Surgeon General sees hope in the fight against the opioid crisis

Holly Ramer, Associated Press

updated

3:29 pm CDT, Friday, October 5, 2018

CONCORD, NH (AP) – The country's chief medical officer said Friday that nothing was doing more to combat the opioid epidemic than New Hampshire, as state president Donald Trump, called a "drug-infested den".

Surgeon General of the United States, Jerome Adams, spoke Friday at a one-day conference devoted to the impact of the opioid crisis on children in New Hampshire, who is experiencing the 39, one of the highest rates of overdose deaths in the country. After more than doubling in five years, two new fatal overdoses – 487 in total – were recorded compared to 2016.

"I've seen hope in places like New Hampshire, which represent some of the worst statistics, but also some of the best examples of hope," he said. "Five hundred, it's still a lot, but I'll tell you, compared to where you were and the trajectory you followed, no one in this country has been as far as New Hampshire has managed to reverse the trend of opioid epidemic. "

Sharing stories about his brother's addiction and incarceration, Adams said that stigma and ignorance were the main obstacles to resolving the crisis, but that progress had been made in some areas. countries that used unconventional partnerships between government and the private sector. The widespread use of overdose reversal drugs is also essential, said Adams, who earlier this year released a rare public health advisory calling on more Americans to carry naloxone.

In a room filled with hundreds of health professionals, most raised their hands when Adams asked how many of them had been trained in CPR. But only a handful of them did it when he asked how many wore naloxone.

"You can not find someone recovering when he's dead," he said.

Adams recently published what he called his version of a pamphlet, a former surgeon general C. Everett Koop, sent to every home in 1988. Koop's seven-page booklet focused on AIDS. Adams' effort consists of a one-page digital document inviting readers to talk about opioid addiction, keep and dispose of drugs safely, understand other pain medications, understand that addiction is a chronic disease and to prepare for naloxone.

"Thirty years ago, ignorance and stigma killed people," he said. "In 2018, I publish a digital postcard that details five steps that everyone can take in America to better understand the opioid epidemic."

Trump drew criticism last year after transcripts of a telephone conversation with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto revealed that he had described New Hampshire as a "drug infested den". Asked Friday about these comments, Adams pointed out that addiction was a chronic illness and not a moral failure while defending his boss.

"The president channeled the frustration, fear, worry of people across the country and a language I've heard used in many parts of the country," he told reporters. before his speech. "I never tell people that they are wrong to express their passion for the opioid epidemic. What I'm trying to do, is to help understand how everyone is affected by the epidemic of opioids and how everyone can be part of the solution. "

Friday 's conference was the first in a series planned by the Dartmouth – Hitchcock Medical Center, which has launched dozens of programs related to the opioid crisis that will be one of the "poles" of the world. a new system of care created by the state to streamline and coordinate addiction treatment and recovery services. The federal government recently granted the state an initial $ 45.8 million grant for the project.

"Until now, the system really did not work," said Republican governor Chris Sununu. "We are making great progress, but we are not starting to congratulate ourselves because the death rate has peaked, and four hundred and fifty people who were with us last year are not here in this state this year. is a shameful shame. "