We are living in the midst of an epidemic. Over the past 15 years, the number of Americans dying from opioid-related overdoses has skyrocketed by more than 200%. Facing a mounting death toll, policymakers have proposed solutions from needle exchanges to reducing the availability of prescription opioids. But the crisis seems to rage on. Professor Keith Humphreys digs into how we got here, what we know about which policy responses actually work, and what might be next in the never ending fight against addiction.

For more on this topic:

• Check out his SSN brief, How America Can Effectively Fight the Opioid Crisis
• Read his opinion pieces for The Washington Post
• Find the Vox article mentioned in the episode on the rise of meth and cocaine overdoses