Title: Whit’s Son By: Nancy Marks
Founded by Harvard University and MIT in 2012, edX is an online learning destination. For those who want to learn more about the Opioid Crisis, they are offering a free class called, Opioid Crisis in America. Additionally, Nancy Marks, TUSDM Community Service Coordinator’s project called The Intimacy of Memory: Reframing Loss and Overcoming Stigma in the Face of Opioid Overdose is featured in Chapter 4.
Opioids are part of a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin as well as powerful pain relievers, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl and many others. Every day in the United States more than 1,000 people are treated in emergency departments for not using prescription opioids as directed. In 2015, opioids led to more than 33,000 deaths, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999.
This course challenges preconceptions about addiction and about who can become addicted to opioids. One of our main goals is to reduce the stigma that exists around addiction in general, and help people learn about the multiple pathways to treatment. You will learn about these topics from a variety of medical experts and observe stories from people who have experienced addiction themselves, or who have had a family member overdose.
You’ll be asked to make an account, but it’ll give you access to hundreds of courses for free. The courses cover an expansive list of subjects. Material covered in this course is authoritative, evidence-based, and presented by doctors and other policy and harm reduction experts. To sign up for the course: https://www.edx.org/course/opioid-crisis-america-harvardx-hhp100
