Title

Substance Use Disorders: Differentiating What We Know from What We Believe

Document Type

Lecture

Publication Date

4-7-2016

Abstract

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in 2014 one-and-a-half times more people died from drug-overdoses in the USA than from motor vehicle crashes. Opioids, primarily prescription pain relievers and heroin, are the main drugs associated with overdose deaths. This epidemic occurs in a context where approximately 22 million Americans or 8% of the population over 12 years of age has a problem with or dependence on alcohol and/or drugs. Dr. Capoccia reviews and discusses the difference between what we know…the current science… and prevailing beliefs concerning addiction disorders. Is it bad behavior or a health condition? Confined to sub-populations or inclusive of all socioeconomic status populations? Treatable or not?

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Dr. Victor Capoccia's career has spanned academic, philanthropic, and public/non-profit positions in health and human services. He is a National Advisory Council member of the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Center for Substance Abuse Treatment; member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine Technical Advisory Committee on measurement; and board member of several community based organizations. Prior to Academy Health he held senior leadership positions at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Open Society Institute. His most recent research focuses on testing quality measures for addiction treatment and determining the impact of the Affordable Care Act on access to addiction treatment. He is a graduate of Boston College, and earned his PhD from the Heller School at Brandeis University.

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