrative partnerships with Chinese chemical companies to source ingredients needed for manufacturing synthetic drugs. Typically, fentanyl is pressed into counterfeit pills or mixed in with other narcotics, such as heroin. As a point of reference to the scale of this problem, the United States Department of Homeland Security (2024) recorded the seizure of over 54,000 pounds of fentanyl and more than 2.2 million pounds of synthetic drug precursor chemicals over the past five years.
The Role of Emergency Management Professionals
Besides homeland security efforts at the southern border, local responders have been tasked with tackling the crisis at the street level. From the moment a 911 call is placed about a suspected overdose, first responders and healthcare professionals must act in a coordinated manner to save the victim. First responders can administer a medicine known as Naloxone which The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2024) states rapidly reverses an opioid overdose and can quickly restore normal breathing. After life-saving measures, it is imperative to work with victims and family members to offer education, counseling, and social services to mitigate or prevent another episode.
Other Groups Fighting the Opioid Crisis
The scale of this crisis and the impact it has had on Americans is staggering. In 2017, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (2022) declared the crisis a public health emergency. The Department of Health and Human Services notes that 70,630 people died from an overdose in 2019. Further, 48,006 deaths were attributed to synthetic opioids, other than methadone, in a 12-month period ending in June of 2020. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is that over 760,000 people have died of a drug overdose since 1999, and almost 75% of overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid. Significantly, the crisis has had a disproportionate impact on rural and economically disadvantaged communities. Typically, these communities do not have the resources to combat the issue and are often quickly overwhelmed.
Since first Responders are on the frontline in the opioid crisis, training programs for police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics should continue to focus on life-saving efforts. Emergency managers should continue to include opioid crisis response and management in their emergency operations plans. These plans should incorporate the critical work of healthcare systems, social services, addiction services, family members, and public health departments. Public health plays an important role in monitoring the crisis in our communities, collecting data to better understand the problem, coordinating medical countermeasure efforts, and managing federal grant programs. Additionally, a variety of non-profit organizations, community groups, and faith-based services contribute to recovery and prevention programs. Often, these groups are integrated with first responders, delivering early intervention strategies and ensuring treatment access.
The Future of the Opioid Crisis: Trends and Predictions
A paramount concern about the future of this crisis includes an increase in synthetic opioids, especially those being trafficked across our southern border. Future technology must address stopping the flow of illegal narcotics into our country and detection methods that assist law enforcement in identifying the presence of opioids and their chemical precursors. In addition, the whole community concept should be leveraged, like efforts used when faced with catastrophic natural disasters. With this, local, state, and federal governments act in a collaborative and coordinated manner with our private healthcare systems and other non-government entities to address the multi-faceted issues this crisis presents. To enable this collaboration, federal grants must be made available to ensure these efforts are properly funded.
The opioid crisis has wrought devastation on American communities since the 1990s. The crisis was exacerbated by an increase in prescriptions of highly addictive painkillers and the presence of illegal fentanyl. Interdiction of fentanyl and other illegal narcotics remains a paramount focus. Detection devices that can quickly identify the presence of these substances will make interdiction efforts more effective. Moreover, it is imperative to continue the collaboration between emergency management professionals and other sectors to mitigate the crisis. Communities must work together in a coordinated manner with their emergency management departments, public safety personnel, healthcare providers, social services, and public health officials to combat this crisis. Therefore, a whole society effort is required to bring this crisis to an end and stop the unnecessary carnage it has wrought upon this country.
As the opioid crisis continues to challenge communities across the nation, having skilled professionals who understand emergency management is crucial to mitigating its impact. The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management and Homeland Security at Post University could help you prepare to play an active role in addressing public health and safety issues such as the opioid epidemic. Available both online and on campus, this flexible program helps you build the practical skills needed to manage crises, assess risks, and support recovery efforts. With a strong foundation in the four phases of emergency management—mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery—you can be ready to tackle the challenges of homeland security and public safety. Take the next step toward a career in service—contact us today to learn more or apply!
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David Jannetty is the Program Chair for the Emergency Management and Homeland Security program in the John P. Burke School of Public Service and Education at Post University. David is a retired assistant deputy police chief with the Waterbury, Connecticut Police Department. He serves as vice chairman of the Watertown, Connecticut Police Commission and is an emergency planning and workplace safety consultant. He has over 30 years of law enforcement and emergency management experience.