In the 20th and 21st centuries, opioid addictions have become more common and deadly because of the accessibility of opioids. With reduced funding from the government, addicts have been unable to seek support. Swift action, such as increased federal funding for anti-poverty programs, is required to mediate the opioid crisis. 

During the Great Depression, economies fell apart, and the government had to step in. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established anti-poverty programs and increased societal funding. The Great Deal was a package of programs to rebuild society during the Great Depression. Such initiatives provided government-paid jobs and brought about many projects which still benefit America today. The New Deal was effective in pulling America out of its economic depression. It offered more than three billion dollars and created twenty million jobs (National Archives). Actions similar to The New Deal, such as increasing funding to welfare programs, will be helpful in decreasing the number of people feeling the effects of poverty. However, due to its high cost, many lower-class citizens must forgo proper medical treatment (St. Joseph Institute for Addiction). With more support from the government, more people would have the resources to seek chronic pain therapy instead of cheap painkillers. 

In 1964,  Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the War on Poverty. He aimed to increase support for struggling people and families to ensure that they could afford low-income housing. With operational funding and support, the War on Poverty decreased poverty rates from twenty-three percent in 1959 to eleven percent in 1973. Another critical program “provided an additional $75 million in public housing assistance for the elderly” (CQ Researcher). Similar support is necessary for the opioid epidemic. People who are recovering from their addictions must receive proper after-care and support. Recovery housing has been shown to “[decrease] rates of substance use and incarceration,” and people living in them “are also more likely to have increased rates of employment” (SAMHSA). Without proper care during recovery, people could easily slip back into their addiction again. Additionally, rehabilitation for addicts is expensive. Inpatient rehabs may cost upwards of six thousand dollars, and a year’s worth of medication for opioid addiction can cost around five thousand dollars (Addictioncenter.com). It also takes time away from people’s jobs or education. More government pensions can increase the likelihood that someone receives proper treatment for their addiction.

Many addicted individuals often lack proper education. School districts tend to be better funded in more affluent communities, leaving lower-class children with unequal opportunities. Such inequalities lead to impoverished young adults having difficulties looking for well-paying jobs. “In many cases, the stress of unemployment leads to substance abuse” (Addictioncenter.com). Additional funding to poverty-stricken districts can grant them the time and budget to provide their students with better addiction prevention. 

Destitution is one of the main driving forces behind the opioid epidemic, and more anti-poverty programs could reverse that. Long-term and immediate funding is necessary to solve the ever-growing addiction problem. 

Works Cited

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"Cost Of Drug And Alcohol Rehab". Addiction Center, 2022, 
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"Family Experiences And New Deal Relief". National Archives, 2016, 

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"Public Housing In War On Poverty". CQ Researcher By CQ Press, 1964, 

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Accessed 30 May 2022.