Last week, we introduced you to Jaime Smith, a mother of four from St. Joseph who is recovering from addiction to prescription pain killers and heroin. Recovery from opioid addiction is a difficult journey, but it’s sometimes even more difficult to begin.

Addiction experts are up in arms following remarks from Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, in which he referred to medication-assisted treatment for addiction as “substituting one opioid for another.” Nearly 700 researchers and practitioners sent a letter Monday communicating their criticisms to Price and urging him to “set the record straight.” 

A central Illinois center for addiction treatment will stay open for now, despite payment delays during the state’s ongoing budget crisis. After two years without a permanent budget, the state is facing a backlog of $12.6 billion in unpaid bills to state employees, contractors and agencies.

A new law makes a drug that counteracts opioid overdose easier to get. But is that enough?

Guest: Allan M. Brandt.

Few products have been as heavily promoted or as deeply entrenched in the American consciousness as the cigarette. The tobacco industry has long operated under one goal: casting doubt on the potential harm of smoking. Today on Focus, we'll explore the 50-year effort to mislead a country with Allan M. Brandt, author of The Cigarette Century.