A Conversation with Tom Coderre from SAMHSA

Public Health Out Loud

The overdose and addiction epidemic is a national and local public health crisis. Rhode Island saw a 25% increase in drug overdose deaths last year, with 384 lives lost. The increase in fatal overdoses first occurred in December 2019 and accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week, Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan talk with our guest expert about how the stressors and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic might be factors in this increase.

Our co-hosts are joined by Tom Coderre, the acting deputy assistant secretary for mental health and substance use at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Coderre talks about the importance of forging personal connections through peer-based recovery support services and evidence-based harm reduction strategies. He also shares a candid story about his own recovery journey.

As a longtime Rhode Islander and former state senator and gubernatorial advisor, we also ask Coderre about the legislation Governor Dan McKee recently signed allowing Rhode Island to pilot harm reduction centers. Download this week’s episode to hear the doctors unpack what those centers may look like and what this pilot program could mean for overdose prevention and harm reduction agencies around the country.