State leaders should heed experts in combating substance use disorder

There are many factors that go into the overdose epidemic of opioids and other drugs that kill thousands of North Carolinians each year.

As a pair of law and medicine experts explained, however, in a recent NC Newsline op-ed, there are some increasingly successful strategies that deserve public support.

And topping the list is the urgent need for everyone – health care providers, law enforcement, elected officials – to recognize that substance use disorder – is just that: a medical disorder, not merely an addiction or personal weakness to be frowned upon.

Fortunately, polls show that an overwhelming majority of North Carolinians have come to understand this truth and strongly favor what experts describe as “a health-first approach” to the problem, that includes funding for non-judgmental, evidence-based treatment programs.

The bottom line: To his great credit, Governor Josh Stein has voiced strong support for committing the state to just such an approach and ending the stigma that too often attaches to substance use disorder. All state policymakers and providers should follow his lead.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield