Episode Details

CPSolvers: Anti-Racism in Medicine Series 

Episode 19 – Reframing the Opioid Epidemic: Anti-Racist Praxis, Racial Health Inequities, and Harm Reduction

Show Notes by Alec Calac

February 9, 2022

Summary: This episode highlights racialized disparities in addiction treatment. During this episode, we hear from Dr. Jessica Isom, a board-certified community psychiatrist and faculty leader in the Yale Department of Psychiatry’s Social Justice and Health Equity Curriculum, and Dr. Ayana Jordan, the endowed Barbara Wilson Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatrist and Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health at New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine. Together, our guests explore and unpack how the criminalization and racialization of substance use builds to the present-day opioid epidemic and shapes inequities in care. There is a special emphasis on the use of public health models that prioritize harm reduction and person-centered care to prevent drug-related fatalities and curb the opioid epidemic along lines of race and class. This discussion is hosted by Ashley Cooper, Sudarshan Krishnamurthy, and new team member Gillette Pierce.

Episode Learning Objectives:

After listening to this episode, learners will be able to…

1. Explain how the criminalization and racialization of substance use builds to the present-day opioid epidemic and shapes inequities in care.
2. Describe how the media shapes public sentiment toward substance use and addiction treatment.
3. Identify realistic solutions to drug policy reform that promote health equity among marginalized communities living in the United States.

Credits:

• Written and produced by: Ashley Cooper, MPhil; Sudarshan Krishnamurthy; Gillette Pierce; Alec J. Calac; Michelle Ogunwole, MD, PhD; Ayana Watkins; Chioma Onuoha; Naomi F. Fields, MD; Victor A. Lopez-Carmen, MPH; Rohan Khazanchi, MPH; Sudarshan Krishnamurthy; Utibe R. Essien, MD, MPH;  Jazzmin Williams; LaShyra Nolen;  Jennifer Tsai MD, MEd
• Hosts: Ashley Cooper, Sudarshan Krishnamurthy, and Gillette Pierce
• Infographic: Creative Edge Design
• Audio Edits: Caroline Cao and Ash