Public Policy

This is an example for you  What is the policy issue? The policy issue at hand is the effects associated with the opioid crisis in the state of Florida. Every two hours someone overdoses from a prescription drug in Florida.

Researchers have not announced increases in the number of Americans who regularly suffer from chronic p ain, yet the annual number of prescriptions for opioid -based painkillers jumped by four hundred percent from 1999 -2013. Although the rise of painkiller prescriptions was not evenly distributed among the United States, Florida was one of the states that exp erienced the largest increase in prescription drug use. In 2010, roughly ninety percent of the top opioid -prescribing doctors were located in Florida. By 2011, Florida’s rate of painkiller prescriptions was more than ten times higher than any other state i n the country. In May of 2017, this officially led Florida Governor Rick Scott to declare a public health emergency in the state. Opioid addiction is not simply a public policy issue in Florida, it is a public policy epidemic. Why is it a public policy iss ue? The opioid addiction crisis in Florida is a public policy issue due to the breadth of the population that is affected by the issue. It is a problem that requires government interference in order to solve, and taking immediate steps to address the issue is in the best interest and well -being of the public. What are the dimensions of the issue? The dimensions associated with the opioid epidemic in Florida are complex and vast. The spanning demographic of those affected by the opioid crisis is what makes it so difficult to combat. It affects the uncle who just broke his arm after falling on the job; the high school soccer player who broke his leg sliding in a match; and the sister or girlfriend who had an operation to remove their wisdom teeth. The opioid epidemic affects a demographic that is not usually accustomed or predisposed to having such problems, making it harder for those who need help to ask for it. These defined social characteristics exacerbate the complexities of the issue. Problem Type & Scal e: It is a social and economic problem that affects individuals of all ages, races, nationalities, and income levels on a macro level throughout the state. Problem Location : The opioid addiction spans throughout the entire state of Florida, with a slight ly higher increase of opioid addiction rates in the southern part of the state. Problem Intensity: As the research indicates, the epidemic in Florida is increasing in intensity on a yearly basis and led the state to formally declare a public health emerg ency in 2017. It is imperative this issue is solved as quickly as possible and will only continue to worsen as additional years go by without concrete and immediate action. Problem Extensiveness : The realization of the vastness of the issue has led the m edia, the general public, and politicians who have historically been unsupportive of taking action to demand results. It is a bi -partisan issue in the state that claimed over three thousand lives in 2016, while thousands more continue to struggle with batt ling addiction. The extensiveness of the issue is widespread. Aside from the wide variety of population that is affected, doctors, hospitals, pain management clinics, rehab facilities, the pharmaceutical industry, and now the executive branch in the state are all significant stakeholders. Problem Time -Line : Due to the enormity of the geographic area affected and the large number of stakeholders involved, this is certainly a longitudinal issue. The problem is time - dependent, and thousands of individuals wi ll continue to overdose on opioids in the state until significant action is taken.