Weekly Address: A Conversation About Addiction

[cal04]

Source: White House

In this week's address, Grammy Award-winning artist Macklemore joined President Obama to discuss a disease that affects far too many Americans: addiction. Macklemore opened up about his own experience, his life in recovery, and the loss of a friend who overdosed on prescription drugs at a young age – emphasizing that substance use disorder affects people from all walks of life. To underscore the importance of Macklemore's story, the President noted that we can help those suffering in private by making the conversation public, and we should do everything we can to make treatment available to everyone who needs it. The President noted that while the House of Representatives passed several bills on opioids this week, without more funding to expand treatment, these bills will not be enough to provide Americans the help they need. President Obama said there is hope, and that when we treat substance use disorder as the public health problem it is, more people will get the help they need. If you are looking for treatment in your area, call 1-800-662-HELP.

Read more: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/05/14/weekly-address-conversation-about-addiction

---

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/05/14/weekly-address-conversation-about-addiction
Transcript

[Earth_First]

1. Legitimate cannabis reform would be a start... nt

[malthaussen]

2. Cool! Let's start with our addiction to violence! n/t

[Jemmons]

3. Am I the only one who thinks that the growth of addiction problems are connected a function of stres

s and that you would do well to address that side of the equation too?

If addiction was just a medical/biological problem then what explains the growth of overdose deaths?

[forest444]

4. But not a word about Afghanistan.

Which is where most of the heroin has been originating since Dubya invaded for that very purpose in 2001.

Until we face up to that as a nation, all these speeches are little more than cynical window dressing.

[lark]

5. Thank you Obama.

Way too many struggle daily with the twin associated issues of addiction and mental illness and our courts to absolutely nothing to help them, and criminalize their poverty instead. People who should be in treatment centers, often resort to drugs to self medicate and when they inevitably get arrested, the court does nothing to help them with their issues at all. So, they get out on probation, can't meet the terms of working due to their now mental and legal issues so go on the lam and hide in the shadows where they can be dangerous to themselves and others. Or some of them rely on their families to support them and terrorize their families with rages, theft and even physical violence. Then there's the real stress of just worrying about the safety of the addict if they kick them out. If the children are adults, there's very little they can do to force them to get help, stay on their medication. Some areas have courts that do offer drug diversion and mental health assistance, but none of those are in No. FL. it's such a sad situation and Obamas' targeting of this issue is right on. Please make it so.

[Skittles]

9. thanking Macklemore too

very good thing to do

[Sunlei]

6. "several bills on opioids". Do any of the bills require the Doctor and Drug Corps to explain

why they prescribed and wholesaled billions of doses of a drug-opioids they had to know were very addictive? Should the Drug Corps pay for treatment?

Was also surprised last week to read how some opioid addicted persons try to self-treat withdraw symptoms with Imodium. An over the counter medicine for diarrhea/cramping. Instead of one tablet, they take 40! or more at a time. This has killed some people as well.

Imodium used to come in 12 dose packs. Apparently this drug company knows addicted people are using handfuls at a time and stepped up with 200 tablet bottles. Multi packs on amazon of 800 tablets!

IMO, the drug sellers created millions of addicted persons and now they're making more profits 'treating' the addicted.

[KT2000]

7. good for them

the discussion needs to change from "criminal activity" to getting people help. Anyone who asks for help treating an addiction must never be turned away as they are now.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Thanks for posting!

When I listened this morning, I missed the guest's name. Agree we need to fight addiction but we also need some breakthrough research on pain management because every additional restriction added to these medicines due to recreational abusers, the less is available for those who really need the meds.