The Third Wave of the Opioid Crisis

For more than 20 years, we've been in the grip of one of the deadliest public health emergencies in history: the opioid crisis. It started in the 1990s, when opioid prescriptions rose sharply. From there, many people struggling with addiction turned to heroin, drawn by its lower cost and easier availability. Then, in 2013, the crisis shifted into a third wave, marked by a sharp rise in overdose deaths tied to synthetic opioids, especially illegally manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. This episode looks closely at that third wave, exploring the lasting toll it has taken on individuals, families and entire communities, and why, even now, the crisis is far from over. Guests: Dr. Bonnie Milas, Cardiac anesthesiologist, Intensivist, and Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Davis Schneider, Professional Baseball Player Davis Schneider is a paid spokesperson of Emergent