The opioid epidemic or opioid crisis is the rapid increase in the use of prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs in the United States and Canada. Opioids are a diverse class of very strong painkillers, including oxycodone (commonly sold under the trade names OxyContin and Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and fentanyl, which are synthesized to resemble opiates such as opium-derived morphine and heroin. The potency and availability of these substances, despite their high risk of addiction and overdose, have made them popular both as formal medical treatments and as recreational drugs. Due to their sedative effects on the part of the brain which regulates breathing, opioids in high doses present the potential for respiratory depression, and may cause respiratory failure and death.
According to National CASA’s website, the number of children in foster care nationwide has risen by 8 percent in the last five years – a rise that public health officials increasingly attribute to the growing use of opioids.
You can track Opioid use in CasaManager a number of different ways. Here is a video that demostrates how and where to track this information and how to generate a variety of reports for tracking purposes.