"[Fentanyl] was really a game changer. By far, that amplified the drug overdose deaths that we saw from 2015 all the way up through 2020. And then into our peak year of 2022, when we had more people dying from drug overdose than ever before. And that really continues even on to our current day, where the majority of people that are still dying from drug overdose, it's due to fentanyl. Fentanyl is a killer." — Dr. Bonnie Milas
What to listen for:
For more than 20 years, we’ve been in the grip of one of the deadliest public health emergencies in history: the opioid crisis. It started in the 1990s, when opioid prescriptions rose sharply. From there, many people struggling with addiction turned to heroin, drawn by its lower cost and easier availability. Then, in 2013, the crisis shifted into a third wave, marked by a sharp rise in overdose deaths tied to synthetic opioids, especially illegally manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs.
This episode looks closely at that third wave, exploring the lasting toll it has taken on individuals, families and entire communities, and why, even now, the crisis is far from over.
Guests:
- Dr. Bonnie Milas, Cardiac anesthesiologist, Intensivist, and Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
- Davis Schneider, Professional Baseball Player
Davis Schneider is a paid spokesperson of Emergent.