A Change Is Gonna Come –
JUNE 13, 2019 – That’s not to say that having this conversation is inconsequential: We needed to bring opioid addiction into the light. But with 400,000 overdose deaths in the last 20 years and more than 70,000 in the last year alone, it’s time to take dramatic action to save lives and make recovery attainable for anyone who wants it.
The opioid pandemic is in a unique policy position. It is one of the few political issues in our public sphere about which Democrats, Republicans, and independents agree. Which is why, despite my left-of-center personal politics, I was encouraged when President Trump entered the White House talking about solving the epidemic. Though the White House has given the epidemic some airtime — creating a public education campaign to increase awareness, and supporting the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6), which provides funding and guidelines for advancing addiction medicine — we need more than marketing to turn the tide.
