During the National Association of County and City Health Officials, Dr. Redfield opened up about his own family’s experience with the opioid epidemic, stating he “almost lost one of [his] children” to an overdose of cocaine mixed with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid stronger than heroin, according to The Washington Post citing the Associated Press.
Public records indicate Dr. Redfield’s son, a 37-year-old musician, was charged with drug possession in 2016. The outcome of the case was not made public.
Dr. Redfield, who has served as head of the CDC since March, declined to comment on his speech to The Washington Post, but said he believes it is “important for society to embrace and support families who are fighting to win the battle of addiction — because stigma is the enemy of public health.”
Opioids, including fentanyl and heroin, are some of the leading causes of overdose in the nation, according to the CDC. Recent data from the organization indicates more than 42,000 people died from opioids in 2016.
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1 in 10 children prescribed opioids for pain in Tennessee, study finds
