The White House declared this week Overdose Awareness Week, boasting $22 billion of new investment to address the overdose crisis – including massive investments in “expanding access to life-saving medications.”

The New York Times this week reported a ~3% annual decline in national overdose deaths, and asked, “Has fentanyl peaked?” It hasn’t — and we’ve made this mistaken assumption before, with irrevocable consequences. Here’s what we know:

Recently, journalists have targeted Portland, OR as the exemplar for an emergent debate: as the addiction crisis rages on, are policies that decriminalize low-level drug crimes helping or hurting?

The disparities faced by the LGBTQ+ community in addiction treatment demand our attention. Understanding the specific challenges and consequences is crucial for promoting inclusivity and improving outcomes. It is our collective responsibility in the medical field to address these disparities through increased support, research, and advocacy.

The COVID-era PHE made SUD care accessible in a profound new way. But that could all change once the PHE expires. Boulder has been preparing to ensure continuity of care for our current and future patients and is actively advocating for better regulations to help all people in need of addiction care.

Mia Michalak, one of Boulder's clinicians, explains why a new, stronger version of the overdose medication, Narcan, may not be helpful to those who need it most.

Stephanie Strong, Boulder’s CEO, explains how powerful it was to hear President Biden acknowledge harm reduction and medicines to treat Opioid Use Disorder in his State of The Union speech, and what this change of heart could mean for the public health crisis going forward.

Dave Lerman, Boulder's CTO, details how a personal experience helped him see a need for more support and funding for studies into the potential of psychedelics.

Boulder Care’s Medical Director, Alyson Smith, and Community Justice expert, Jeremy Hubbard, explain why incarceration creates such dangerous situations for SUD patients -- and what can be done about it.

Ben MacLean, Boulder's General Counsel, explains how laws and regulations can fight against patients with SUDs and stand in the way of better treatment options.

Boulder's in-house writer, Michael, who also works in TV and film, explains how Hollywood's obsession with sad stories has created a distorted view of patients with substance use disorder.

Alyson Smith, Boulder Care’s Medical Director, shares how rewarding working with SUD patients has been for her and how urgent the need is for more clinicians to do the same.