What more needs to be done in the United States to enhance law enforcement efforts to combat diversion, educate our young people about the dangers of drug abuse, and increase access to treatment for addicts?

HEALTHCARE LAW (PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS)
October 19, 2019 Off All,

Description OVERVIEW: The dramatic increase in use of prescription opioids among patients and combined use of opioids with other licit and illicit, drugs and alcohol is staggering. Nearly 2 million Americans ages 12 and older have a substance use disorder involving prescription opioids, according to federal data. The epidemic we are experiencing needs to be fought from many directions. Federal, state and local government have responded by putting laws and regulations in place to face the opiate addiction problem in the U.S. Some argue that the measures put in place to combat over prescribing and diversion of opiates will not help or will even worsen the problem by turning prescription users to heroin. Prescribing guidelines and new legislation and laws are being created to help both at the state level and the federal level. YOU CAN USE CURRENT OUTSIDE SCHOLARLY RESOURCES TO HELP ANSWER THE QUESTIONS: Be sure to restate the question itself before each response so it is clear which you are answering. 1) What more needs to be done in the United States to enhance law enforcement efforts to combat diversion, educate our young people about the dangers of drug abuse, and increase access to treatment for addicts? 2) One response to the opioid epidemic has been to promote widespread distribution of naloxone. What is your position on this and other harm reduction measures? 3) Do you think the new laws, rules, and regulation proposed or in place is effective? What else should or could be done?