Originally published in the Suncoast News on 01/02/2018, I write this letter to talk about how we can work towards reducing the stigma and hostility towards those individuals who are suffering from addiction.

The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis dissimilar to any other that we have witnessed in most of our lifetimes. Such is this opioid crisis that it has seeped into families in every neighborhood. A driving force of the opioid crisis is limited awareness, scarcity of resources, and a general disapproval toward those suffering with addiction. To combat this epidemic, we must refrain from exhibiting hostility towards those who are addicted, but rather, embrace addiction as an illness that needs to be addressed.

Read More