Month: January 2016

The true cost of family planning on a global level

Nicole BaileyLeave a comment

In 2000, the United Nations launched the Millennium Development Goals, which were to be met by 2015. Although there has been a great deal of progress, there is much left to be done.

Thus the UN last year implemented its new Sustainable Development Goals, set to be completed by 2030. There is a common thread that runs through most of the 17 SDGs and the MDGs:  family planning.

USAid Director of Population and Reproductive Health Ellen Starbird said at the recent International Family Planning Conference that “family planning was the ‘critical link’ to meet each of the 17 goals.” Some of the goals show a clear picture to the connection to family planning, although there are a few that would appear to have little or no connection.

The SDG objective of “responsible consumption and production” appears to be increasingly out of reach, with a population boom in developing nations that has been the product of poor family planning and that will directly lead to larger, less educated and resource-poor groups of people. The goals of fostering sustainable cities and communities, clean water and sanitation, quality education, decent work and economic growth, zero hunger, affordable and clean energy, climate action are all impacted by the current size, growth and age of the population.

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Starbird looks to the energy crises in many impoverished nations and sees a huge effort to provide electricity to citizens. These countries are struggling to meet the energy needs of their growing populations, while also dealing with an immense number of young citizens being uneducated and without opportunities to find employment.

The lack of work and education are causally connected to poverty, another goal set by the United Nations, to end poverty on a global scale. Of the 17 goals, there are two in which a connection can easily be made to family planning—such as good health and wellbeing and gender equality. An Indonesian finance manager has seen the impact and importance of comprehensive family planning, as that country has dedicated 5 percent of its overall health-spending budget to family planning, which includes accessibility to long-term contraceptives and peer education programs.

As a global population, we are faced with many daunting challenges that the international community has acknowledged. All of the Sustainable Development Goals are important and deserve appropriate resources dedicated to them. It’s clear to see that by focusing on family planning disparities, a positive impact will be made on many of the other goals in the program.

Opioid abuse epidemic impacts workers, employers

Nicole BaileyLeave a comment

The United States is in the middle of a full-blown opioid abuse epidemic, and it’s having some signifiant effects on productivity in the workplace.

One 2007 study found that prescription opioid abuse cost employers more than $25 billion, a number that could be much higher today. And the problem is exacerbated by the fact that few employers screen for prescription opioids, instead opting for drug tests for marijuana and other illegal drugs.

This issue is tied closely to workers’ compensation benefits, as opioids are often prescribed to to individuals seeking pain relief due to an on-the-job injury. In fact, a majority of workers’ comp claims nationwide that involved pain medication included prescriptions for opioids.

It’s also interesting to note that opioid abuse is just as prevalent among white-collar workers as it is blue-collar workers, and those who have high professional stature often find it more difficult to seek treatment. In fact, the addiction rate among legal professionals is nearly twice that of the general population. Many individuals are able to hide their addictions from their employers for years, but continue to suffer from decreased productivity and brain function as time goes on.

The over-prescribing of opioids has been connected to increased rates of heroin abuse nationwide.

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CDC identifies states with highest rates of drug overdoses

Nicole BaileyLeave a comment

prescriptiondrugs-050313-rn-tifThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new report detailing the states that have seen the highest rates of drug overdoses over the past 15 years. According to the study, which is based on National Vital Statistics System data, West Virginia tops the list with 35.5 fatal overdoses per 100,000 people. New Mexico, New Hampshire, Kentucky and Ohio rounded out the top five.

The CDC has also determined that more than 28,000 people in the United States died from opioid overdoses in 2014 (last year’s numbers are not yet available), and that the numbers of these overdoses in particular have more than tripled since the year 2000. In all, roughly 47,000 people died from drug overdoses in general.

In terms of age groups, individuals between 25 and 44 and those older than 55 saw the highest increases in drug overdose rates. States with the most significant increases in fatal overdoses included Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine and Maryland.

According to the CDC, there were more than 1.5 times more fatal drug overdoses between 2000 and 2014 than there were fatal auto accidents.

Ending homelessness far from impossible

Nicole BaileyLeave a comment

As we enter a New Year, one in which homelessness will undoubtedly continue to be front and center in the Portland metro area, there’s a good opportunity to look at what it would cost to end homelessness once and for all:

Check out this infographic from ThinkProgress:

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As it turns out, Americans spent just a little more on their holiday decorations this year than it would cost to end homelessness in the United States.