SAFE Project examined these federal recommendations through the lens of SAFE’s six lines of operation. Our team researched and analyzed the current progress in federal action, and provided our “take” on where each recommendation has or hasn’t shown progress. This unique analysis is through the lens of SAFE’s six areas of focus, and coordination of national priorities in state and local communities. “SAFE Takes” can be used by government, communities, non-profits, public and private sector to understand gaps, challenges, and opportunities to positively impact this crisis.
The launch of significant policy response to our nation’s addiction epidemic can be traced back to three key factors in 2017 and 2018:
In October 2017, the President of the United States directed the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the opioid crisis a “public health emergency.”
In November 2017, the White House released “The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and The Opioid Crisis” (Commission).
In January 2018, the National Governors Association (NGA) released “Governors’ Recommendations for Federal Action to End the Nation’s Opioid Crisis.”
Our “SAFE Takes” on the White House and NGA legislation are categorized by the following topics:
More than 300,000 Americans have died from overdoses involving opioids since 2000.
“In 2016, nearly 20,000 Americans died as a result of using synthetic opioids such as fentanyl,” President Trump said before signing the INTERDICT Act. “This law directs the Department of Homeland Security to provide additional tools and resources to detect and intercept the supply of illicit fentanyl.” – whitehouse.gov/opioids
The United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic to include overdoses involving prescription opioid medications, heroin, and illicit fentanyl (a powerful synthetic opioid medication that is increasingly being produced illicitly). ”
