As the nationwide opioid litigation plays out in court against Big Pharma and companies that distributed and sold the drugs, the lawsuits have ignored one major culprit in the crisis: policies such as prescription monitoring that were intended to curb the epidemic but instead exacerbated it. An opinion piece in Scientific American argues that while policymakers advocated drug monitoring to curb the use of opioid painkillers, they erred by not at the same time expanding drug treatment. Prescriptions did decline, but those addicted to the drugs subsequently no longer had access to them and turned to illegal street dealers who cut their supply with deadly fentanyl. As medical use decreased, the total number of overdose deaths more than doubled between 2011 and 2020—soaring to a record 90,000 or more last year. As we reckon with the causes of the crisis and seek to end the epidemic, it’s important to acknowledge this policy failure and rectify it going forward.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reports how the methamphetamine epidemic tore apart a small town in Wyoming, and how two police officers who tried to break up drug dealing ran into a wall of silence that is perpetuating an insidious drug and alcohol problem in the community.
And finally, a town in New York that wants to turn a former prison for drug criminals into a marijuana growing facility is grappling with the implications of cannabis legalization in the state. Supporters of transforming the sprawling site in Warwick into pot production say it would bring jobs and businesses and boost the local economy. But some parents worry that it would send a message to children condoning drug use, and lead to an increase in consumption. It’s an issue that municipalities across the state are confronting as they debate whether to opt out of allowing dispensaries or embrace a potentially risky new industry.