Opinion: Why New Haven needs to rethink its approach to the opioid crisis
https://www.nhregister.com/opinion/article/opinion-why-new-haven-needs-to-rethink-its-17823196.php
It is not news that Connecticut faces an opioid epidemic. In 2021 alone, the state had more than 1,500 overdose deaths, more than 90 percent linked to opioids. This makes it more likely to die from opioids than a car accident. Our state’s rate of overdose is more than 30 percent higher than the national average.
We know that we need a public health response to this crisis. Methadone treatment is certainly a way to help individuals struggling with addiction to lead productive lives. But we as a city, and as a state, need to confront the shared responsibility for this response, the transparency with which we deal with underserved communities, and the years of lessons learned as to what works, and frankly, what does not work.
