Opioids in 2021: Enforcement Strategies and Policy Prescriptions

Opioid deaths in the US rose 29% during the course of the recent COVID pandemic. More than 55,000 Americans die annually from opioid consumption. Overtaken to some extent by other events, the opioid crisis is still with us and might be getting worse. The four participants in this panel discussion brought a wealth of experience and insight to this ongoing problem from both a law enforcement and public health perspective. Discussion ranged from the successes and failures of various law enforcement strategies and experiences to the efficacy of various public health policies and their often unintended consequences. This panel examined and discussed what has been learned to date in the efforts and what those lessons should tell us about what needs to be done to end the opioids crisis.

Featuring:

-- Robert M. Duncan, Jr., Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP

-- Christina E. Nolan, Shareholder, Sheehey Furlong & Behm PC

-- Prof. Tomas J. Philipson, Daniel Levin Professor of Public Policy, University of Chicago

-- Jeffrey A. Singer, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute

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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.