There's a science-backed treatment for drug addiction that works — but it's nearly impossible to get
AP Photo/Kevin D. Liles
- The death toll from the opioids epidemic continues to soar.
- Experts say we already have a science-backed treatment that works: medication-assisted treatment, or MAT.
- The problem, however, is that very few people can get it.
The death toll from the opioids epidemic continues to soar — nearly 64,000 people died in 2016 alone. Scientists are working to find creative tools to fight it, and President Donald Trump has called the overdose crisis a public health emergency. But he has not yet outlined any targeted solutions aside from calling for drug dealers to be given the death penalty.
A growing cadre of health professionals say we already have a science-backed treatment that works. It's called medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, and it involves administering FDA-approved medications that help curb cravings and reduce the excruciating symptoms of withdrawal.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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