On this AEI Events Podcast, AEI welcomes Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) alongside an esteemed panel to discuss “The Numbers Behind the Opioid Epidemic,” a report from the Joint Economic Committee’s Social Capital Project.

The Social Capital Project of the Joint Economic Committee is a multiyear research effort investigating the quality of the nation’s associational life — a term applied to the web of social relationships such as families, communities, and workplaces. A recent report from the project titled “The Numbers Behind the Opioid Crisis” suggests that a focus on economic sources of despair is unlikely to be productive and that social disrepair is the stronger force.

Along with remarks from Scott Winship of the Joint Economic Committee and Yuval Levin of National Affairs, AEI’s Sally Satel joins Sen. Lee to offer an overview of the crisis, highlighting both the intensity and the scope of its impact. Sen. Lee further discusses potential solutions to the opioid epidemic, such as the importance of community engagement and productive means of recovery.

Watch the full event here.

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Ryan Streeter kicks off the event (0:56), Mike Lee takes the stage (2:30), first audience Q&A (29:27), the panel joins the conversation (33:01), followed by another audience Q&A of the panel (1:09:05).

This event took place on March 13, 2018.