How and Why America Should Treat Opioids as More Dangerous than Terrorists

The opioid epidemic in the United States has risen to crisis proportions and policymakers at every level of government are searching for answers to the problem. The challenges facing this issue are many and a solution will both be complicated and take significant time. This lecture will focus on three parts. First, it will put the magnitude of the crisis into perspective, while outlining exactly what the opioid epidemic is. Second, the lecture will explore current federal level policy in this area and assess efforts to keep pace with the problem. Third, it will engage how state and local government officials can work together, work with the federal government, and even overcome federal government shortcomings in an effort to improve public health and keep communities safe.