This campaign is presented by Boulder Care, a digital clinic providing medication, resources, and support for people with opioid and alcohol addiction.
Substance use, addiction, and overdose have been synonymous with the word “crisis” since the 1990s. But a crisis – or an emergency of this magnitude – is not supposed to last for 35 years. In 2024, more than 80,000 people died from drug overdoses, which is a substantial decline from over 100,000 the year before. And yet, fewer than 5% of people who need treatment for addiction actually receive it.
If something is a crisis, you step up and look for ways to solve it.
That’s what Boulder Care is doing in this campaign. We are saying loud and clear: treat people better. That starts with how we deliver care and treatment for addiction.
The Solution
We know what works: medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), such as buprenorphine, are among the most effective treatments in all of medicine. They manage symptoms like cravings and withdrawal, and they keep people alive and stable.
The problem is how we deliver that care. When we talk to folks about their experiences with recovery prior to Boulder, they describe treatment as unsafe, coercive, punitive, and judgmental. Many were expelled from programs and left even more vulnerable — or avoided care entirely. With experiences like that, who would want to seek treatment?
When we asked people what good care would look like — what would make them want to start treatment, and stay in treatment, this is what we heard: A program that didn’t ask them to wait in long lines, with no guarantee of being seen. Providers who recognize that recovery isn’t linear or one-size-fits-all. Safety. Human connection. Patience. Compassion.
That vision aligns with evidence. Virtual MOUD care keeps patients in recovery longer. Shared decision-making and peer support improve outcomes. And unconditional support keeps people engaged — day after imperfect day.
Who we are
Boulder Care was founded in 2017 to make addiction treatment more accessible, desirable, and effective. Since then, we’ve served over 25,000 patients — all via telehealth. Four out of five patients are still in care after 3 months — and we know how hard those first 3 months can be. Our overall retention rates are more than double the industry average. Our health plan partners have seen emergency department use drop by 40% and physical health costs by 77%.
Behind those numbers are stories we hear firsthand about the power of meeting people where they’re at and sticking with them as they build a life outside of their addiction. When patients have access to the medicine they need and a program where they feel heard, supported, safe, and cared for — they rebuild and thrive. We see it every single day.
Take Action
Our goal is to challenge distorted perceptions and broadly held prejudices that stand in the way of making progress. We wish to inspire optimism in the community and in the addiction medicine field by loudly saying addiction is treatable. When you believe in people’s boundless capacity to weather adversity and make changes in their life, they can and do get better. We see this everyday.
We hope that leaders in government and the treatment industry hear our message. We are trying to push ourselves and the field to do better. To open the door to treatment and invite everyone who is curious about changing their life to engage in a new paradigm of care that centers their humanity and their needs above everything else.
Addiction does not have to be a crisis. Partner with us to implement solutions. Join our mission to improve the lives of people who are struggling.
That’s why we’re calling on leaders in the addiction medicine industry at large to join us. Let’s leave behind what treatment and recovery are “supposed “ to look like. Let’s work together and focus on making the highest quality care accessible to everyone who needs it the moment they want it. Let’s push ourselves to deliver that care in a way that makes room for the diverse experience of addiction. Let’s focus on the humanity of those who have been stigmatized and cast aside by our society. Let’s write a better story for addiction and recovery — together. Let’s finally turn the tide on addiction.
Addiction does not have to be a crisis. Working together we can improve lives and start healing.
Want to work with us to improve addiction treatment? Reach out.
For media inquiries, email press@boulder.care.