Addiction Obituaries

Guests: Denise Cullen, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Addiction Resource Organization Broken No More and GRASP; Liz Perkins, Advocate for addiction treatment and awareness  The CDC says the rate of people dying from an overdose involving opioids has tripled since the year 2000.  Officials say widespread use of prescription pain killers and the easy availability of cheap heroin are driving the epidemic. Americans young and old, male and female, rich and poor are falling victim to overdoses tied to opioids.  Political candidates are talking about it on the campaign trail. Advocacy groups are rallying for better treatment options and legal changes that would treat drug addiction as a disease, rather than a crime. You’ve likely noticed a shift on the obituary page of your local newspaper, too. More and more families are dispensing with vague references to a loved one having died “suddenly” or “at home” and writing the truth: He died of addiction. She died of an overdose.  The decision is controversial among families who’ve lost a loved one to drugs.  More information on addiction recovery