Opioid epidemic presents new challenges for treatment providers UMADAOP Lucas County provides a litany of services to help clients in all aspects of their lives. But these days there seems to be one issue taking precedence above all others...opioids. “Everything is overshadowed nowadays by the opioid epidemic,” says John L. Edwards Sr., , executive director of the UMADAOP Lucas County. “The spread of this epidemic is something that just hasn’t been seen before.” Edwards has been in the business of recovery a long time and has seen waves of drug use adversely impact the community. But he says the opioid epidemic is different because of the availability of prescription drugs, social media, and because people have more transportation options than they used to in the past. He says these factors make the situation unique and have required treatment providers to develop new ways to help clients. A Unique Fight
John L. Edwards
“We’ve had to shift our attention away from other areas in large part to develop strategies and program services to help fight the epidemic,” Edwards says. “That’s always a matter of concern because those other issues haven’t gone away and we will most likely find ourselves grappling with those issues again at some point.”
“The spread of this epidemic is something that just hasn’t been seen before.” -John L. Edwards Sr. , executive director, UMADAOP Lucas County
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