Silent Epidemic: Addiction In Southern Oregon /silent-epidemic-addiction-in-southern-oregon 00000171-95d3-d2cb-a5f3-9fff6d250000Like many areas in the country, southern Oregon is experiencing what public health officials describe as an epidemic of addiction to heroin and prescription opioid pain relievers such as Vicodin and OxyContin. One symptom of this epidemic has been a sharp rise in deaths by overdose.In this four-part series, JPR reporter Liam Moriarty looks at this problem through the eyes of people on the front lines. en-US Copyright Wed, 03 May 2017 23:16:43 GMT Max’s Mission: One Mother’s Crusade To Put Naloxone Pretty Much Everywhere /health-and-medicine/2017-05-03/maxs-mission-one-mothers-crusade-to-put-naloxone-pretty-much-everywhere Naloxone is a drug that quickly reverses an overdose of heroin or other opioid drugs. It’s been used by hospitals and emergency medical workers since the… Wed, 03 May 2017 23:16:43 GMT /health-and-medicine/2017-05-03/maxs-mission-one-mothers-crusade-to-put-naloxone-pretty-much-everywhere Liam Moriarty Oregon Aims To Cut Opioid Use Among Pain Sufferers /health-and-medicine/2015-07-23/oregon-aims-to-cut-opioid-use-among-pain-sufferers At any given time, about ten percent of Oregonians suffer from back pain. Many end up being prescribed opioid painkillers such as Vicodin. And as JPR… Fri, 24 Jul 2015 00:22:53 GMT /health-and-medicine/2015-07-23/oregon-aims-to-cut-opioid-use-among-pain-sufferers Kristian Foden-Vencil The Silent Epidemic of Addiction in Southern Oregon /health/2015-07-05/the-silent-epidemic-of-addiction-in-southern-oregon The first thing I realized when I started reporting on the heroin epidemic in southern Oregon is that pretty much everything I thought I knew about it was… Sun, 05 Jul 2015 22:47:00 GMT /health/2015-07-05/the-silent-epidemic-of-addiction-in-southern-oregon Liam Moriarty Genesis Of An Epidemic: "It Made Sense To Everybody" /health-and-medicine/2015-07-05/genesis-of-an-epidemic-it-made-sense-to-everybody Dr. Jim Shames is an addiction specialist and the medical director for Jackson County Health and Human Services. He says doctors like him played a key… Sun, 05 Jul 2015 22:46:00 GMT /health-and-medicine/2015-07-05/genesis-of-an-epidemic-it-made-sense-to-everybody Liam Moriarty Addiction's Grip On The Brain: "It's A Matter Of Their Biology" /health/2015-07-05/addictions-grip-on-the-brain-its-a-matter-of-their-biology Today, we meet Darryl Inaba. He’s a Doctor of Clinical Pharmacy and co-author of “Uppers, Downers, All Arounders,” a book on addiction and the brain… Sun, 05 Jul 2015 22:45:00 GMT /health/2015-07-05/addictions-grip-on-the-brain-its-a-matter-of-their-biology Liam Moriarty Finding A Path Back: "I Realized I Didn't Have To Want To Use" /health/2015-07-05/finding-a-path-back-i-realized-i-didnt-have-to-want-to-use In this final part of the series, we meet 27-year-old Diana Cooper. She’s a mother of four from Medford -- and a recovering heroin addict.Cooper says… Sun, 05 Jul 2015 22:41:00 GMT /health/2015-07-05/finding-a-path-back-i-realized-i-didnt-have-to-want-to-use Liam Moriarty Inside JPR's "Silent Epidemic" /show/the-jefferson-exchange/2015-07-05/inside-jprs-silent-epidemic The search for pain relief is turning respectable members of the community into drug addicts.It's happened for years, since the introduction of the highly… Sun, 05 Jul 2015 17:10:30 GMT /show/the-jefferson-exchange/2015-07-05/inside-jprs-silent-epidemic Geoffrey Riley, Liam Moriarty