Know the facts about opioids. A new publication from K-State Research and Extension will help people understand what they are, the risks and how to respond to the problem. | Download this photo.
New fact sheet on opioid crisis available
Resource sheds light on opioids, including what they are and where to go for help
April 5, 2018
MANHATTAN, Kan. – With no shortage of news coverage about the opioid crisis affecting people from every socio-economic level in communities large and small across the country, it’s helpful to step back and take a look at exactly what opioids are, the risks, and how to respond whether they’re a problem in your home or your community.
A fact sheet, “The Opioid Crisis: What You Need to Know,” developed by Kansas State University assistant professor Erin Yelland is available online or at local K-State Research and Extension offices. Yelland is a specialist on adult development and aging with K-State Research and Extension.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include powerful prescription pain relievers, including oxycodone, codeine, morphine, and fentanyl, and the illegal drug heroin. The prescription drugs can be an important part of treatment and are commonly prescribed by doctors for pain. They also carry the significant risk for addiction and overdose because of the euphoria they create and the tolerance that occurs after repetitive dosing.
Many people are prescribed these medications by a doctor for legitimate reasons – often for pain management – but anyone who takes a prescription opioid for an extended period of time or does not take it as prescribed is at risk for misuse and abuse.
From 1999 to 2015, the amount of prescription opioids dispensed in the United States nearly quadrupled, yet there has been no verifiable change in the amount of pain that Americans report, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the same time there has been a dramatic increase in prescription opioid misuse, abuse, overdoses, and deaths.
“Although Kansas is far from being one of the states that has been hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, it is crucial that we take steps to bring awareness and education to Kansans on the crisis before it gets worse,” Yelland said. “K-State Research and Extension is dedicated to providing unbiased, research-based information on a variety of issues important to Kansans, and we are now providing educational resources and education on the opioid crisis and steps that individuals, families, and communities can take to help prevent further deaths in our state.”
Education at both the individual and community levels is one of those steps needed to help reverse the opioid epidemic, she added
“By helping individuals understand what opioids are and the risks associated with taking them, we hope to empower them to be proactive in their own healthcare and seek appropriate alternatives if opioids are not a good fit for them. We are also working to provide individuals with the skills to recognize addiction and overdose so that they can help people in need. Finally, we are working to provide community leaders and stakeholders with the tools they need to reduce the impact of the opioid crisis on their local communities,” Yelland said. “By educating Kansans on what they can do to help themselves and each other, we hope to avoid the devastation that states like Ohio and West Virginia have already experienced.”
Several years ago, K-State Research and Extension committed to focusing on five “grand challenges” Kansas faces, including health, Yelland said, adding that educational information about the opioid epidemic is one of many efforts to help Kansans achieve better health. The other grand challenges are water, global food systems, developing tomorrow’s leaders and community vitality.
More information is available online at the K-State Research and Extension bookstore.
Yelland’s work on opioid education was featured recently on the public-access TV series “Extension Ed Talks” from west-central Kansas communications provider Nex-Tech. She provided a 25-minute presentation on the opioid crisis.
