Confronting the Epidemic of Drug Overdose Deaths in Our Communities

As America’s drug overdose and death epidemic continues to impact communities of every size in every corner of the country, new challenges have emerged.

In 2021, more than 107,000 people died from drug-related overdoses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bulk of which were from illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which shows up in fake pills, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

Since its founding in 2014, the American Medical Association (AMA) Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force have brought together medical societies and practicing physicians to develop and...