The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic On Minorities In Indiana

When a New York State Senator said, “It’s not a ghetto drug. It’s happening to doctor’s kids,” he was referring to opioids.  He was also describing two mindsets – one focused on criminality, the other on treating a disease.

And many perceive racial and ethnic implications in these two ways of thinking about the opioid epidemic.  The topic is explored in a 90-minute conversation hosted by WFYI’s Side Effects health reporting unit in partnership with the Indiana Minority Health Coalition.

Guests:  Jocelyn Bush, MD, specialist in anesthesiology and pain management; Brad Ray, PhD, mental health and criminal justice researcher, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; Ronald Sullivan, director of Harvard’s Criminal Justice Institute; Joselyn Whitticker, president of the Grant County (Indiana) Minority Health Coalition

Moderator:  Michael Twyman, PhD, consultant and associate faculty member at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

Learn more about Side Effects Public Media

Learn more about the Indiana Minority Health Coalition

Related News

State Hosts Opioid Event To Help Public Safety, Public Health Officials Collaborate
Health / August 14, 2018

State Hosts Opioid Event To Help Public Safety, Public Health Officials Collaborate

The conference highlighted success stories about stigma reduction, drug courts, jail treatment and ER follow up.
Read More
Study: One Brand, One Color Of Crayons Tests Positive For Asbestos
Health / August 9, 2018

Study: One Brand, One Color Of Crayons Tests Positive For Asbestos

The companies involved responded to the report and say they do test and meet federal standards.
Read More
Lyme Disease — And The Ticks That Carry It — Spreads Across The U.S.
Health / August 9, 2018

Lyme Disease — And The Ticks That Carry It — Spreads Across The U.S.

Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson speaks with Wendy Adams, research grant director for the Bay Area Lyme Foundation, which released research in July showing ticks capable of carrying Lyme have been found in 83 new counties across the country.
Read More