The U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking has released its final report on the opioid crisis.
Research has revealed that more than one million Americans have died from drug overdoses since 1999, a staggering loss for our country. Additionally, the number of Americans lost due to opioids each year is more than double the number killed by vehicle accidents, suicide, or firearms, and this rate is continuing to rise.
Following a year of discussions on key aspects of the opioid problem including foreign policy and homeland security, the Commissioners presented data-driven proposals for a coordinated approach to the opioid crisis, with the following recommendations:
Disrupt drug supply through targeted oversight and enforcement;
Make public health demand-reduction approaches central in the fight against opioid trafficking to reduce the number of potential buyers;
Collaborate with other countries involved in the production and distribution of synthetic opioids and their chemical precursors;
Improve surveillance and data analysis to allow for more timely and effective interventions.
