The price of this epidemic -- in medical care, rehabilitation, emotions, early mortality, broken relationships, lost productivity and more -- is unprecedented, devastating and rising

Roxxanne Newman began using drugs as a teenager.

Daughter of young parents who had their difficulties, she spent much of her childhood living with her grandmother and cycling through group homes. She experienced turbulent emotions daily.

Chemicals provided relief from the trauma and stress, at first.

“I just loved the feeling, the escape from all the anger and sadness and insecurities,” she said. “It was really fun for a long time.”

Until it wasn’t.

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