For most of human civilization we have lived with pain. Some of it is healthy – in as much as it teaches us a lesson and keeps us away from danger in future – but a lot of pain is debilitating.

That’s the reason some of the most popular medications we use are pain medications. From the ubiquitous Tylenol and Advil which you can buy at the convenience store, to the more sophisticated, prescription-only pills, which we have come to know as “opioids.”

The reason we know the word “opioid” is that we hear it on the news, increasingly from politicians. They talk about “the opioid epidemic” that is reportedly sweeping some parts of the country.

Here in New Orleans, most of us rate crime and murder as our number one problem. So it might surprise you to know that in 2016, for the first time in the history of the city, there were more accidental drug related deaths in New Orleans than murders.

In other words, the opioid epidemic is here in New Orleans too. Peter’s guests on Out to Lunch today are on the front line of treating it.

Dan Forman is Founder, President and CEO of the Dependency Pain Treatment Center. The Dependency Pain Treatment Center is a company that provides out-patient treatment to treat opioid use disorder and other symptoms of dependency pain at medical clinics around the greater New Orleans area. 

Else Pederson is CEO of Bridge House/Grace House. Bridge House is for men and Grace House is for women. They are both long term residential treatment centers for people who have become dependent on drugs or alcohol.

Else and Dan are coming at the same problem from different perspectives and with different techniques. Dan is running a for profit business, Else is running a non-profit that is funded by donations and two businesses – a second hand car yard and recycled clothing stores. Dan comes from a business background, Else comes rom a clinical background. This is an illuminating and fascinating conversation.

Photos at Commander’s Palace by Alison Moon.