
Brandon Ta is a third-year biology major at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), where he is conducting research in the MediHack Lab on the opioid crisis in Riverside. His work focuses on understanding the physiological, psychological and social factors contributing to the crisis. Brandon is passionate about medical education and volunteerism, spending his time volunteering at mobile clinics and free clinics to serve the vulnerable population. You can reach him at bta012@ucr.edu.
While volunteering with the homeless community through a mobile health clinic, I encountered a woman draped in a blanket. After speaking with her, she began to beg to be prescribed stronger pain medication. Her desperation was palpable. It left me wondering how many others like her are trapped in a cycle of pain and addiction, invisible to those of us in our daily routines. Her situation is a stark reminder of the realities of the opioid crisis.
The ongoing opioid crisis in the United States (U.S.) has exerted its powerful grip over numerous communities — Riverside is no exception. While Riverside’s homeless population has faced an increase in rates of usage and addiction to opioids, there is a noticeable disconnect between university students and the realities of the incessant opioid problem.
Why is there such a disconnect? In my opinion, it comes down to three factors: the University of California, Riverside’s (UCR) student “bubble,” stigma towards the homeless population and a lack of awareness.
The university campus, with its resources, events and vibrant student life, becomes a self-contained “bubble” or an insulated environment where students may remain unaware or disconnected from the challenges facing the surrounding local community. Dining halls, libraries and recreational facilities are designed to meet the needs of the students, reducing the necessity for students to venture outside the university’s boundaries.
For many, the campus is not only a place of learning but also a zone of comfort and familiarity, leaving little room for them to engage with the broader Riverside community. This dynamic places students in a “bubble” and leaves little incentive to step outside this “bubble,” reinforcing apathy for local issues including homelessness and the opioid crisis. Therefore, it is critical that students break out of the campus “bubble” and engage with the ongoing crisis.
Further propagating the disconnect is the stigma attached to homelessness. Homelessness and addiction are directly correlated with each other, as substance addiction is often a result of homelessness. Many people in society, including students, hold harmful stereotypes about homelessness and addiction — framing them as a result of personal failures. In reality, however, homelessness and addiction are complicated public health issues that are catalyzed by systemic problems, such as lack of affordable housing, job insecurity, trauma, socioeconomic factors and limited access to treatment. In Riverside, limited access to affordable housing and mental health services exacerbates these issues, leaving many without the necessary resources needed to break the cycle of addiction.
The most consequential instigator of the disconnect between students and the local community is the lack of awareness amongst the UCR student population. While many may have a gist of the severity of the ongoing opioid crisis, they do not understand the scale it has progressed to. How many walk past a homeless person on their way to class, unaware of the opioid addiction that might be silently affecting them?
In my opinion, the problem is not that students don’t care, but that they don’t realize the depth of the crisis around them. While numerous initiatives and resources are addressing this issue, they often lack visibility or fail to resonate deeply with the UCR student body. Fostering dialogue and awareness could bridge this gap, empowering students to become more informed and involved in these efforts.
This crisis cannot be fixed by sitting idly. It is a problem that we collectively need to take action against to slow its progress. Healthcare professionals in labs like the MediHack Lab, an affiliated UCR School of Medicine (SOM) lab, are using innovative approaches to address public health crises. These approaches revolve around education, project-based solutions and meaningful community partnerships — bridging the gap between academic institutions and communities. Students can help combat the opioid epidemic by supporting these initiatives and participating in them.
Whether it be donating to an organization that works directly with those experiencing homelessness in Riverside, volunteering through on-campus groups or spending the time to educate yourself on the crisis, it is time to step out of the campus comfort zone and into the Riverside community. The first step for students to get involved in the community is by supporting and joining initiatives, like the MediHack lab or by volunteering at local shelters and clinics.
Together, these collective efforts can bring meaningful change, forming a more compassionate and informed UCR student body that is better equipped to address the interconnected challenges of the opioid crisis. Ultimately, these collective actions can create a ripple effect that strengthens community bonds, improves health outcomes and fosters empathy.
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