One of the most enduring public health crises in Virginia and much of the United States is opioid abuse.
Virginia Tech’s public health program, within the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, works to reduce opioid dependence and deal with the mental health impacts on those suffering from or being treated for addiction and the people around them.
Kathy Hosig, in her dual role as director for the Center for Public Health Practice and Research at Virginia Tech and Extension specialist and initiative leader for health and well-being for Virginia Cooperative Extension, spearheads efforts by Virginia Tech’s public health program to address the crisis, supported by funding from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
“What we hope to do is to reduce substance misuse and addiction across the state, and we try to go to areas that are most affected,” Hosig said. “The idea is that through disseminating evidence-based prevention materials, that we prevent substance misuse and addiction so that we don’t have the adverse outcomes, and then we don’t need so much treatment and recovery.”
Public health education on the homefront
Virginia Tech’s efforts in opioid abatement illustrate the importance of public health education programs in addressing issues on a local and regional level, in addition to projects conducted globally.
April 7-13 has been designated as National Public Health Week by the American Public Health Association, “a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation,” the organization states on its web site.
Virginia communities are grappling with the opioid crisis, exacerbated by economic challenges, labor-related chronic pain, and limited health care access.
In 2022, the state saw an average of seven overdose-related deaths daily, with fentanyl implicated in 79 percent of fatalities. The economic toll of opioid misuse reached $5 billion in 2021, heavily burdening households. To combat this, Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Opioid Prevention Education (VCE-COPE) program has implemented evidence-based initiatives targeting prevention and mental health resilience.
The program employs coordinators who collaborate with schools, community-based organizations, and coalitions to deliver programs such as Botvin LifeSkills and Mental Health First Aid that aim to equip youth with decision-making skills and reduce stigma around mental health.
By fostering community engagement with schools, faith-based organizations, and other community partners, VCE-COPE is creating discussions on the opioid epidemic while reducing stigma around mental health.
“This project in particular is getting the evidence-based materials out to as many localities and to as many people in those localities as we can, so that the communities decide how to use them,” Hosig said.
Funded through legal settlements
The project led by Hosig was funded for five years by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, building on previous projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But as that funding concluded, the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA) stepped in.
The Opioid Abatement Authority is financed through legal settlement funds paid to Virginia by prescription opioid manufacturers and companies. That money is disseminated to state agencies coordinating education and treatment programs to combat opioid addictions and its effects.
“State universities are considered state agencies, and Virginia Cooperative Extension is considered a state agency,” Hosig said. “So it was an opportunity that was amazing. We were able to show to the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority all the work we have been doing, the impact we’ve been having.”
Master of Public Health students R.J. Christoff and Samantha Edwards are involved in the project, helping to market the evidence-based programs and interview teachers who have been instructing the programs around the state.
“We work very closely with the Virginia Department of Education, also funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority, to market the evidence-based programs that schools could take advantage of, and so they provide stipends to the teachers through their OAA money, we provide the training for free, and the resources for the students.” Hosig said. “And so it’s just this wonderful opportunity to get really good programming out to schools.
“Our model is that we pay for the teachers to be trained, and then the teachers teach the curriculum in the school to the students,” Hosig said. “And what we’ve heard from teachers is it really helps their relationship with the students, and it really makes a difference.”
The efforts are yielding results in affected communities.
“I heard from an Extension agent this week is that their county had a school administrators meeting last week, and they were talking about how this year they have not had any of the major student behavior problems they’ve had in the past,” Hosig said. “The students’ behavior is better, that’s telling them that this is working.”
By Kevin Myatt