3/30/18 article by Richard Hartunian, Jacqueline Wolff, Joel Ario, Jocelyn Guyer, Sandy Robinson, Andrew Case, and Robert Rebitzer

The nation's opioid epidemic claimed more than 42,000 lives in 2016 and experts fear it will get worse before it gets better. What can be done to combat this multi-faceted threat to public health? This article looks at how the crisis began, reviews how four sectors have responded, and considers what might bring the crisis under control.