Surgeon General kicks off national tour in Baltimore

The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy began his national tour last week in Baltimore.

Dr. Murthy's tour focuses on prescription drug abuse, particularly prescription opioids, which has become a national crisis.

"Addiction is affecting communities all across America," Dr. Murthy said. "We can't effectively address addiction unless we stop seeing it as a moral failing and start seeing it for what it is: a chronic illness that must be treated with skill, urgency, and compassion. With its expanded focus on treatment, recovery, and ending the stigma around addiction, Baltimore serves as a model for cities across the country."

During his tour in Baltimore, Murthy and Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen visited the Man Alive Center and participated in a roundtable discussion with OneBaltimore Chairman Michael Cryor and other key leaders in the city. The final stop in Baltimore was at Johns Hopkins University, where Murthy addressed students at an Undergraduate Public Health Student Forum Conference.

“In Baltimore, we recognize that treating addiction as a crime is unscientific, inhumane, and ineffective — and that we must treat addiction as the disease it is by focusing on saving lives,” Wen said. “We are honored to host the U.S. Surgeon General in Baltimore City as he starts this national tour. For decades, addiction has claimed the lives of countless citizens in our city. Baltimore has been on the forefront of providing evidence-based treatment, and we are proud to share our innovative programs around addiction recovery with the nation’s top doctor.”