The System Failures Behind Opioid Addiction

The System Failures Behind Opioid Addiction

Dr. Andrew Kolodny, medical director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University, frames the opioid crisis as an epidemic of opioid addiction rooted in aggressive prescribing, pharmaceutical influence, regulatory failure, and inadequate access to treatment. The episode moves beyond blame toward a systems-level examination of what failed, what remains unrepaired, and what would be required to prevent similar public health crises in the future. Dr. Kolodny consistently returns to the same solutionary structure: prevent opioid use disorder and ensure people already suffering from it can access effective treatment. The episode also raises difficult questions about pharmaceutical accountability, sealed litigation records, settlement funds, cannabis legalization, kratom, chronic pain, and the need for more nuanced policy than simple prohibition or legalization. His core solution centers on preventing new cases of opioid addiction while making effective treatment easier to access than illicit opioids. Follow Andrew Kolodny: Brandeis: https://scholarworks.brandeis.edu/esploro/profile/andrew_kolodny/overview [https://scholarworks.brandeis.edu/esploro/profile/andrew_kolodny/overview] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-kolodny-3b8409a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-kolodny-3b8409a/] Follow the Institute for Humane Education for updates, episode releases, and resources: Website: https://www.humaneeducation.org [https://www.humaneeducation.org] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil [https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/zoeweil [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-weil-3749b4a/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor [https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil [https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil] About the Podcast Solutionary Voices is a podcast hosted by Zoe Weil and produced by the Institute for Humane Education. Each episode highlights individuals who are working on the forefront of building a more humane, just, and healthy world for all people, animals, and the ecosystems that sustain life. Episodes: • Bring solutionary thinkers to a wide audience • Offer ideas for solving the problems we face in a range of arenas • Provide actionable ideas • Turn values into measurable impact

The Real Drivers Behind Inequity In America

Ayo Magwood, founder of Uprooting Inequity, focuses on reducing racial and income disparities through measurable, system-level interventions, particularly in healthcare. She outlines a structured framework for understanding structural racism through interconnected factors of bias, income, and place, emphasizing how these forces shape real-world outcomes. Her work shifts the focus from individual attitudes to institutional design, showing how organizations can create tangible improvements in health equity. By grounding solutions in data, geography, and personal experiences, she demonstrates how complex inequities can be addressed with clarity and precision. Follow the Institute for Humane Education for updates, episode releases, and resources: Website: https://www.humaneeducation.org [https://www.humaneeducation.org] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil [https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/zoeweil [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-weil-3749b4a/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor [https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil [https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil] About the Podcast Solutionary Voices is a podcast hosted by Zoe Weil and produced by the Institute for Humane Education. Each episode highlights individuals who are working on the forefront of building a more humane, just, and healthy world for all people, animals, and the ecosystems that sustain life. Episodes: • Bring solutionary thinkers to a wide audience • Offer ideas for solving the problems we face in a range of arenas • Provide actionable ideas • Turn values into measurable impact

From Success to Service

Nimo Patel’s story follows several forms of success, including business, music, entrepreneurship, and performance, before arriving at a deeper definition of purpose. The episode reveals how the recognition of misalignment can become a doorway into service when one is willing to listen, change course, and release attachment to outcomes. Nimo’s work with children in Ahmedabad becomes the clearest expression of this shift, where art is not the mission but the shared practice that makes dignity, belonging, and transformation possible. The episode also explores how music and presence can create connection, whether in prisons or universities. Follow the Institute for Humane Education for updates, episode releases, and resources: Website: https://www.humaneeducation.org [https://www.humaneeducation.org] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil [https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/zoeweil [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-weil-3749b4a/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor [https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil [https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil] About the Podcast Solutionary Voices is a podcast hosted by Zoe Weil and produced by the Institute for Humane Education. Each episode highlights individuals who are working on the forefront of building a more humane, just, and healthy world for all people, animals, and the ecosystems that sustain life. Episodes: • Bring solutionary thinkers to a wide audience • Offer ideas for solving the problems we face in a range of arenas • Provide actionable ideas • Turn values into measurable impact

What US Students Learned Living on $2 a day

Shirin Karsan, a former refugee from Uganda, long-time educator, and peacebuilder, explores how conflict, bias, and disconnection persist when we fail to pay attention to our relationality. Drawing from immersive experiences she developed as a college professor when she joined her students in an experiment to live on $2/day in preparation for their service work in Africa –she illustrates how perspective shifts occur when people confront their assumptions and recognize their interdependence. Without this awareness, conflict can escalates into division and harm, but with it, even disagreement can become a pathway to connection and change. Follow the Institute for Humane Education for updates, episode releases, and resources: Website: https://www.humaneeducation.org [https://www.humaneeducation.org] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil [https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/zoeweil [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-weil-3749b4a/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor [https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil [https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil] About the Podcast Solutionary Voices is a podcast hosted by Zoe Weil and produced by the Institute for Humane Education. Each episode highlights individuals who are working on the forefront of building a more humane, just, and healthy world for all people, animals, and the ecosystems that sustain life. Episodes: • Bring solutionary thinkers to a wide audience • Offer ideas for solving the problems we face in a range of arenas • Provide actionable ideas • Turn values into measurable impact

Rethinking Journalism in an Age of Complexity

Andrew Revkin, longtime environmental journalist and former New York Times reporter, reflects on how decades of covering climate have reshaped his understanding of the role of journalism in creating positive change. He emphasizes that complex, interconnected challenges like climate change cannot be reduced to simple narratives or singular solutions. Instead, he advocates for a shift toward ongoing inquiry, community dialogue, and shared learning. With a surprise ending to this episode exploring the solutionary potential for journalism, Andy provides a hopeful (and comic!) vision of the future. Follow the Institute for Humane Education for updates, episode releases, and resources: Website: https://www.humaneeducation.org [https://www.humaneeducation.org] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil [https://www.instagram.com/zoe.weil] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/zoeweil [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-weil-3749b4a/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor [https://www.facebook.com/zoeweilauthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil [https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeweil] Stay connected with Andrew Revkin: Substack: https://revkin.substack.com/ [https://revkin.substack.com/] Twitter: @revkin [http://twitter.com/revkin] Facebook: http://fb.com/andrew.revkin.5 [http://fb.com/andrew.revkin.5] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyrevkin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyrevkin] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/anrevk [https://www.youtube.com/anrevk] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrew_revkin [https://www.instagram.com/andrew_revkin] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/revkin.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/revkin.bsky.social] Threads: https://www.threads.net/@andrew_revkin [https://www.threads.net/@andrew_revkin] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andy_revkin [https://www.tiktok.com/@andy_revkin] Music: http://bit.ly/revkinsmusic [http://bit.ly/revkinsmusic] About the Podcast Solutionary Voices is a podcast hosted by Zoe Weil and produced by the Institute for Humane Education. Each episode highlights individuals who are working on the forefront of building a more humane, just, and healthy world for all people, animals, and the ecosystems that sustain life. Episodes: • Bring solutionary thinkers to a wide audience • Offer ideas for solving the problems we face in a range of arenas • Provide actionable ideas • Turn values into measurable impact