In recent weeks, a spate of media attention has once again alerted Americans to our epidemic of narcotic drug abuse – and its destructive and fatal consequences. My recent piece in this publication spoke to the political promise for a response in this country because an epidemic is indifferent to whether a person is Republican, Democrat or independent. We are all besieged by this problem; an epidemic makes no distinctions between white, black, Hispanic or Asian, rich or poor, urban or rural, or young or old.
For the doers among us, we need to decide and act on what can be done to contain this epidemic. Unnecessary deaths can be averted, and we can do far better to protect against the personal, community and economic devastation that addiction wreaks on a society. At the risk of missing a few things, I offer below 10 actions individuals, families and communities (including our policymakers and insurers) can do. These are not meant to be taken in rank order; rather, the more taken, the greater our chances of success...
The opinions expressed herein are solely my own as a psychiatrist and public health advocate. I receive no support from any pharmaceutical or device company.
Dr. Lloyd’s two new books are now available: Improving Mental Health: Four Secrets in Plain Sight (2016) and Current Controversies in Mental Health and Addictions: An Expert’s Anthology (2017)