CHC Radio

The Opioid Crisis Hasn’t Gone Away: NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow on Addiction Epidemic Amid COVID-19

This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Volkow discusses her pioneering work in brain imaging which has given us a window into how addiction works in the brain. She discusses her recent report on susceptibility to COVID-19 for those with Substance Use Disorder, her concerns about increase in overdoses during the pandemic, and the need to curtail the vaping industry which is leading to a dangerous spike in nicotine addiction among young adults.

Kimberly Pena

Share
Published by
Kimberly Pena

Recent Posts

KFF Health News Covers $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation: Latest Details

The new Rural Health Transformation Program aims to improve “healthcare access, quality, and outcomes” with…

3 days ago

Happy, Healthy New Year: What the Future Holds

New research. New technology. New possibilities. On this special 2025 Rewind and Look Ahead episode…

2 weeks ago

2025 Rewind: Our guests recount the promises and hurdles

Health care policy faced major upheavals during the past 12 months and the effects are…

3 weeks ago

“Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America”: Author Conversation

Eighty percent of maternal deaths in the United States are considered preventable. So why do…

3 weeks ago

Congress Races to Find Obamacare Subsidy Solution: Reporters Examine the Efforts

Originally broadcast December 11, 2025 Congress is scrambling to find a solution to the enhanced…

1 month ago

Flu Cases Rising: “It’s Not Good,” Says Former CDC Dir. Dr. Tom Frieden

Originally broadcast December 4, 2025 The doctor who once led the Centers for Disease Control…

1 month ago