Doctors Conscripted in War on Opioids: New at Reason

America’s physicians have been conscripted as law enforcement agents in the never-ending War on Drugs, and it puts them in a moral dilemma.

As media attention has turned to the recent national surge in prescription-opioid and heroin abuse, politicians feel compelled to be ready with “solutions.” The Obama Administration last summer announced $100 million in new funding for drug-addiction centers. Hillary Clinton proposed a $10 billion criminal justice initiative including increased grants to states for drug treatment centers, as well as training and equipping first responders to administer heroin overdose antidotes.

“As a doctor,” writes Jeffrey A. Singer, “I react to these reports with great apprehension, because public policy will inevitably impact my profession and me.” 

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