By: Jacqueline Bain
Earlier this month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the formation of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, which is a pilot program of the United Stated Department of Justice. AG Sessions noted that there are three components to approach the opioid crisis that our nation faces: prevention, treatment and enforcement.
- Prevention. AG Sessions noted briefly that the DOJ is undertaking that component through raising awareness, through drug take-back programs, and through DEA’s 360 Strategy program, which incorporates law enforcement, diversion control and community outreach to tackle the cycle of violence and addiction in US cities. He also stated that law enforcement is a component of prevention.
- Treatment. AG Sessions articulated that treatment can help break the cycle of addiction and crime and help people get their lives back together.
- Enforcement. AG Sessions dove deep in the area of enforcement, reasoning that enforcing our laws helps keep drugs out of the hands of our citizens, decreases their availability, drives up their price, and reduces their purity and addictiveness. He added, “Enforcement will make a difference in turning the tide in this epidemic.”
