House on Fire: Addressing Opioid Overdose as an Epidemic

Kimberly Johnson, PhD, MBA
Research Associate Professor, University of South Florida

ABSTRACT:
There are standard public health models of addressing epidemics of contagious disease. This presentation will argue that if we use standard protocols that have been developed to address other epidemics, we would make greater progress in reducing the rate of drug overdose deaths in the United States. The presentation will remind participants of how smallpox was eradicated and what was learned about epidemic control in that effort as well as what is being learned in international efforts to eradicate the spread of HIV. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the current response to the opioid epidemic from a public health epidemic control perspective.