2 Million People have an opioid abuse disorder. People are 10 actually able to receive treatment for their opioid use disorder. Because of covid, people are isolated, people are not able to reach their support systems, and being alone has complicated peoples ability to be connected and connect to their treatment and support systems. The numberown that of opioid overdoses has increased. We are hearing that from a number of states. Host towards the beginning of social distancing and when things were being shut down there was perhaps some hope that social distancing and the closing of borders and more enforcement might disrupt a drug supply chain for dangerous opioids. Has that been the case at all or was that a misplaced hope . Guest we have been studying att, we have been looking the treatment and availability of treatment. When a Public Health emergency was declared, the federal government did allow flexibility to states to increase the availability of treatment, evidencebased treatment is a key for opioid abuse disorder. Time ofre is a emergency there are often increases. Gotten increases after deepwater horizon, superstorm sandy, and the coronavirus is no different. The federal government allows states flexibilities in offering treatment in ways that were not offered before. Methadone,mple is people use methadone to treat opioid abuse disorders, were required to go through an Opioid Abuse Program every day to pick up their medication. Canr the flexibility people take home up to 20 days of medication, thereby not having public and interact with a practitioner or provider to receive their medication. Used to have counseling and psychotherapy in person now are able to utilize this via zoom like we are doing now, over the telephone, facetime, this has created more access to treatment for people who have been impacted by opioid abuse disorder. Host are people using that access . We had a call or a month or two ack saying that caller month or two back saying that the Group Session she was going to does not work over zoom. There is nothing like walking into a room for a support group, and she was thinking about not going to those zoom support meetings. What have you found in terms of people making use of that ability . Guest we have heard from a number of states, localities, and providers that they have been expanding their use of ,elemedicine and use of zoom and the flexibility the federal government has offered. In the seen an uptick people that are actually using these telemedicine options. When you have the ability to use telemedicine, you employment is not impacted, you dont have to worry about transportation, childcare needs are not as compounded as when you have to do on in person visit. Are working with their practices with telemedicine. There are some reports that some had to start from scratch and build it up, and others had been using telemedicine before and have been expanding their use of telemedicine to help more people. Host we are asking viewers to share their stories. As we talk to beth connoly of the Pew Charitable trust, studying Substance Abuse prevention and treatment initiatives. A special line for those who have been impacted by the Opioid Epidemic, 202 7488002. If youse 202 7488000 are in the eastern or central time zones. 202 7488001 for those who are in the mountain or a time zones. The u. S. Congress has appropriated between 2. 6 and 3 trillion for the coronavirus response. How much money within that is specifically targeted for funding the Opioid Epidemic amid the pandemic . More than 400 bylion has been provided congress to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health services a federaltion, samsa, agency. That goes through them and is distributed to the state in order to address the Opioid Crisis in light of covid. Host what are some ways that money can be used . Primarily for treatment, to increase treatment for opioid abuse disorder, decreasing theiers, implementing flexibility that i spoke of, and to increase treatment for people recognizing that there has been an increase in opioid overdoses. Host is there other money that is being cut for programs that are not seeing the support amid the total focus of moving the government towards responding to the pandemic . The guardian story notes, a former director of the West Virginia office of drug control policy, in the story he points to a federal Health Institution that shifted its focus to coronavirus, including freezing 1 billion in a Research Project that had been aimed at finding a less addictive pain treatment, this is his quote. It has rob the oxygen out of the room and made the coronavirus the sole focus of what is happening. There is also fatigue about the Opioid Crisis. You can think of covid19 as a hurricane whereas the Opioid Crisis is like global warming. It is not happening at the same speed and scale of coronavirus now. Now or can right governmentederal acted quickly in offering flexibility to address this issue for people needing to be social distant socially distant, allowing access to medication in a way they never have. There has been a goal of making sure treatment is available. This is evidencebased treatment. Waynow that the best to treat opioid abuse disorder is through medication. Medication has been proven to be far better at daily recovery than an abstinencebased program. There is medication to treat opioid abuse disorder, methadone the federalne, and relaxation and flexibility has seen an increase in access to treatment. Host plenty of calls for you this morning. The connolly with us until bottom of the hour. John is up first out of new york on the line for those impacted by the Opioid Epidemic. John, good morning. Social distancing has created isolation for people. People have not had access to support. The increase in telemedicine has really helped to beef up that support system. Of copel hills, carolina. Morning, how are you all on this wonderful day . I have a very specific question. Unlike john, your previous color, i am 100 physically disabled. And micronic pain is always around eight to 10. I have 15 vertebrae, 15 discs, and other appendages that are messed up. Personnel. Medical Opioid Epidemic, people were adding to