Author Richard Baum: Inside America's Opioid Crisis

In recognition of National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, MRSPL welcomes former Drug Czar Richard J. Baum to discuss his book, Inside America's Opioid Crisis: 12 Hard Lessons for Today’s Drug War. Every component of the drug fight needs to change, from the health care system to the justice system, from Homeland security to Congress. American lives depend on it. The country has been buffeted by four deadly overlapping waves of the opioid crisis, starting with prescription painkillers followed by heroin, fentanyl, and now dangerous drug combinations of opioids with methamphetamine, cocaine, and other substances, often sold as pills via social media. Fatal overdoses, reduced from peak levels, is still disturbingly high. Further, drug addiction, which impacts 28 million Americans, remains unchanged. Why are the country's efforts to reduce overdoses, addiction and drug-related crime not working better? What can be done to get us back on track? This bold new book answers these questions-not with glib rhetoric or easy solutions-but with straight talk and a clear roadmap to take on the crisis. It is time for Washington to own up to its own errors and change how it takes on the drug problem. Major reforms are urgently needed, innovations in public health, justice and social policies are spelled out throughout this book which address the opioid crisis and prepare us for whatever comes next. -- Bloomsbury Publishing To register for this program, please scroll down and click on the blue "Register" box. About the Presenter Richard J. Baum is Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, and he previously served as Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Executive Director of the President’s Opioid Commission. Prior to his distinguished, almost three decades-long career at ONDCP, Baum was a Congressional staffer, NGO executive, and journalist. Baum's expertise has been sought after by policymakers and professionals alike. He has testified before Congress and served as a keynote speaker at national and international conferences focused on drugs, crime, and health. Raised in New York City, Baum currently lives in Falls Church, Virginia.