Opioid Crisis on Long Island by Kerry Meyers

For my culminating experience, I created a policy brief addressing the opioid crisis on Long Island. Illicit use of opioid prescription drugs has led to millions of deaths due to overdose in recent years in the United States, constituting serious public health concerns. On Long Island specifically, there were as many as 600 opioid related deaths in 2016, breaking a record that year and rising since. Opioid-use is rampant through Long Island communities, varying only slightly by socioeconomic-status, race, ethnicity, age and gender. The policy brief was geared towards local politicians, community organizations and other leaders in the field that have power to influence change. The brief outlined the most important and relevant findings of current research in a concise and coherent manner, that would be easily accessible these policy actors. It also included information gathered from qualitative interviews with key informants. The information presented focused on current best practices and evidence-based treatment and prevention initiatives. It also identified gaps and limitations in current policy that is preventing important research findings from being utilized to their full potential. Realistic, feasible and cost-effective solutions were suggested with the ability, budgets, and influence of the policy actors who received the brief taken into consideration.

Kerry Meyers presenting her Culminating Experience on Opioid Crisis on Long Island