About this episode
In this special episode of Intelligence Matters, Michael Morell speaks with retired U.S. Navy Admiral James "Sandy" Winnefeld about a non-traditional national security threat that has affected him personally: America's opioid crisis. Winnefeld recently lost his own son Jonathan to opioid addiction, and he is dedicating his life to reversing a crisis he calls a national emergency. The statistics are staggering: the CDC reports that more than 64,000 Americans died in 2016 from a drug overdose more than 20 times the number of Americans killed on 9/11. Winnefeld, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says if America is going to reverse this epidemic, "We need a call to arms" to remove the long-standing stigmas around drug use. He has founded SAFEproject.us (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic) to support action that will prevent fatal opioid overdoses, and counter opioid addiction's impact on our society. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices