Reducing Drug Overdose Deaths Significant Changes Needed in US Drug Treatment Policy

Slow and incremental changes in fed-eral and state drug policies are neither meeting treatment needs nor revers-ing yearly increases in drug-related mortality. U.S. drug policies convey confounding messages that non -sanctioned substance use leads to health problems that need treatment while simultaneously being legal prob-lems that must be punished. As a result, drug treatments remain a sequestered component of health care, with oner-ous treatment requirements for pa-tients and providers that act as barriers to the treatment that policies seek to allow. A new direction in drug policy is needed that broadens rather than restricts access to care and that also focuses on prevention. Policies must consider the totality of health and well-ness, not just "last resort" safety nets for urgent needs. For substantive change in drug-related morbidity and mortal-ity, forward-thinking policy must focus more on addiction prevention and ad-dress the known risks of developing a substance use disorder. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61(6), 7-10.]