Designer Drugs are Here to Stay

Busting Addiction and Its Myths

In this podcast, we discuss the development of public programs to reduce the risks of overdose from the most dangerous designer drug on the streets: Fentanyl.

We learn that:

1. The US authorities at the federal and state level are finally waking up to the threat of the designer drug of the day: Fentanyl and its analogues.
2. Medical education and training on substance use disorders needs to be substantially improved in over half of the medical schools in the US.
3. Whether or not you have a loved one who is addicted, you can help stem the tide of Fentanyl addiction which was largely responsible for 100,000 overdose deaths in the US in 2021.
4. Families should support the MATE Act of 2021, designed to improve awareness and treatment of substance use disorders by medical professionals.
5. Families should also support any investment in publicly funded treatment and intervention programs, including providing police officers and emergency medical techs (EMTs) with Narcan, an expensive, yet life-saving antidote to opiate overdoses.