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can get a free overdose rescue kit, as well as educa- tional videos, through The Lookout Project [lookout- project.org]. This non-profit was started by a group of University of Michigan undergraduates in 2020 and has distributed hundreds of rescue kits and saved many lives through naloxone distribution.
3. Are you aware of efforts at the local, state, and national level to improve care for individuals with substance use disorders? Michigan State Medical Society and the American Medical Association (AMA) support efforts to expand access to naloxone, reduce barriers to treatment, and increase availability of medications for the treatment of opioid use disorders in emergency departments. WCMS has many community partners in these efforts including the Washtenaw County Health Department, Dawn Farm, The Home of New Vision, and the student delegation of the AMA at the University of Michigan.
4. Do you understand the Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) and the impact of stigma on the cycle of addiction? On February 22, 2022, the Michigan Theater screened a documentary on addiction recovery, “We can be heroes,” to a capacity crowd of one thousand followed by a panel discussion.
Panelists included congressperson Debbie Dingel, University of Michigan Regent Denise Ilitch, at the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Dr. Nora Volkow. The overwhelming theme of the evening was the role of stigma in perpetuating the cycle of addiction. Dr. Volkow noted that we “stigma- tize what we don’t understand”.
Since Brian’s tragic death in 2014 the treatment system has improved but substantial gaps remain. Stigma in the medical community toward individuals who have drug use disorder remains endemic. Patients on long term medication treatment like buprenorphine and metha- done are misunderstood, mistreated, and excluded from sober living environments. The pressure for patients like Brian to “get off” lifesaving medications is pervasive in both the medical system and society at large.
Treatment or prevention alone will not end the opioid crisis. This crisis began long before the COVID-19 pandemic and can only be addressed through physician advocacy and leadership. I invite you to join WCMS and our partners as we lead the effort to decrease the incidence of addiction in our community.
Drug Overdose Death Statistics [2022]: Opioids, Fentanyl & More (drugabusestatistics.org)
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Volume 74 • Number 1 Washtenaw County Medical Society BULLETIN 7