Get Tough & Smart - How to Start Winning the War on Drug Addiction

From Introduction to Get Tough & Smart : In 2012, cumulative American drug overdose deaths exceeded our deaths in the Second World War. [1]  In 2017, there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. [2]  By 2021, our total drug overdose deaths will exceed all U.S. war deaths. [3]  Our current incarcerated population in American prisons and jails, many of whom are addicts or drug traffickers, is over three times all U.S. war deaths. American  addiction is more deadly than war. Addict deaths represent fully wasted lives. “For every drug overdose that results in death, there are many more nonfatal overdoses, each one with its own emotional and economic toll.” [4]  “In 2015, an estimated 547,543 emergency department visits occurred for all drug-related poisonings in the U.S.” and “rates were highest among persons aged 15–19.” [5] “The overall mortality rate for unintentional drug poisonings in the United States grew exponentially from 1979 through 2016...