Opinion: Allocate opioid settlement dollars to real addiction-ending solutions
The crisis of opioid overdose deaths that sparked the multitude of lawsuits leading to a historic settlement continues to rage, with overdose deaths at an all-time high despite heightened national awareness and more resources than ever dedicated to treatment and overdose prevention. The persistence of this crisis underscores the dire need for well-informed and sustainable solutions that work — and funding for them.
Expediency dictates that the current crisis, marked by skyrocketing overdose deaths due to the infiltration of the drug supply with the deadly synthetic opioid, fentanyl, must be met head on. Efforts to spread the word to the public that “one pill can kill” and expediting universal access to naloxone, a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose, are urgently needed and essential for staunching the immediate crisis.
