According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 10 million people misuse opioids each year. And today, two out of three drug overdose deaths involves an opioid. To bring awareness to this growing epidemic, the Florida Supreme Court proclaimed that the month of September be Opioids & Stimulants Awareness Month. Here in the Ninth Circuit, we want to shed some light on the resources available to individuals experiencing opioid dependency and stories of recovery by re-airing our two-part series “Fighting the Opioid Epidemic”. In this episode, former Chief Judge Fred Lauten sat down with Shannon Robinson from Aspire Health Partners to discuss the connection between mental health and substance abuse, as well as the benefits of treatment centers over incarceration for individuals suffering from opioid dependence. Listen at OpenNinth.fm

Timestamps

02:54 – Development of the epidemic

09:34 – Difficulty of quitting

11:20 – Evolution of drug use

16:16 – Treatments

19:04 – Statistics

22:29 – Mental health and substance abuse

25:23 – Incarceration vs. treatment