You do not currently have access to this content
Sign in
Please sign in to access the full content.
Subscribe
Access to the full content requires a subscription
The Opioid Epidemic: What Everyone Needs to Know®
Yngvild Olsen and Joshua M. Sharfstein
Abstract
An incisive, essential guide to understanding one of today’s most urgent -- and complex -- problems. The opioid epidemic is responsible for longest sustained decline in U.S. life expectancy since the time of World War I and the Great Influenza. In 2017, nearly 50,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose - with an estimated 2 million more living with opioid addiction every day. The Opioid Epidemic: What Everyone Needs to Know is an accessible, nonpartisan overview of the causes, politics, and treatments tied to the most devastating health crisis of our time. Its comprehensive approach and Q&A format offer readers a practical path to understanding the epidemic from all sides. This includes:
• the basic science of opioids
• the nature of addiction
• the underlying reasons for the opioid epidemic
• effective approaches to helping individuals, families, communities, and national policy
• myths and common misunderstandings related to opioid addiction Written by two expert physicians and enriched with stories from their experiences in the crosshairs of this epidemic, this book is a critical resource for any general reader -- and for the individuals and families fighting this fight in their own lives.
Keywords: addiction treatment programs, drug control policy, opioid epidemic, overdose prevention sites, pain medications
