Police departments, churches, health care institutions and municipalities recognize the need to invest in a remedy to the opioid crisis. Slowly, even the government is coming around.

Here’s why: • Women use substances differently than men, and can become addicted while using smaller amounts of certain drugs for less time. • Sex hormones can make women more sensitive than men to the effects of some drugs. Women may have more drug cravings and may be more likely to relapse after treatment. • Women who use […]

With fewer institutional resources and a greater biological threat, women entangled in the opioid epidemic must overcome gender-specific hurdles to recovery, including child-care considerations, social pressures and stigma often complicated by the specter of sexual trauma.

But a few people – worried about heroin’s impact on the local economy, the fishery and the addicts themselves – believe it’s time to speak out.