Many people in rural communities appear open to the idea of accepting help from the federal government and other outside agencies to counter the opioid epidemic, according to a new poll conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in partnership with NPR and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
In a survey of 1,300 adults living in the rural U.S., 58% of respondents said they want outside help with community problems. As noted in an October 25, 2018 NPR article, disdain for government that is typically associated with small towns in rural America is starting to give way to pragmatism, especially on issues such as the economy and the opioid crisis.
“I think that’s a surprise for a lot of people—by most, not all—to reach out for outside help,” said Robert Blendon, Richard L. Menschel Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at Harvard Chan School and one of the co-directors of the poll. “There’s a great deal of optimism that ‘we can deal with these issues if we can get outside help.’”
Read the NPR article: Rural Americans Are OK With ‘Outside’ Help To Beat Opioid Crisis And Boost Economy