Monday, April 30, 2018

Battling an Epidemic - Part Three: What Iowa's parents, doctors and others are doing to overcome opioids' fatal effects

Battling an Epidemic - Part Three: What Iowa's parents, doctors and others are doing to overcome opioids' fatal effects
Michaela Ramm and Lee Hermiston, The Gazette April 30, 2018 | 9:43 am

Its staff and volunteers work in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Des Moines to address the impacts of the national opioid crisis that has caused the death of more individuals in 2016 than the number of Americans who were killed during the Vietnam War, according to the Police Executive Research Forum.

And they are not alone. The organization is among several others across the state — including public agencies, law enforcement, private insurance company officials and elected state leaders — working toward the same goal to address the effects of the opioid crisis within the state’s borders.

Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition Founder Sarah Ziegenhorn said the nonprofit operates under the assumption substance abuse and addiction cannot be totally eradicated in the population, so the main priority is to prevent the spread of disease and infection associated with injectable drug use, such as HIV or hepatitis C....

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