More Americans died of drug overdoses last year than in any previous year. That’s according to new data released by the CDC earlier this month. More than 100,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdoses in 2021, and more than 80,000 of those deaths were due to overdoses from opioids. Experts say they don’t expect the crisis to resolve anytime soon; they point to an increase in reports of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicidal thinking related to the pandemic.
The crisis is especially acute in rural communities, where people struggle to access treatment options. An upcoming summit hosted by the University of Rochester Medical Center will address these challenges. Our guests discuss the reasons behind the increase in overdose deaths, how communities can address the issues, and what can be done to better support rural communities navigating this crisis. Our guests:
- Gloria Baciewicz, M.D., medical director of Strong Recovery in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center
- Michele Lawrence, assistant professor of psychiatry and public health sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and co-principal investigator of the UR Recovery Center of Excellence
- Kelly Quinn, community outreach specialist for Strong Recovery at the University of Rochester Medical Center, certified peer advocate, and person in recovery
- Sam Quinones, author of “Dreamland” and “The Least of Us,” who will be speaking at the University of Rochester’s upcoming conference
Also during the hour, we go to Buffalo for President Biden’s remarks following Saturday’s mass shooting. An 18-year-old gunman is accused of killing 10 people at a Tops grocery store in a predominately Black part of the city. A 180-page statement he posted online referenced a conspiracy theory known as the ‘great replacement theory.’ We hear the President’s remarks in full.
