Resources

Addiction to opioids is now officially a national emergency. But why are addiction rates spiking and what can we do about it? Neuroscientist Rachel Wurzman shares new research about how the brain reacts to opioids, replacing the sense of community and belonging human beings are losing. We are beginning to understand that solving the opioid epidemic will require us to focus on social factors surrounding those addicted. Dr. Rachel Wurzman is a Fellow with the Center for Neuroscience and Society, and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Neurology with the Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation at the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2016, 4,050 Ohioans died because of unintentional drug overdoses, and preliminary 2017 data indicates that the number of deaths has continued to rise. The overview and project description for HPIO’s Addiction Evidence Project provides additional information about drug trends and the factors driving this epidemic.

How are businesses managing in America's opioid crisis? Claire Bolderson visits Ohio, where companies struggle to recruit and workers to get jobs.

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.

On this episode of The Impact, we’re looking at a possible future for pain treatment. It’s an idea known as “pain acceptance,” and in the wake of the opioid epidemic, it is gaining traction among American doctors.

As the U.S. and Canada struggle to tame the epidemic of opioid abuse, the city of Portsmouth, Ohio, shows just how difficult a battle it can be in smaller communities.