Drugs

NPR - An estimated 42% of adults in the U.S. know at least one person who has died of a drug overdose, according to a new RAND Corporation study. In states where overdose deaths are particularly high, including Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and all of New England, nearly one in two adults has a personal connection with someone who had a fatal overdose."This type of bereavement is creating vicious circles within communities, where there’s a death that spurs suffering, that spurs more deaths," Alison Athey, the lead author of the RAND study, tells NPR network reporter Martha Bebinger of WBUR. The researchers say individual strategies are needed for the families left behind to stop the cycle of grief. They point to the support offered to those who have lost someone to suicide as a model. The authors add that we must stop shaming and blaming people who are addicted to opioids. The blame extends to families left behind, causing more anxiety and stress.