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By Ilina Mukherjee
In 2023, Alameda County reached a $40 million settlement with multiple major companies who have been seen to have been worsening the opioid crisis. The settlement reached by Alameda is part of a larger trend among districts within California pursuing legal action.
These companies include: McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource-Bergen, Janssen Pharmaceuticals (parent company Johnson & Johnson), Mallinckrodt, Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, McKinsey, Purdue, Endo and Kroger.
In September of 2023, the Alameda County Behavioral Health (ACBH) committee held a meeting in order to dictate where the funds from this settlement will go. The meeting was open to the public and transcripts of the questions asked were released online.
Within that meeting, the Alameda County Behavioral Health Committee outlines the current actions they are taking in order to address the opioid epidemic.
Accessible Resources: Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
ACBH outlined the many programs instituted within the county in order to fight the Epidemic. Medication Assisted Treatment can be found for affected individuals in a number of vulnerable places such as jails, juvenile centers and Clinics. More specifically, these places include:
- Bridge Clinic MAT at JJC.
- MAT services at Santa Rita Jail
- MAT services are provided in emergency rooms in hospitals in Alameda County
- MAT services at the juvenile justice center
- Life Long MAT program
- Axis Community Health Clinic MAT services
The variety of places that individuals can receive care is a vital part of combatting the rising casualties within our county. Through offering medical care in high risk places, Alameda county helps address the Epidemic where it is needed.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that“an estimated 65% percent of the United States prison population has an active SUD”, making it all the more important to have MAT as crime related areas such as Santa Rita Jail and the Juvenile Justice Center.
Moreover, drugs to help with overdoses have been made readily available. Naloxone, a drug that reverses overdoses, is “is available at all pharmacies without the need for a prescription” according to Alameda County Behavioral Health.
Addressing Vulnerable Groups
Unhoused Individuals were also a point of contention brought up during the open questioning time. A strong correlation can be seen between Unhoused individuals and Opioid Addictions. In order to address this Alameda has instituted multiple programs to aid in their struggle. This includes providing monthly Narcan training and Narcan in homeless shelters.
Similarly, African American men have been highlighted as a particularly vulnerable group when considering the opioid epidemic.
The more recent rise in African Americans deaths due to Opiods can be attributed to many different reasons, yet it is most importantly caused by systemic racism. Although their lack of access to healthcare proved to slow their addition to the epidemic, the change in drug distribution has made it so they are now being disproportionately affected.
Currently, there have not been solid steps outlined to address these issues. At the moment, focus tends to be on changing public perception regarding victims of the opioid epidemic.
Public Involvement
Alameda County readily includes its residents in discussing future plans for addressing the epidemic. The county has reached out to both average civilians and Medical personal such as Dr. Kathleen Clanon, medical director of Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, in order to find solutions.
Today, the county is still looking for new and innovative solutions. With more money still pouring in from the settlement, Alameda County continues to address the steadily rising opioid epidemic through its many aid programs, ready distribution of resources, and receptiveness to public suggestions.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
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