Natural disasters can cause another crisis for those recovering from opioid addiction

Natural disasters like Hurricane Helene which struck areas of the Southeast in 2024, including Asheville, N.C., can pose an additional crisis for people who need to access medications for addiction recovery.

People recovering from opioid addiction risk relapse when they can’t get their medications after natural disasters. A group of doctors is calling for lawmakers to ease access to the meds.

(Image credit: JIM WATSON/AFP)