From Drug Czar to Advocate: Richard Baum's Insights on Addiction and PolicyFrom Drug Czar to Advocate: Richard Baum's Insights on Addiction and Policy
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu Robinson talks with former acting US drug czar Richard Baum about the opioid crisis, treatment gaps and the need for stronger recovery support. Their discussion focuses on practical policy lessons, prison MAT, funding shortfalls and how communities can build better paths to long-term recovery.
53:33•22 Apr 2026
From Drug Czar to Changemaker: Richard Baum Talks Policy, Prison MAT and Real Recovery Support
Episode Overview
- Addiction is framed as a broad public health problem that demands long-term treatment, recovery support and smart policy, rather than quick fixes or punishment alone.
- Medication-assisted treatment in prisons and especially around release is presented as a practical way to keep people alive during the highest-risk period.
- Baum stresses that the biggest challenge is getting people who need help to actually seek treatment, and suggests asking people who use drugs how and where they would accept support.
- Recovery community organisations, peer coaches and practical support with housing, IDs and work are highlighted as crucial for purpose and stability after treatment or custody.
- Current spending on addiction is described as far below the true social cost, with a call for significantly increased, sustained funding for treatment, prevention and recovery services.
“We’re spending $50,000 a year to keep someone in prison and not a couple of thousand dollars to make sure they’re not on the street the first day out. What’s the point?”
How do different strategies aid in addiction recovery? This conversation between Coach Blu Robinson and former acting US “drug czar” Richard Baum shines a bright light on that question from both policy and grassroots angles. Baum, a long‑time White House civil servant and Georgetown professor, shares what he has learnt from decades on the front line of drug policy, from the crack era to fentanyl.
He describes sitting with bereaved parents, visiting treatment courts and prisons, and realising, as he puts it, that “we’ve massively underinvested in the response” to addiction. You’ll hear them unpack why addiction is a public health issue, not just an individual failing, and why short, 30‑day programmes fall far short of what people need.
Baum argues for longer treatment, proper aftercare and a national commitment to recovery support, including recovery community organisations where someone can simply walk in and ask, “What can you do for me today?” The pair dig into medication for opioid use disorder in prisons, the dangers of cutting off opioid prescriptions without support, and the financial madness of spending heavily on incarceration while skimping on re‑entry and treatment.
Baum also talks about his book, *Inside America’s Opioid Crisis: 12 Hard Lessons for Today’s War on Drugs*, and his push to scale up what already works instead of endlessly reinventing the wheel. There’s humour and humility too, as Blu offers Baum an apology on behalf of the grassroots for assuming “the troops” in Washington weren’t fighting hard enough, and Baum insists that loud criticism from the field is exactly what keeps policy moving.
If you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working in treatment, this chat offers a clear-eyed look at why the system feels stretched—and some practical ideas for pushing it forward. What part of this discussion could you carry into your own community?
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