The Triple Wave Epidemic: Supply and Demand Drivers of the US Opioid Overdose Crisis

This brief from the Council on Foreign Relations focuses on the United States fentanyl crisis. In 2020, opioid-related overdose deaths increased from 50,000 to 70,000; more than 80 percent of these deaths are attributable to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. The brief provides information on the sources of fentanyl production, compares trends with other countries, discusses the U.S. response, and explains the scale of the crisis. In September 2021, The Biden administration classified all fentanyl-related…

This teaching pack focuses on opioid use and the global pain epidemic. It features a lesson plan, “An Opioid Epidemic for Whom?” that is designed for interactive classroom learning about the various factors contributing to the opioid epidemic in the United States, and to place it within a larger global context. Students are invited to contrast the opioid epidemic in the U.S. with the dearth of pain relief medications available in low- and middle-income countries.…

This fact sheet from the World Health Organization (WHO) provides information about opioid overdoses worldwide, outlining effects of opioids, physical symptoms of overdose, risk factors, and emergency responses to it. The fact sheet also highlights gaps in access to effective opioid dependence treatment as well as gaps in access to naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdose.