The Opioid Overdose Epidemic and Response

This article takes a structural approach to understanding the origins of the opioid epidemic as one of the largest persisting public health crises in history. The opioid epidemic in the United States has its origin over 150 years ago, and reviewing this history provides a contextual framework within which we can understand the current state of the crisis. Given the escalating severity of the opioid epidemic and the ineffectiveness of stringent legislation and penalizing measures against people who use drugs, innovative treatment modalities have started to gain traction. Such novel strategies, particularly those consistent with harm reduction, have become essential in counteracting the surging incidence of opioid-related deaths.