Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First of all, Mr. Sword, I offer you my deepest condolences. Your testimony was very touching, shocking even.
Dr. Judson, I would like to take advantage of your experience and thank you for your dedication to the fight against drug addiction: 49 years in the field is a very long time. It could be likened to a calling.
Today the toxic drug crisis is very complex, much more so, I guess, than when you could prescribe methadone to a heroin addict. The drugs of today are made up of a number of substances. Experts have even told us that when you begin to treat someone addicted to synthetic drugs, you can suddenly realize that the individual is becoming very ill because you don't have what it takes to wean him off a certain drug that plays a role in his addiction.
With regard to the crisis we are currently facing, I would like you to tell us what additional challenges we are facing compared to what it was like at the beginning of your career in substance abuse treatment.