PSL Advocacy Project

The Opioid Crisis in Ohio

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bTSbYNQWpAn9kxevejPK3DSDPNXbCEKhJybMhcBGKOs/edit?usp=sharing

The opioid crisis is something that has had a greater light shed on it in the past few years, especially in Ohio.  Opioids are drugs that affect the activity of the nervous system by decreasing feelings of pain and alter breathing (Opiate Crisis, n.d.).  Access to opioids such as Percocet or Oxycontin can be fairly easy. It can be obtained by prescription after a simple surgery, such as getting your wisdom teeth out (Opioid Misuse and Addiction, 2020).  Ohio’s skyrocketing rates may be attributed to the ease of access of these prescription drugs. There are 63.5 opioid prescriptions for every 100 persons in the state of Ohio compared to the 58.7 average rate in the United States (Ohio Opioid Summary, 2019).

There are countless negative outcomes of opioid abuse.  One of the possible outcomes is neonatal abstinence syndrome, in which children of parents misusing opioids may experience nausea or seizures and withdrawal symptoms when born (The Opioid Epidemic, 2018).  Other negative effects include the spreading of diseases such as HIV or Hepatitis C through the use of unsanitized needles and even overdose. Children with parents suffering from Substance Abuse Disorder are even three times more likely to be physically or sexually abused (The Opioid Epidemic, 2018).

It is important for us to understand the risk factors and outcomes of opioid abuse, especially because this issue is prevalent in a state we all live in for the majority of the year.  While it may not directly affect you, it could quite possibly impact someone you care about.

References

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2305.23

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019, March 30). Ohio Opioid Summary. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/opioid-summaries-by-state/ohio-opioid-summary

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020, February 20). Opioid Overdose Crisis. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis

Opiate Crisis. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://myfcph.org/health-systems-planning/ep/opiate-crisis/

Opiate Crisis. (2020). Retrieved from https://myfcph.org/health-systems-planning/ep/opiate-crisis/

Opioid Misuse and Addiction. (2020, April 3). Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/opioidmisuseandaddiction.html

Opioid Use Disorder. (2018, November). Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction/opioid-use-disorder/opioid-use-disorder

The Opioid Epidemic: Impact on Children and Families. (2018, January 15). Retrieved from http://www.fortunejournals.com/articles/the-opioid-epidemic-impact-on-children-and-families.html

November Question

While at first glance, congressional apportionment may not seem “fair”, it is actually almost as fair as it can be.  Unfortunately, I do not believe that any change to the way apportionment works will satisfy everyone. Apportionment of the House of Representatives has been used since the first census in 1790.  Although, they have not always done it the same way, with a total of five methods having been used. Previous methods had allowed for the number of representatives to vary depending on the population of each state.  Now, the method only allows for a total of 435 seats (Computing Apportionment).

There is no way to make every aspect of congressional apportionment “fair”.  Mathematicians and politicians combined created the most recent method of apportionment.  A complex formula is used to assign the remaining 385 seats after one seat is assigned to each state (How Each…).  The District of Columbia does not have assigned seats in an effort to prevent people who work for the government in Washington from having too much an influence on the government.

After the trial of multiple methods of apportionment over the past 228 years, the current method has been the most fair, by assigning “priority values” (Computing Apportionment).  I believe the only way to improve the method is to solve other problems or make change in the government. For those concerned about the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam, they should focus on gaining voting rights for those territories before changing the apportionment method.

Works Cited

Longley, Robert. “How Each State’s Number of US Representatives Is Determined.” Thoughtco.Dotdash, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2018.

U.S. Census Bureau. “Computing Apportionment.” Census Bureau QuickFacts. United States Census Bureau, 21 May 2012. Web. 05 Dec. 2018.

Mentor Interview

Pat Finn is a mentor for a group of the first year cohorts in the Politics, Society, and Law Scholars Program.  Pat is a third year at The Ohio State University, majoring in Political Science with a minor in History. He plans on joining the army after graduation in hopes of becoming a JAG attorney.  Pat is actually from New York and decided that he wanted to go to Ohio State because he wanted the big school atmosphere. Most of the schools in New York were small and the opportunity seemed right when he got an ROTC scholarship.  Pat chose PSL Scholars because he is interested in government and civics, as well as law. He believes that PSL helped him receive an internship in New York City in the Prosecutor’s Office this past summer. Pat has enjoyed taking classes at OSU such as History of the Constitution in American Society as well as a WWII History class.  His favorite places to eat around campus are Adriatico’s and Five Guys. Pat’s favorite movies are A Few Good Men, Good Will Hunting, and The Dark Knight.  His favorite actor is Matt Damon and if he could be anyone for a day, it would be Justin Timberlake because he’s talented, handsome, and rich.

About Me

Madison Hamm is a second year undergraduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University.  Madison is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Legal Foundations of Society.   She is a member of the Politics, Society, and Law Scholars program.  Madison is also actively involved in her position as Reference Chairman and Chair of Matching Committee for her Greek organization, Delta Delta Delta.  In the future, Madison hopes to attend law school and eventually begin practicing sports law.  When not in class, she enjoys exercising, reading novels, and attending Ohio State sporting events.  If you have any questions about Ohio State or about Scholars, more specifically PSL, please feel free to contact Madison with questions!

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is a brief biographical statement that might include your intended major, your academic interests, your goals, as well as the things that make you unique.  Definitely include a picture! Also, remember that you can always update this post at any point. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]