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THE PROBLEM
Over recent decades, the opioid crisis in the United States has become the worst addiction epidemic in our nation’s history, and present research shows an upward trend in opioid-related death rates in northeastern states especially.
Our map proposes several leverage points that aim to intervene in terms of education, policy, healthcare, the environment, and the economy. Because of the complex and ever-changing nature of a wicked problem, we propose multiple methods and ways to manage and contain the issue at smaller scales.
INITIAL RESEARCH
While doing our preliminary research, we mess mapped our findings on key topics such as treatment methods, government intervention, mental and physical health effects, history, etc.
IDENTIFYING INTERCONNECTIONS
We branched our research into multiple levels of analysis—social, technological, environmental,
and political—and then began identifying interrelationships between topics.
To build our narrative, we categorized our map
into cause, effect, and solution. This approach,
however, was too linear and simple for a problem this complex.
HISTORY
Social Context
➊
Pre-Existing Conditions
In the 1980s, Society began to move towards prescribing controlled substances for terminal patients.
➋
System Vulnerability
The pre-existing structure of our health-care system allows private practitioners to prescribe opioids for financial gain.
➌
Racial & Socio-Economic Attitudes
Purdue Pharma focused the initial marketing of OxyContin on suburban and rural white communities, targeting doctors who were “serving patients that were not thought to be at risk for addiction.”
Historical Context
➊
First Wave (1991)
Prescription Opioids
Sharp increase in opioid prescriptions due to public misconception of the risk of addiction.
➋
Second Wave (2010)
Heroin
Decrease in opioid prescribing, thus addicts turned to heroin.
➌
Third Wave (2013)
Synthetic Opioids (Fentanyl)
Rise in drug-related deaths due to fentanyl related drugs manufactered illegally.
THREE HORIZONS
Horizon 1: the current and near future
Horizon 2: innovation toward a more far out future
Horizon 3: the ideal distant future
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Horizon 1
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High opioid addiction rates
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Corruption
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Stigma
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Increased homelessness
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Poor criminal justice system
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Spread of disease
Horizon 2
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Needle exchange programs
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Education system
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Shift in stigma
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Increase in federal funding
Horizon 3
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Low opioid addiction rates
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Streamlined implementation
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Effective legislation
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Rehabilitation facilities
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Improved technology
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No stigma
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Streamlined education system
AREAS OF INTERVENTION
We identified six points of intervention across various topics—education and legislation reform, environmental issues, decriminalization, and other treatment opportunities.
VISUAL LANGUAGE
Color
Iterations and Visual Explorations
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