Treating Opioid Addiction

In 2016, more than 64,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States. That was an increase of more than 20 percent from the previous year, and the  2017 numbers are likely to be worse. At every level of government, policymakers and public health officials are looking for solutions to this problem. And while there's no silver bullet, we do know at least one proven strategy for reducing overdose deaths: treatment that includes medications. In this episode, we look at the barriers to helping more people get effective treatment for opioid addiction.