In the wake of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s overdose death, Bloomberg sought an op-ed from Lowry Heussler and me, and one from Sally Satel. Short version of both pieces: the heroin problem is the tip of the prescription-opiate iceberg, and that’s where to focus. There’s stuff worth doing - SBIRT to catch developing opiate problems early, overcoming the prejudice against substitution therapy, making naloxone spray available - but no solution around the corner.
Footnote Oddly, there was no similar request for anyone’s wisdom in the wake of the 22 overdose deaths among ordinary folks in Pittsburgh.