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

Live webcast: Jerome M. Adams will talk about preventing substance misuse, promoting recovery

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U.S. Surgeon General Discusses America’s Opioid Epidemic
Surgeon General
Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams

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

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Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Stigma's Role in the Opioid Epidemic
"I think one of the biggest killers, if not the biggest killer, is stigma," said U.S. Surgeon General Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams, at a recent Pew event on the opioid epidemic. 

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Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Naloxone's Role in the Opioid Epidemic
"The communities that have been able to turn around the opioid overdose epidemic have done it by making naloxone more available as a first step," said U.S. Surgeon General Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams, at a recent Pew event on the opioid epidemic.

This video is hosted by YouTube. In order to view it, you must consent to the use of “Marketing Cookies” by updating your preferences in the Cookie Settings link below. View on YouTube

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Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Medication-Assisted Treatment and the Opioid Epidemic
Naloxone is the first step to getting someone into recovery, but “we’ve got to do a better job … making sure more people are willing to [prescribe] medication-assisted treatment," said U.S. Surgeon General Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams, at a recent Pew event on the opioid epidemic.