Overdose deaths have touched nearly every community in America — and this episode, released for Overdose Awareness Month, brings on two women working from inside the system to change that.

Host Richard Taite sits down with Dr. Judy Monroe, President & CEO of the CDC Foundation, and Terri Perez, JD, a public health analyst and former deputy district attorney of 31 years, for a conversation about why overdose prevention has to be treated as a public health issue, not just a criminal justice one.

Dr. Monroe explains what the CDC Foundation actually is and how it differs from the CDC itself, shares stories from her early career as a rural physician in Appalachia, and walks through a real public health investigation that stopped a multi-state outbreak before it made headlines. Terri Perez brings a rare dual perspective — decades prosecuting narcotics cases in San Diego, and her own family's experience with addiction and recovery. Together they talk about stigma, the partnership between law enforcement and public health, harm reduction on the ground, the new drug trends they're watching most closely, and what ordinary people can do in their own communities.

This episode is part of the CDC Foundation's Community Overdose Prevention Efforts (COPE) campaign. Richard is matching every donation dollar for dollar, up to $25,000, to help expand education, strengthen communities, and give more people a chance to get help before a crisis becomes a tragedy.

To learn more or donate, visit: cdcfoundation.org/COPE

If someone you know is struggling, One Call Placement can help, affiliated with Carrara Treatment, Wellness & Spa and 1 Method Centers.