COVID shutdowns trigger substance abuse spike

We know COVID-19 is deadly. However, the shutdown that aimed to prevent the disease from spreading triggered another killer, substance abuse.
The Centers for Disease Control says more people died of overdoses in the 12 months ending in May 2020 than in any prior 12-month period.
In some communities, overdoses skyrocketed by 40%.

Experts on how to save lives

NewsChannel 13’s Benita Zahn speaks with experts working in the field of substance abuse treatment. They shared why the uptick happened and what needs to happen now to save lives.

Working through telehealth challenges

The spike in overdoses and deaths during the height of the pandemic spawned a new way to offer treatment virtually. Like so much of medicine this past year, the recovery community embraced telehealth. However, there were and continue to be challenges.

Getting back to traditional care

As we emerge from the shutdown, there’s renewed focus on how to get people into traditional care. Experts say it’s key to continuing the progress made before the pandemic in conquering the opioid epidemic.

MORE INFORMATION: Nopiates | Hope House | Prescription for Progress