3-Point Action Plan for the Overdose Crisis

The bipartisan U.S. 打击合成阿片类药物贩运委员会最近发布了一套开创性的 recommendations 为科罗拉多州应对芬太尼过量危机和拯救生命提供了明确的路线图:

  1. Immediately reduce overdose deaths
  2. Permanently reduce demand
  3. Disrupt supply from major transnational criminal organizations

任何促进这些目标的循证政策都值得在科罗拉多州的行动计划中加以考虑. Any policy that does not will, at best, be an ineffective and weak response that will divert critical resources. At worst, it may make the crisis even worse. In Colorado, it is clear we are largely on the right track, but we need to focus even more intently on a few key areas.

 

Immediately Reduce Overdose Deaths: 全面解决合成阿片类药物危机将需要多年的长期努力, but there are things we can do right now to start saving lives today:

     ✅  Life-saving overdose reversal and fentanyl testing
纳洛酮和芬太尼试纸可以显著减少过量死亡. 科罗拉多州已经走在了这些努力的前沿，应该继续专注于确保现有项目的全面实施.
 
    

✅ Local responses to local challenges.
The fentanyl crisis does not look the same in every community. 我们可以通过给予一线的地方领导人所需的灵活性来挽救生命，使他们能够利用一切可能的工具来应对危机. This includes passing legislation like HB23-1202 that would finally clear the path for local communities to pilot proven strategies like overdose prevention centers.
 
         ✅ Good Samaritan Laws
The evidence is clear. Good Samaritan laws save lives. Laws like HB23-1167 是否允许人们在吸毒过量时拨打求助电话而不用担心被起诉.

 

 

Permanently Reduce Demand: 委员会发现，“只有通过将非法合成阿片类药物供应中断与减少美国国内的毒品供应相结合，才能取得真正的进展.S. demand for these drugs,” and highlighted prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies to accomplish that goal:

     ✅ Prevent synthetic opioid use
Effective prevention strategies include public education campaigns, improved access to mental health care and services, prescription buy-back programs, 培训公共卫生官员阻断通往物质使用障碍的途径, medically-assisted treatment, and increased access to opioid alternatives. Colorado is implementing many of these strategies, including a Household Medication Take Back Program, and should continue to maintain and expand these efforts.
 
     ✅ High-quality treatment options 
Expanding access to evidence-based treatment, including medically-assisted treatment, is an essential component of permanently reducing demand. 由于最近的政策和利用美国救援计划法案资金的资助努力，科罗拉多州正在取得进展, federal funds from the State Opioid Response Grant, and recent opioid settlement funds. 维持和扩大这些努力将成功地减少需求并提高社区安全.
 
         ✅ Recovery and re-entry support
拯救生命和永久减少需求需要为持续复苏提供长期支持, including workforce re-entry, access to housing, and reducing the stigma of drug use and recovery. 由于科罗拉多州在本届会议上就住房准入问题制定了强有力的立法议程, 政策制定者不应忽视为经济复苏中的人们消除进入住房的所有障碍. In addition, 投资应考虑持续资助科罗拉多州的个人安置支持计划, which links people in recovery to employers and employment supports, as well as in funding peer recovery support services.

 

 

阻断跨国犯罪组织不安全合成阿片类药物的供应. As the Commission stated, “非法芬太尼的供应不能仅仅通过执法来永久阻止，只能在另一个卡特尔之前暂时中断, trafficking method, or analogue steps in to fill the market that addiction creates.” Notably, 委员会很清楚，只有把重点放在主要的跨国犯罪组织上，才能减少不安全合成物的供应. It did not recommend any new or increased criminal penalties. 它确实就地方执法部门和检察官如何才能最好地为实际产生可衡量的供应方影响的努力作出贡献提供了具体建议:

     ✅ Disrupt supply chains and markets with unsafe and counterfeit tablets
The key strategies must be implemented at the federal level, and include enhanced monitoring of mail and border screening, international cooperation to restrict precursor chemicals, 与私营部门合作，减少通过互联网分发阿片类药物和前体化学品, 打击跨国犯罪组织的洗钱活动.
 
     ✅ Aid federal investigation of transnational organizations and darknet sales
这些建议指出，地方执法部门在协助联邦调查制造不安全合成阿片类药物的跨国犯罪组织方面处于“独特地位”. 地方执法部门还可以提供必要的调查协助，以破坏合成阿片类药物和前体化学品在暗网上的分销. 科罗拉多州的执法部门应该向政策制定者提供更多的信息，告诉他们如何优先分配现有的资源和人员来帮助联邦政府的努力.
 
         ✅ Promptly investigate and map overdose deaths and non-fatal events  
委员会建议，地方执法部门必须发挥重要作用，迅速查明非致命和致命的过量用药情况，以确定“交易最危险药物组合的零售经销商”，以便在更多死亡发生之前，就不安全和致命的合成药物的流通向社区发出警告. There is evidence of serious gaps in Colorado’s law enforcement investigation of fentanyl deaths.This can be immediately addressed by local law enforcement agencies, and there is no need for a new law or additional resources to do so.

 

 

In Colorado, 目前正在考虑的一些政策不会减少过量用药, disrupt supply, or reduce demand, and should be rejected in favor of the evidence-based alternatives above:

     ❌ So-called “Drug-Induced Homicides” laws
Laws like SB23-109 have long existed under federal law and in twenty states. 它们的无效和意想不到的后果有很长的记录. These laws do not help law enforcement disrupt supply, can increase the risk of overdoses, 耗尽本可以更好地用在其他地方的有限检察资源, ensnare people who are often simply friends or family of the deceased, and have a disproportionate impact on people of color. 事实证明，这些法律是如此无效和分散注意力，以至于一个由民选地区检察官组成的全国协会建议 prosecutors cease using them. In any event, 科罗拉多州可以根据现有的联邦法律在极少数情况下进行起诉，在这种情况下他们可能是正当的.
 
     ❌ Criminalization and prosecution
长期以来，对使用或拥有毒品的人进行刑事定罪和起诉已被证明对减少过量使用起反作用，对供应或需求没有影响. 任何对使用或持有毒品的人施加更严厉的刑事处罚的法律都会使结果变得更糟. 政策制定者应该拒绝增加刑事处罚或资助更多起诉的提议. 他们还应该仔细分析去年增加对持有芬太尼的刑事处罚的立法的影响，并考虑是否应该废除该政策.

 

 

Additional Resources