An opinion piece appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA this week illustrates why the drug problem among people experiencing homelessness in Denver may be so severe. It’s because many homeless people aren’t addicted to just one drug, but two, according to the viewpoint’s author, Benjamin A. Howell of Yale School of Medicine and colleagues.
“The modal individual who dies from overdose today is struggling with use of multiple substances, commonly both fentanyl and stimulants (eg, cocaine or methamphetamine),” according to the viewpoint. “Despite tremendous investment and strides in improving care for people who use opioids, we have yet to make a real dent in the overdose crisis. We are missing a piece of the puzzle—understanding and addressing the needs of people who co-use opioids and stimulants.”
Tailor-made for homeless people
Fentanyl and meth have been described as tailor-made for people experiencing homeless, as Denver Mayor Mike Johnston once noted. Both substances go hand in hand, according to the JAMA study.