Many of us are fortunate to live in a country with unparalleled access to scientific advances and medical treatments, where patients travel from all over the world to receive cutting-edge, lifesaving medical care. But what happens to patients when the disease in question carries a stigma? What happens when those struggling are made to feel a sense of shame—or are perceived as criminals deserving punishment rather than as patients suffering from a chronic disease and in desperate need of treatment? 

The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stressed that it is necessary to remove the stigma around addiction in order to confront the opioid crisis. "Addiction is a medical condition, not a moral failing," said CDC Director Robert Redfield at last year's Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. This panel of experts will discuss how to understand and overcome the stigma that stands between those suffering from addictions such as opioid-use disorder and the road to treatment and recovery.