�鶹Ů��

The doctors wanted to talk about illness, but the patients — often miners, waitresses, tree cutters and others whose jobs were punishingly physical — wanted to talk only about how much they hurt. They kept pleading for opioids like Vicodin and Percocet, the potent drugs that can help chronic pain, but have fueled an epidemic of addiction and deadly overdoses. “We needed to talk about congestive heart failure or diabetes or out-of-control hypertension,” said Dr. Sarah Chouinard, the chief medical officer at Community Care of West Virginia, which runs primary care clinics across a big rural chunk of this state. “But we struggled over the course of a visit to get patients to focus on any of those.” Worse, she said, some of the organization’s doctors were prescribing too many opioids, often to people they had grown up with in the small towns where they practiced and whom they were reluctant to deny. (Goodnough, 5/11)

Michael Burghardt couldn't sleep. His legs were shaking, his bones ached and he couldn't stop throwing up. Burghardt was in the Valley Street Jail in Manchester, N.H. This was his 11th stay at the jail in the last 12 years. There had been charges for driving without a license, and arguments where the police were called. This time, Burghardt was in after an arrest for transporting drugs in a motor vehicle. (Corwin, 5/11)

This is the first week inmates about to be released from prison in New Hampshire can receive the substance abuse medication Vivitrol. The program is designed to reduce re-offenses and drug overdoses after release. (Corwin, 5/11)

Those in the grips of prescription drug addiction may feel trapped, but the countless stories of recovery show there's hope. CNN hosted a town hall Wednesday night with Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta to address the opioid painkiller epidemic in the United States. (Jackson, 5/11)