Guests: Jose Benitez, Marina Goldman, Robert Ashford

For people living with addiction or in recovery, the stress caused by the novel coronavirus, the stay-at-home orders, and the reduction in treatment options can make staying sober all the more difficult. Addiction experts worry that people will relapse and, as we’ve seen with alcohol sales spiking, that more people could develop substance use disorders. In this hour, we’ll talk about addiction and recovery during the pandemic with MARINA GOLDMAN, an addiction psychiatrist and ROBERT ASHFORD, co-founder and executive director of Unity Recovery, which provides daily online recovery meetings in addition to other services. We’ll also look at how COVID-19 is impacting the already devastating opioid crisis in Philadelphia. JOSE BENITEZ, executive director of Prevention Point, tells us how opioid users are coping in Kensington.