An Epidemic Within the Pandemic: The Drug Crisis with Dr. Leana Wen

In this episode, we hear from nationally renowned physician and COVID-19 expert Dr. Leana Wen on the drug and opioid crisis in our nation.  Dr. Wen explains how to approach the drug and addiction epidemic from a public health perspective, and she explores with DA Boudin and Rachel the roots of the United States’ drug crisis.  Dr. Wen, DA Boudin, and Rachel also discuss the racial impact of the war on drugs, the role of incarceration in perpetuating the cycle of addiction, and how to balance public safety concerns about drug use with public health concerns. They also explore specific policy responses. Finally, they explore the parallels between our failure to treat drug addiction properly with our nation’s failure to respond adequately to the COVID crisis.