September 1, 2019 - "The Opioid Epidemic in Various States"

I am writing this column after having returned from my brief visit to Butler, Pennsylvania to visit family and friends.  While I was in Butler I saw clear evidence of the opioid epidemic that has plagued various parts of the country, particularly Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.  A priest ministering in Pennsylvania said that he saw the impact of the opioid crisis in people walking the streets, high all day, and being so blatant to the point that they are shooting up in public and not even trying to hide it.  When I was in Butler, I talked with a long-standing acquaintance about the impact of the opioid crisis in my hometown.  He expressed the frustration of many who want to be compassionate but become angry and frustrated when they see addicts passed out or stealing from people to get money to purchase more drugs.
 
I read recently that the epidemic really began in the 1990s when pharmaceutical companies began producing powerful opioid painkillers and telling doctors and nurses that patients who received them would not become addicted.  They made this claim even though some of the prescription drugs are almost molecularly identical to heroin.  It was not long before it became clear that these drugs were just as addictive.  Jesuit Father Brian O’Donnell, the executive director of the Catholic Conference of West Virginia remarked that “Doctors were told that they could hand this stuff out like candy, no problem.  Well, that was just the beginning of a downward spiral for many people.”  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total “economic burden” of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year.  This estimate tries to factor in the costs of health care, lost productivity, treatment, and the involvement of the criminal justice system.  Dr. Michael Horne, a licensed clinical psychologist who serves as director of clinical services for the Diocese of Arlington, VA, also notes that it is not just the deaths, which are tragic in and of themselves, but it is also the fallout around the people who are struggling with addiction—even those who are able to regain their sobriety.
 
Those who work with people in recovery often speak of the need to tackle the stigma often associated with addiction, notably to heroin and now to fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but fifty to a hundred times more potent.  Fentanyl is typically given to patients with severe pain or for pain management after surgery.  A sense of shame and taboo still is prevalent in society even after years of outreach and public awareness campaigns.  Families often say that they didn’t want to mention that a loved one was addicted to opioids because of the stigma attached to this.  They wondered how they could ever tell those around them that this was going on in their families.  I thoroughly agree with Dr. Michael Horne who believes that it is helpful when parishes can cultivate a judgment-free environment where addiction is recognized as a disease.
 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 2291) says that use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life.  Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense.  But given that addiction is now understood to be a chronic disease that changes both brain structure and function, the culpability of the addict can often be greatly, if not completely, diminished.

I have mentioned in a previous column that I have been encouraged by a pastoral letter that Bishop Edward Malesic, Bishop of Greensburg, PA, wrote in 2017 about the drug abuse crisis.  Toward the end of the letter he makes a number of recommendations that I offer for prayerful consideration for what parishes could do (and what our parish might do):
 
· Parishes are encouraged to work with existing neighborhood, nonprofit, and government organizations to promote safe communities and neighborhoods to be free from drugs.  In our efforts, we do not intend to duplicate any existing programs.  Rather, we hope to provide what the Church does best:  prayer, education, and support.
· Parish Pastoral Councils and other parish leaders are encouraged to read, ponder, and implement this pastoral letter according to their local circumstances.
· Priests and Deacons are invited to continue to offer spiritual support and, when appropriate, to speak about the drug abuse issue in homilies and during other formational opportunities.
· Parishes or regions of parishes are asked to consider developing support groups to help those addicted to opioids and their families to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus to give them strength.
· Parishes are asked to maintain a list of treatment centers and their phone numbers for referral purposes when the need arises.
· Parishes should consider holding ongoing opportunities for prayer and healing related to the addiction crisis, especially by interceding at Mass for the recovery of addicted people and the healing of their loved ones.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John