ABSTRACT
This article seeks to shed light on civil commitment in the context of the opioid crisis, to sketch the existing legal landscape surrounding civil commitment, and to illustrate the relevant medical, ethical, and legal concerns that policymakers must take into account as they struggle to find appropriate responses to the crisis.
Subject(s)
Inpatients , Involuntary Treatment/legislation & jurisprudence , Opioid-Related Disorders/therapy , Residential Treatment , Civil Rights/legislation & jurisprudence , Humans , Involuntary Treatment/ethics , United StatesABSTRACT
Expanding buprenorphine access in the United States requires evidence-based decision-making that considers both the drug's potential dangers and its potential benefits. Risks associated with buprenorphine misuse and diversion highlight the need for careful, ongoing evaluation during each stage of increased access.
Subject(s)
Buprenorphine/administration & dosage , Buprenorphine/adverse effects , Narcotic Antagonists/administration & dosage , Narcotic Antagonists/adverse effects , Opiate Substitution Treatment , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Alcohol Drinking/adverse effects , Health Policy , Health Services Accessibility , Humans , Opioid-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Prescription Drug Misuse , United StatesABSTRACT
This article seeks to document the latest danger in the opioid crisis: fentanyl and related synthetic opioids. Fifty times more potent than pure heroin, cheaper to manufacture in laboratories worldwide, and easily distributed by mail and couriers, fentanyl is flooding the illicit opioid markets throughout the country.
Subject(s)
Analgesics, Opioid/adverse effects , Drug Trafficking , Fentanyl/adverse effects , Illicit Drugs/adverse effects , Analgesics, Opioid/supply & distribution , Counterfeit Drugs/adverse effects , Drug Overdose , Drug Trafficking/economics , Drug Trafficking/legislation & jurisprudence , Fentanyl/analogs & derivatives , Fentanyl/supply & distribution , Humans , Illicit Drugs/supply & distribution , Internationality , Opioid-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Public Policy , United StatesABSTRACT
This article examines how federal law enforcement has responded to the opioid epidemic nationally and in a variety of locales. We focus in depth on two initiatives, including prosecution in opioid-death cases, undertaken by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Connecticut.
