STOP THE MADNESS –
Sept. 30, 2024 – The opioid crisis continues to devastate communities worldwide, claiming far too many lives. As we grapple with this public health emergency, promoting effective treatment options is crucial. Yet, some treatment providers resist the very interventions proven to work. To address this crisis effectively, we must leverage all available tools and challenge our biases in favor of truly helping those in need.
As someone who has spent more than a decade helping people overcome addiction, I’ve witnessed firsthand the impact of stigma on accessing life-saving medications. It’s disheartening to encounter program after program that refuses to consider agonist maintenance treatment—using medications like buprenorphine (Suboxone) or methadone for as long as necessary to help patients achieve their goals.
The evidence supporting these medications is overwhelming:
