Ohio State Provides Grant Funding for Opioid Addiction Research

Ohio State University has announced its intention to provide a $1 million grant to the Opioid Innovation Fund. This fund will be broken up among eight teams that have been awarded between $100,000 and $45,000 to research and combat the opioid epidemic. One team created a project that will map the data associated with opioid overdoses in Franklin County and a campaign based in social media that will work to reduce the stigma associated with opioid addiction and overdose by educating people on what opioid addiction does to an individual, how to administer naloxone, and how to recognize an overdose.

According to William Martin, the Dean of the College of Public Health at Ohio State, we should all be working together to fight the opioid crisis. “In public health,” he said in a press conference on Thursday, March 22, 2018, “we never do our work alone and today more than ever we need to work together.” Beyond these grants, the university plans to provide even more support in the future to those working to stop the opioid crisis in its tracks.

What Is an Opioid Overdose?

An overdose occurs when a person takes a large dose of opioid drugs and their body reacts unfavorably to it. Sometimes, people take too much on purpose in order to harm themselves, while other times, an individual may simply use too much accidentally. According to the National Library of Medicine, one can recognize an opioid overdose via these symptoms:

• Slowed, shallow breathing or no breathing at all
• Fatigue, tiredness, sleepiness
• Confusion, delirium
• Extremely small pupils also known as pinpoint pupils (because they look like the head of a pin)
• Nausea, vomiting
• Unconsciousness
• An inability to be awoken, even if one shakes them or shouts their name

An individual who overdoses on opioids can experience severe side effects, even if they are revived. Some people experience brain damage or lung damage as a result of not being able to breathe for a long time. Some individuals also experience seizures or infections, which can be caused by impurities in the drug. Finally, those who are not revived in time could die from an opioid overdose.

Getting Treatment for Opioid Addiction

The old belief that one needs to hit rock bottom before getting treatment is untrue. This is why you should not wait for someone to overdose or experience a severe side effect of their addiction before getting them help. If you have a friend, family member, spouse, or other loved one who is struggling with opioid abuse, treatment should happen as soon as possible in order for them to have the safest, easiest recovery possible.

Treatment often begins with detox where patients can be weaned off the drug or stabilized on a safe, ultra-managed medication like buprenorphine or methadone. Afterwards, the individual can enter rehab for specialized addiction treatment and they can learn to cope with the trials of recovery. This is the best, safest way for the person you love to stop abusing opioids and start their life anew.

Call Us Today

When you call 800-481-6320, we will be happy to help you find rehab centers in your area that will allow your friend or family member to begin treatment safely. We can even verify their insurance to ensure that the program will accept their plan.