Dealing with the Opioid Crisis

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

PROGRAM #10912 11:00 PM PT 

Dealing with the Opioid Crisis. 

After years of steady escalation, the number of deaths from opioid overdoses has begun to decline, though the public health crisis continues. In California, Fresno County recorded one of the highest rates of opioid deaths in 2023, a number even higher than the state average. The Trump administration has acknowledged the nationwide emergency. However, the White House and Congress are cutting funds for addiction services and the Medicaid program, while instead increasing funding for law enforcement efforts against drug trafficking. What is the current state of the opioid crisis? How prepared is the public health system to treat addictions? What is the future of support for health programs focused on addiction care? And how much does the emphasis on policing drain resources from addressing this public health emergency? This is an edition of the series Bridging the Gap.

Guests: Norma Palacios, Policy Coordinator, Drug Policy Alliance, Los Angeles, CA; Daniela Rodriguez, Reporter at Radio Bilingüe, UC Berkeley Fellow, Fresno, CA; Dr. Marlon Echaverry, Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, UCSF Fresno, Fresno, CA.

Photo: Candace Mathers/Unsplash

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