Dr. Kelly Clark

Opioid Addiction: A Crisis Fueled by Stigma

Robert Redfield, Sarah Carlin-Smith, Dr. Kelly Clark, Gary Mendel, Dr. Andrei Ostrovsky, Jerome Adams, Ronnie Solomon, Michael Golinkoff

A collaborative panel led by Surgeon General officials and researchers from Shatterproof and McKinsey identifies stigma as the primary barrier in the opioid crisis, highlighting how it drives public misunderstanding, provider bias, and critical gaps in Medicaid and federal funding. The group outlines a strategic shift toward humanizing recovery narratives, integrating addiction care into chronic disease management frameworks, and utilizing settlement funds for evidence-based programs to reduce overdose mortality by 50%. By advocating for the removal of restrictive privacy laws like 42 CFR Part 2 and the elimination of the X-waiver, the initiative seeks to dismantle systemic prejudices that currently prevent 60% of treatment facilities from offering FDA-approved medications.