'Doing nothing is not an option': Monroe doctor featured in The Rotarian magazine

MONROE — Monroe's only certified addiction provider, Dr. Arun Gupta, is featured in a worldwide magazine.

Gupta, a member of the Monroe Rotary Club, has been fighting the opioid epidemic for years. His work and his research are showcased in the January issue of “The Rotarian,” the monthly publication of Rotary International. The magazine has a circulation of 1.4 million worldwide. The story is available at rotary.org/en/first-response-opioid-crisis.

The nine-page cover story, “The Race to Save Lives,” discusses the U.S. opioid crisis and some of the efforts of Rotarians, including Gupta and Steve Ahles, a retired firefighter from Southgate.

According to the story, opioid addiction is at a crisis level. More than 80,000 people in the U.S. died of overdoses in 2022. That's nearly quadruple the deaths in 2010. The story covers the history of the crisis, efforts to distribute Narcan and several school programs.

The story also shares Gupta's research that shows 87 percent of people with opioid use disorder are not in treatment and that few U.S. doctors are willing to prescribe treatment because of the strict regulations. Gupta said he has an 85 percent success rate in his Monroe practice. A full-page photo of Gupta by Matthew Hatcher concludes the story.

“The Race to Save Lives” was written by Elizabeth Hewitt and is a collaboration by “The Rotarian” and Reasons to be Cheerful, a nonprofit online magazine. Hewitt communicated with Gupta by phone and email.

For years, Gupta has been advocating for an end to the opioid crisis. A physician for more than 36 years, he became interested in addiction medicine in 1999, when he began an 11-year stint as a jail physician. That led him to train in addiction medicine, and he's been in the field since 2006.

"I have known Dr. Arun Gupta for 28 years. He has advanced specialty medical training in addiction medicine and is a very passionate crusader in the fight against the opioid crisis," said Dr. Irving Hwang, an area pathologist and president of the Monroe Rotary Club. "Dr. Gupta has discussed his proactive viewpoints with government officials."

Gupta is urging Rotary International to take up the opioid cause, like it did with polio 35 years ago. Gupta said Rotary International plans to officially end its polio efforts in 2026.

“It’s 99.9 percent eradicated,” Gupta said. He’s hoping Rotary will start working on the opioid epidemic as soon as this year.

“They usually need funding to research, usually $2 million. My book has done the research. I said, use my book," Gupta said. “Doing nothing is not an option."

In 2022, Gupta published the 277-page "The Preventable Epidemic: A Frontline Doctor's Experience and Recommendations to Resolve America's Opioid Crisis." In the book, Gupta say opioid deaths can be greatly reduced, and that regulations for physicians, which have steepened over the last 20 years, are hindering addiction recovery in the U.S.

"I highly recommend the book," Hwang said. "It is a very comprehensive view on the opioid addiction crisis."

Previous Coverage: Monroe doctor writes book about opioid crisis

Several years ago, Gupta, a Rotarian since 2007, met with John Hewko, general secretary of Rotary International, and told him about his cause. Gupta has also worked with Larry Kenemore, head of Rotary’s Project Smart, an initiative of Rotary Action Group for Addiction Prevention, North America Chapter. Gupta is the chair of that group.

After publishing his book, Gupta began the nonprofit SOS: Serious Opioid Solutions and spoke at a Rotary International meeting in Houston, Texas. Since then, he said he's given “several thousand” other presentations on the crisis.

"He has presented at many conferences, seminars and meetings, using his extensive knowledge about the opioid crisis to educate and train people in various specialties," Hwang said.

Previous Coverage: Dr. Arun Gupta, others hosting 'Serious Opioid Solutions' fundraiser Oct. 8 in Monroe

Gupta has two main goals. First, he wants to get accurate information to the public.

“They are missing information. No no is talking about solutions. I laid down the solutions to the problems (in my book)," Gupta said.

His second goal is to get many more people into treatment.

Gupta currently has several projects underway that he hopes will help the cause. He signed with a producer to appear in a documentary. He wrote a chapter in Susan Bartz Herrick’s upcoming book “Slow Dancing with the Devil: A Son's Substance Use Disorder, A Mother's Anguish.” And, he's trying to secure funding to start local programs, such as efforts to distribute test kits and provide Narcan.

In Monroe, Gupta continues to see addicted patients at his practice at 1094 N. Monroe St. He said the majority of his patients kick the drug habit and go on to get jobs and buy homes. Two years ago, Gupta got a drug drop-off disposal for his office from Rotary. Patients and non-patients can drop off drugs. Gupta said the disposal is used frequently.

Gupta, a native of India, came to Monroe in 1989. He joined the Monroe Rotary Club on the invitation of another area physician, Dr. Ram Nair.

— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe's Dr. Gupta featured in international magazine