U.S. Surgeon General Discusses America’s Opioid Epidemic

Opioid use disorder is a public health crisis responsible for approximately 130 overdose deaths a day. As the 20th surgeon general of the United States, Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams has made combating this epidemic a national priority.

On Wednesday, June 26, The Pew Charitable Trusts held a live webcast as Dr. Adams outlined strategies to help prevent and treat opioid misuse and promote recovery.

During his tenure, Dr. Adams has called for a cultural shift on addiction, urging the public and policymakers to view it as a chronic, treatable disease rather than a moral failing. He also has called for expanding access to evidence-based treatment and broadening the availability of naloxone, a Food and Drug Administration-approved medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and save lives. Evidence shows that the most effective intervention for opioid use disorder is medication-assisted treatment, which combines FDA-approved medications with behavioral therapies.

For insights, statistics, and commentary from the event, see the conversation on #PewTalksOpioids and @pewhealth on Twitter.

Watch Surgeon General Jerome Adams' full address on how to tackle the opioid crisis