Episode #100 High Truths on Drugs and Addition with Sara Whaley on Opioid Settlement Best PracticesEpisode #100 High Truths on Drugs and Addition with Sara Whaley on Opioid Settlement Best Practices
High Truths on Drugs and Addiction
Sara Whaley worked on a model to make sure opioid settlement dollars are distributed fairly and effectively. The historic pattern with tobacco has been: Health Claims - Normalize Use - Health Harms - Lawsuits. Then again with Opioids: Health Claims - Normalize High Dose Use - Health Harms Lawsuits. Big Pharma will be paying $32 Billion for lying about the harms of chronic and high dose prescription opioids that killed people. Are lawsuit a deterrent for future public health lies or is lying about public health a good business model? What have we learned from tobacco settlement dollars that can be applied to opioid settlement dollars? Is Big Marijuana next to follow the pattern of Health Claims - Normalize Use - Health Harms and Lawsuits Sara Whaley, MSW, MPH, MA Sara Whaley is research faculty at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is the Program Manager of the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative. Sara is a member of the team at JHSPH that coordinated the creation of the Principles for The Use of Funds From The Opioid Litigation and is a member of the Working Group that coordinates efforts to support state and local governments in the effective use of litigation dollars. She began her career providing direct service to individuals with behavioral health needs and those who use drugs. She brings this experience to her research and to projects providing technical assistance to state governments and local service providers. Her goal is to use data to inform effective policy that improves the health and well-being of individuals who use drugs and their families Resources: www.opioidprinciples.jhsph.edu https://www.opioidsettlementtracker.com/settlementspending https://www.nashp.org/how-states-administering-opioid-settlement-funds/
45:29•21 Nov 2022
Sara Whaley on Fair Distribution of Opioid Settlement Funds: Episode #100
“Big Pharma will be paying $32 Billion for lying about the harms of chronic and high dose prescription opioids that killed people. Are lawsuit a deterrent for future public health lies or is lying about public health a good business model? What have we learned from tobacco settlement dollars that can...”
Imagine if the billions from opioid settlements could actually make a difference in communities hit hardest by addiction. In Episode #100 of 'High Truths on Drugs and Addiction', Dr. Roneet Lev chats with Sara Whaley, a research faculty member at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who’s been at the forefront of ensuring these funds are used wisely. Whaley brings a wealth of knowledge, having helped create guidelines for the effective use of opioid litigation funds.
She shares her thoughts on how we can avoid repeating past mistakes made with tobacco settlements and ensure that this money truly benefits those in need. From discussing racial equity to making sure treatment is accessible, Whaley covers a lot of ground. She also talks about delivering supplies during the pandemic and using the legal system to hold companies accountable. If you're curious about how settlement dollars can be a force for good, this episode is a must-listen.
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