Alcohol & Substance Abuse

When a woman addicted to opioids gives birth, she is too often dismissed as an obstacle to her infant’s health. A Connecticut hospital is challenging that attitude — and the culture of care.

The Togiak traditional council has rolled out the “not welcome” mat to a Dillingham man they say has been importing alcohol and drugs into the community.

For some in the crowd, the event signified how communities are changing the conversation when it comes to talking about addiction.

Physicians at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center say they hope treating ER patients with alternatives to opioid painkillers will serve as a model for cutting down on opioid abuse nationwide.

Nationwide, the number of pregnant women using heroin, prescription opioids or medications used to treat opioid addiction has increased more than five-fold and it’s expected to keep rising.

“We need to do something differently because our old tactics don’t work. The old tactics of just focusing on the supply don’t work, so we have to go after the demand,” said Lt. Kris Sell.