Substance use disorders cost billions each year in terms of mental and physical health problems, and they are now the third largest cause of death in the U.S. Overdoses from opioids and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl as well as methamphetamines and cocaine are now the #1 cause of accidental death in the nation. In 2021, fatal overdoses surpassed 107,000 in the U.S.—the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a single year—and more than 175,000 deaths in the U.S. were related to alcohol and other drugs. But the numbers don't tell the personal story of the millions of lives impacted and what's being done to bring about change.

That's where today's episode of Mission: Recovery comes in... helping to bridge that gap between statistics and the human toll of addiction on a nation dealing with a deepening crisis. We hear an inspiring and hopeful story of how the national nonprofit organization Shatterproof is making strides to end the stigma of addition—a powerful barrier to treatment—while improving the quality and accessibility of care.

Caroline Davidson, Vice President of State Engagement for the ATLAS team at Shatterproof, talks with us about the work that her organization is doing to reverse and end the addiction crisis in America. She brings us her personal story of recovery along with the joy of taking part in the success of the recent Shatterproof “Rise Up Against Addiction” walk and fundraiser. Caroline also describes in detail the Shatterproof ATLAS platform, a website resource that helps people search various addiction treatment facilities based on quality. This powerful and growing resource is giving an increasing number of people across the nation access to information about confidential care and treatment for substance use disorders.