For the 14th episode of Heart of the Matter, Elizabeth Vargas is joined by one of the nation’s leading addiction experts: Michael Botticelli. As the first person in recovery from addiction to serve as the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Michael has faced his fair share of challenges. Even before his confirmation, colleagues doubted that Michael would be fit for the role because he had a substance use disorder.

In this episode, Michael reflects on his own recovery, his experiences facing stigma, and how stigma and racism have impacted the way George Floyd and rapper DMX have been perceived in death. 

Related reading:

After you listen, explore these resources from Partnership to End Addiction to learn more about the topics and themes discussed in this episode:

• Words Matter: The Language of Addiction
• Advocate for Change
• Managing Long-Term Recovery from Addiction

To learn more:
Partnership to End Addiction website
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