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Global Mental Health Ethics pp 193–205Cite as

Coping With Addictive Opioid Markets

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Abstract

Opioid dependence is a global issue that tears through the social, legal, and economic fabrics of society, and its effects on public health and years of life lost due to death/disability are concerning. Addiction poses a risk to national security, especially in regions devastated by war and natural disasters. Thus, there needs to be action on both a national level and an international level to help curb this epidemic. Evidence-based methods that focus on preventing and treating opiate misuse and addiction have been shown to be far more effective in reducing demand, mortality, and morbidity associated with addictive markets as compared to punitive tactics, such as criminalization, interdiction, and incarceration. Iran and Portugal provide case examples of countries that have found success in taking progressive approaches in intervening with the opioid crisis. Analysis of their approaches, along with discussion of other modalities, is paramount to understanding how this global issue can be contained.

Keywords

  • Opioid dependence
  • Addiction
  • Criminal justice
  • Harm reduction
  • Drug use
  • Substance use disorder
  • Public health
  • Infectious disease
  • Overdose deaths
  • Addiction rates

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Amir A. Afkhami & Javad John Fatollahi

Authors
  1. Amir A. Afkhami
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  2. Javad John Fatollahi
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Correspondence to Amir A. Afkhami .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    MD Allen R. Dyer

  2. Division of Global Mental Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    MD Brandon A. Kohrt

  3. Department of Behavioral Health, Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    MD Philip J. Candilis

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Afkhami, A.A., Fatollahi, J.J. (2021). Coping With Addictive Opioid Markets. In: Dyer, A.R., Kohrt, B.A., Candilis, P.J. (eds) Global Mental Health Ethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66296-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66296-7_12

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