A Holistic & Practical Approach for Addressing Opioid Substance Use Disorder-Price

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Winston Price discusses the opioid crisis and the critical role of community treatment centers in addressing substance use disorders. He explains that substance abuse includes harmful use of alcohol, legal or illegal drugs, and even certain household chemicals, often escalating from minor misuse to loss of control and serious disruption in life.  <br /><br />He reviews the U.S. Controlled Substances Act and the five drug schedules, highlighting how drugs are classified by medical use, safety, and abuse potential. He emphasizes fentanyl as a major danger because it is extremely potent, highly addictive, and often mixed with other drugs, driving a rise in overdose deaths. He also notes that drug trafficking, dark web sales, and precursor chemicals contribute to the crisis.  <br /><br />Price describes the global and national scope of substance use, including rising overdose deaths, lost productive life years, and related harms such as HIV, hepatitis C, violence, and suicide. He notes that needle exchange programs have helped reduce HIV-related deaths among injectable drug users. He also points out that adolescents and young adults are especially vulnerable, often beginning with alcohol or marijuana use, which may lead to later dependence.  <br /><br />Finally, he highlights SAMHSA’s priorities: preventing overdose deaths, expanding suicide prevention and crisis care, supporting emotional health, integrating behavioral and physical health, and strengthening the behavioral health workforce. He stresses that community-based treatment programs, combined with counseling, support, and accessible resources like findtreatment.gov and 988, are essential to reducing addiction and saving lives.

Asset Caption

Dr. Price Role of Community Recording

Keywords

opioid crisis

substance use disorders

community treatment centers

controlled substances act

drug schedules

fentanyl

overdose deaths

needle exchange programs

adolescent substance use

SAMHSA priorities