America is missing out on a crucial opportunity to contain opioid overdose deaths - Scienceline

America is missing out on a crucial opportunity to contain opioid overdose deaths - Scienceline

Treatment of opioid use disorder starting in jails could curb America’s fatal drug overdoses. But the country is missing the opportunity. A new nationwide study conducted by researchers at two federal health agencies shows that only 43.8% of jails in the U.S. are providing medications to incarcerated people to treat opioid use disorder, a chronic brain condition. Two-thirds of incarcerated people have a substance use disorder, the majority of wh…