Drug overdose deaths in Connecticut have surpassed the national average for several years now.
This hour, we talk with a former heroin addict about how he got into recovery — and his advice for others struggling with addiction.
We also hear from the small town of Oxford, CT, which for its size has seen overdose deaths double in just one year. Oxford’s First Selectman shares how his town is addressing the issue.
On the state level, it’s been about a year since the Governor created the Connecticut Opioid Response Team. How are its members working to implement a strategy to prevent more overdose deaths?
And later, we compare today’s opioid crisis with drug crises in the 1960s and 1980s. What lessons can be learned from the way society once treated and perceived drug users based on their race?
GUESTS:
- Ben Grippo- West Hartford resident, Counselor at Hartford Dispensary in Bristol, CT
- George Temple - First Selectman of Oxford, CT
- Dr. Robert Heimer - Professor of Epidemiology and Pharmacology at Yale School of Public Health, member of Connecticut Opioid Response Team
- Ekow N. Yankah - Professor of Law at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo Law School
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Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
WNPR’s Opioid Addiction Crisis Reporting Initiative is supported by Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network’s MATCH Program.
