The US urgently needs a smarter, multi-pronged strategy and cabinet-level leadership to tackle an escalating overdose epidemic which poses an unacceptable threat to national security and the economy, a bipartisan congressional commission has found.
The long-awaited report by the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking calls for a major shift in policy to combat rising fatal overdoses, with much greater focus on reducing demand through public health measures and better treatment options.
About a million Americans have died from drug overdoses since 1999, with around 100,000 deaths in the past year. About two-thirds of the recent fatalities – about 170 a day, mostly working-age Americans – have involved synthetic or human-made opioids like fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin.
The pandemic has contributed to a surge in substance misuse including fatal overdoses. At least one in 10 Americans initiated or…
