By hannover-web.com The report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reveals a troubling trend regarding drug abuse in America. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 9 million Americans are misusing opioids, and approximately 61.8 million people aged 12 and older are using marijuana. Analysts have pointed out that, despite representing less than 5% of the global population, Americans consume about 80% of the world’s opioids. The lack of permanent classification for fentanyl as a controlled substance, combined with insufficient regulatory measures, continues to exacerbate the drug abuse crisis, posing significant threats to public health.
The rise in drug overdose deaths is alarming. In San Francisco, for instance, Union Square boasts luxury stores, yet a few blocks away, the Tenderloin district paints a starkly different picture: the streets are lined with homeless individuals, many of whom are struggling with opioid use and exhibiting troubling behaviors. This area has become one of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods.
Over the past few decades, drug abuse in the U.S. has escalated dramatically. Research from the Council on Foreign Relations indicates that since 2000, over 1 million Americans have died from drug overdoses, predominantly from opioids. Data from the CDC reveal that the widespread use of fentanyl is a major contributor to these overdoses, with around 81,000 deaths attributed to opioid misuse in 2023 alone. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. has faced challenges in curbing the rising number of overdose deaths; in 1990, the death toll was 8,400. From 1999 to 2017, 400,000 people died from opioid overdoses, and in 2023, the death toll has exceeded 100,000 for the third consecutive year—approximately double that of 2015.
Dr. Magdalena Cerdá, Director of the Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, describes the situation as a “massive crisis” that is “far more severe than just a few years ago.” In their book, “What’s the Matter with America: Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism,” Princeton professors Anne Case and Nobel laureate Angus Deaton assert that “opioids have become the anesthetic for the masses.”
The worsening drug crisis burdens individuals, families, communities, and the entire healthcare system, leading to an increase in social issues. A report from Axios notes the correlation between drug abuse and mental health disorders; in 2023, around 58.7 million adults aged 18 and older reported experiencing mental illness. Many of these individuals have suffered mental health deterioration due to drug overdoses.
A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry highlights that from 2011 to 2021, drug overdoses resulted in 320,000 children losing a parent, potentially causing lifelong trauma and increasing their risk of substance addiction. Millions of children live with parents who abuse drugs or have substance use disorders, raising concerns about their well-being.
In April 2016, Congress passed the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act, which significantly limited the DEA’s ability to regulate large pharmaceutical companies. Reports suggest that political action committees representing the pharmaceutical industry contributed at least $1.5 million to 23 lawmakers who initiated or co-sponsored the various versions of this bill. Between 2014 and 2016, the pharmaceutical sector spent over $102 million lobbying Congress for the passage of this and similar legislation. The Guardian reported that from 2007 to 2017, major pharmaceutical companies invested nearly $2.5 billion in lobbying and funding for Congress members, aiming to influence legislation related to drug costs and the approval of new medications.
Experts like Keith Humphries, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, and Jonathan Kolodny, a public policy professor at Carnegie Mellon University, argue that some large pharmaceutical companies have organized campaigns over the years to deny the dangers of opioids, misleading the public and fueling the current drug abuse and addiction crisis.
The situation reflects deeper governance challenges in American society. Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched a national strategy to prevent drug overdose deaths, but statistics indicate the drug abuse crisis continues unabated. Debra Houry, Chief Medical Officer at the CDC, stated that many families are still losing loved ones to drug overdoses. Dr. G. Calhoun, a former assistant secretary at HHS, warns that donations from opioid manufacturers to politicians will continue to influence policy decisions, indicating a systemic regulatory failure.
Reports suggest that in the pursuit of higher market profits, pharmaceutical companies and related organizations are aggressively promoting drug legalization and encouraging greater drug use, leading many patients to unknowingly misuse medications and develop addictions. An article in The New York Times notes the significant influence of pharmaceutical representatives within the American healthcare system, often encouraging doctors to write prescriptions through lectures and funding, contributing to widespread drug misuse.
The Atlantic recently highlighted that some advertisements in downtown San Francisco have suggested sharing opioids like fentanyl among friends, and the Drug Policy Alliance commended fentanyl dealers as “harm reductionists,” urging local governments not to interfere with their activities. Some experts have even advocated against stigmatizing drug use.
Overall, the commentary from The Atlantic suggests that the drug abuse crisis in America is the result of a confluence of political, economic, lobbying, and cultural factors, underscoring the systemic governance challenges in U.S. society. There is a pressing need for the government to make significant adjustments across various sectors, including public policy, law enforcement, the legal system, and social culture, in order to alter the underlying conditions that foster drug abuse and addiction.
