Benjamin Kief, who died in April of an opioid overdose in West Chester, is one of many victims of an opioid crisis that has intensified through pandemic-related stress and treatment complications, write Jon Kamp and Arian Campo-Flores for The Wall Street Journal.
After serving time for a parole violation, the 30-year-old left state prison in March, just when the pandemic was ramping up. Once out, he had to deal with social-distancing restrictions that significantly hampered his treatment options.
He had trouble getting an appointment with a recovery coach, said his mother, Mary Kief. He also wanted to go to Narcotics Anonymous meetings, but due to the stay-at-home orders, they were not gathering in person. Online meetings made him anxious.
“We had all these plans set up,” said Mary Kief. But thanks to the pandemic, “he didn’t have the resources.”
The situation is a familiar one nationwide.
“I feel like all the work we did reducing overdoses just got tossed out the window,” said Jess Tilley, co-founder of the harm-reduction group HRH413.
Read more about the opioid crisis amidst the pandemic in The Wall Street Journal here.
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