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The fentanyl epidemic in North America and the global reach of synthetic opioids

Providing actionable recommendations for U.S. domestic and international policies to the fentanyl epidemic and lessons for other governments.

A stop opioids use door knocker hangs on a doorknob during an opioids outreach event along W. 23rd and N. Market streets in Wilmington, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023.
527,344 Americans have died from opioid overdoses since 2012, the year fentanyl started entering the U.S. illicit drug market
+100K died from drug overdose annually since 2021
#1 main cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45 since 2021

Over the past three decades, the United States has faced an unprecedented opioid crisis, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl driving overdose deaths to catastrophic levels.

In response, the Brookings Institution has conducted extensive research into the public health and security dimensions of this crisis to develop effective policy solutions. Through 12 in-depth papers, “The fentanyl epidemic in North America and the global reach of synthetic opioids” provides actionable recommendations for U.S. domestic and international policies and lessons for other governments.

Scene setter

U.S. drug markets

U.S. domestic policies

Synthetic opioids beyond North America

The Killing Drugs podcast

On “The Killing Drugs” podcast, project director and host Vanda Felbab-Brown interviews leading experts on the devastating synthetic opioid crisis to find policies that can save lives.

Listen to the podcast

Project organizers

Director

Vanda Felbab-Brown Director - Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors, Co-Director - Africa Security Initiative, Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology

Conveners

Natalie Britton Director of Operations - Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology
Diana Paz García Senior Research Assistant - Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology