Blog 2: Substance Use, Addiction and the Opioid Epidemic
Examining the historical legacy of opioids on America provides several key insights into the current opioid epidemic: · Medical use and overprescribing. Historically, opioids were believed to be safe for patients and non-addictive. Marking and promotion of the medication made it readily available and socially acceptable. · Pharmaceutical influence and marking campaigns that were misleading consumers. · Stigmatization around substance abuse disorder. This has shaped communities and societies into how they view people struggling with substance use. · Policy response, focused on punitive measure...