Surgeon General seeks to tackle drug, alcohol abuse

Facing Addiction in American, the U.S. Surgeon General's report on alcohol, drugs and health says there are over 27 million people in the United States who use illicit drugs or misuse prescription drugs.

Last week, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced plans to tackle alcohol and drug abuse — especially opioid addiction — urging doctors, policymakers and the public to ramp up efforts to combat the growing U.S. health care crisis.

Kana Enomoto, the principal deputy administrator with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, helped author the report.

She joined the program along with Sheila Specker, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, who attended the White House symposium on addiction. They discussed how the proposals from the Surgeon General play out at a state level.

To hear the entire conversation, use the audio player above.