Our nation faces a severe addiction crisis, for example:
- Almost 21 million Americans have at least one addiction, yet only 10% of them receive treatment.
- Drug overdose deaths have more than tripled since 1990.
- From 1999 to 2017, more than 700,000 Americans died from overdosing on a drug. 400,000 of them died from opioid overdoses.
- 2 million Americans have an opioid use disorder.
- Alcohol and drug addiction cost the U.S. economy over $600 billion every year.
- In 2017, 34.2 million Americans committed DUI, 21.4 million under the influence of alcohol, and 12.8 million under the influence of drugs.
Stories like Deanna’s are far too common, and the church is not immune.
What can we do? How can the Church get involved?
On the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, Shane Vander Hart speaks to Pastor Ron Smedley, the executive director of Mission Recovery, about how we as the body of Christ can help. We also discuss Recovery Sunday coming up this Sunday, September 27, 2020.
A pastor for 30 years and a former parole officer for the State of Texas and caseworker for Texas Child Protective Services, Smedley is uniquely positioned to understand the depth of the problem of addiction in the church as well as the Christ-centered solutions.
Listen below:
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