(WXYZ) — In tonight's 7 UpFront segment we're focusing on the efforts to fight addiction in Michigan.
More than 185 people died from overdoses every day in the United States - Which is almost 8 people every hour.
We're being joined by the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit Families Against Narcotics Linda Davis to talk about it.
You can see the full interview tonight in the video player above.
"I really think that our work with the police departments is twofold," Davis says. "Number 1, it really starts to mend relationships with the police and the community. I also think it goes a long way in reducing the stigma of addiction. In the past, police officers have always arrested people with drug addiction and looked at penalties for that. They're now more attuned to the fact that addiction is a disease and they are willing to help people access treatment rather than being punitive. It is rehabilitation that is taking place. So we're working right now in the State of Michigan with 101 police departments. We have 69 police departments in the state of New York that we are working with and we have two different programs that involved police and law enforcement in the effort to fight addiction."
