The US public health system grapples with a number of challenges. The opioid crisis is among these challenges. Joining forces with Leah Payne, Joseph Shapiro (2018) authored an editorial in which they examine the damaging impact that the opioid crisis continues to have on the health and wellbeing of the American people. They caution that unless urgent action is taken, the country will continue to lose lives. Shapiro and Payne present the opioid crisis as a public health emergency which can only be solved with different stakeholders commit concerted effort.
Main Topic
The opioid crisis and the adverse impacts that it continues to have is the main topic of the editorial by Shapiro and Payne. While the opioid crisis is the general subject of the editorial, the authors give particular focus to the measures that Marshall University has adopted as part of its contribution to tackling the opioid crisis. Shapiro and Payne share that this institution has developed various programs which are intended to discourage substance abuse. For example, they note that the institution has created a program through which it delivers care to those struggling with substance addiction. Furthermore, this institution is involved in the training of professionals whom it hopes will be involved in efforts to eradicate the opioid crisis and substance abuse in general.
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Intended Audience
The community of Marshall University appears to be the main audience that Shapiro and Payne target with their editorial. This is because as noted above, this editorial focuses on the initiatives that the university has implemented as it seeks to help the nation to tackle substance abuse. Essentially, the editorial praises the university for leading the country in curbing substance abuse. While the Marshall University is the primary target audience, the message in the editorial should appeal and resonate with a larger audience. The medical community, legislators, other academic institutions and the general public would undoubtedly find the information shared in the article to be relevant and intriguing. For instance, through the editorial, Shapiro and Payne can challenge medical practitioners to do more to tackle the opioid crisis. Refraining from over-prescribing opioids is one of the simple measures that the practitioners can adopt. Legislators can enact laws which punish those involved in the distribution and sale of opioids. Basically, since it tackles an issue that affects all Americans in one way or another, the editorial appeals to a rather large audience.
Critique
Overall, the editorial by Shapiro and Payne is informative and timely. What makes the editorial timely is the fact that it sheds light on an important issue that concerns American healthcare. It is indeed true that the US is confronted with a crisis which has claimed lives and threatens to destroy American society. That they provide data to substantiate the claims that the authors make is another issue that enhances the appeal and credibility of the editorial. For example, in support of their argument that the opioid crisis is the most pressing public health problem, Shapiro and Payne cite a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which established that the opioid crisis is responsible for more deaths than gun homicides and traffic accidents. Another issue that imbues the editorial with appeal is the fact that it outlines the simple strategies that such institutions as Marshall University have adopted with the goal of combating substance abuse. By reporting on these strategies, Shapiro and Payne challenge other stakeholders to do their part. In general, the editorial is an informative piece that enables readers to understand the urgency with which interventions to tackle the opioid crisis should be implemented.
Conclusion
I join Shapiro and Payne in finding that the opioid crisis is the gravest challenge that the US healthcare system faces today. I understand that this crisis kills thousands of Americans every year. Furthermore, the US spends huge amounts every year in treating addicts. In fact, owing to the adverse effects that it causes, the opioid crisis has been declared a national emergency. I think that the US needs to be more deliberate in its war against the crisis. It is important for educational institutions, the business community, the government and other stakeholders to collaborate and eliminate this problem.
Reference
Shapiro, J. I., & Payne, L. C. (2018). Editorial: opioid crisis No. 1 public health issue.
