Webster Groves, MO (KTRS) Top officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are touring the country to address the nation’s opioid crisis.
One Thursday, they made several stops in the St. Louis area. One of those stops was in Webster Groves, at Great Circle, a non-profit for behavioral health services.
“Addiction is a brain disease that touches families across America – even my own,” said U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams. “We need to work together to put an end to stigma.”
Adams shared how his own family has been impacted by addiction, ” My own brother is in state prison in Maryland right now because he stole $200 to support his and got a ten year prison sentence.”
Adams also released his Digital Postcard Spotlight report. It provides the latest data on prevalence of substance misuse, opioid misuse, opioid use disorder and overdoses. This is available online at www.hhs.gov.
Meanwhile, Missouri will receive nearly $29 million in federal funding to combat the state’s opioid crisis.
Federal health officials also made a stop in Edwardsville, Illinois and participated in a roundtable discussion at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. The events coincide with President Trump designating this week as Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week.
