The Opioid Epidemic-The Opioid Epidemic

An estimated 2.6 Americans are addicted to opioids, including heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone. Sally Satel, MD , psychiatrist based in Washington, D.C., lecturer at Yale University School of Medicine, W.H. Brady Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute discussed the epidemic. She said addiction has very little in common with other conventional diseases. She talked about the effectiveness of medical treatments such as methadone, but added that patients also need therapy, support and, in some cases, tough supervision.