U.S. Surgeon General Issues Materials Related to Opioid Epidemic

Recently, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued two new resources related to the nationwide opioid epidemic. Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids assembles opioid-related information from the Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health into one cohesive document to better inform the general public, particularly family and friends of individuals with elevated risk of opioid overdose, opioid misuse, and/or opioid use disorder. The spotlight report details latest prevalence statistics, progress reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and outlines the “gold standard” of treatment practices.

Additionally, the Surgeon General issued a digital postcard related to opioid misuse that was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The digital postcard details five action steps members of the general public can take to help curb the opioid epidemic. More information on the Surgeon General’s efforts related to opioids is available here.