Crafting public policy to address the nation’s opioid epidemic

With roughly 115 Americans fatally overdosing from opioids each day, communities and families across the country are being ravaged by the effects of this ongoing crisis. Despite significant public attention being paid to the problem, questions of how to appropriately address the epidemic remain unanswered. Who should solutions target? Should prescriptions be monitored or restricted? Can we stop the growth of an illegal opioid market? How can society best help those in recovery?

On Monday, Oct. 15, Governance Studies Brookings hosted a forum to explore the complex public policy questions raised by opioid abuse. Panelists discussed current efforts to deal with the opioid crisis and suggestions for new approaches. Experts shed light on what makes this current crisis unique, and how policymakers, regulators and companies might proceed.

After the session, speakers took questions from the audience.