February 18, 2017

The Opioid Epidemic

Millions of Americans are addicted to opioids, such as heroin and oxycodone. But a psychiatrist says part of the issue is the way we look at addiction. Then, research shows a significant link between dementia and a common every day substance.

Episode Segments:

The Opioid Epidemic An estimated 2.6 Americans are addicted to opioids, including heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone. Sally Satel, MD , psychiatrist based in Washington, D.C., lecturer at Yale University School of Medicine, W.H. Brady Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute discussed the epidemic. She said addiction has very little in common with other conventional diseases. She talked about the effectiveness of medical treatments such as methadone, but added that patients also need therapy, support and, in some cases, tough supervision.
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Pollution and Dementia Caleb Finch, PhD, ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Professor in the Neurobiology of Aging at the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology led a study that found that tiny particles that pollute the air—the kind that come mainly from power plants and automobiles—may greatly increase the chance of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. He said his research indicates that air pollution could be responsible for about 21 percent of all dementia cases.
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A Surprising Statistic about Debt Andrew Friedson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Colorado Denver was the co-author of a study that found that people facing financial delinquencies or falling credit scores may be more likely to die at an early age. He outlined the possible reasons behind this trend. He said government officials should keep these potential life-and-death outcomes in mind when formulating fiscal, monetary or entitlement policies.
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Sally Satel Sally Satel, M.D., a practicing psychiatrist and lecturer at the Yale University School of Medicine, examines mental health policy as well as political trends in medicine. Her publications include PC, M.D.: How Political Correctness Is Corrupting Medicine (Basic Books, 2001); The Health Disparities Myth (AEI Press, 2006); When Altruism Isn’t Enough: The Case for Compensating Organ Donors (AEI Press, 2009); and One Nation under Therapy (St. Martin’s Press, 2005), coauthored with Christina Hoff Sommers. Her recent book, Brainwashed – The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience (Basic, 2013) with Scott Lilienfeld, was a 2014 finalist for the Los Angeles Times Dr. Satel's Website