Call to Action on Opioid Settlement Funds
Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control shows there were 109,680 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2022. That is over 300 individuals each day, more than twice the number of Americans killed in auto accidents annually, and more than die due to diabetes. Many of these individuals were in the prime of their lives. Opioids including fentanyl are involved in about two-thirds of these deaths.
Now, as more than $50 billion makes its way over the next two decades to compensate state and local governments for the opioid epidemic, we have an opportunity to turn the tide. These opioid settlement funds represent an immense opportunity for a new health-focused approach that invests in chronically underfunded programs that have, despite their strapped resources, demonstrated their effectiveness by reducing deaths and infections and helping people make positive changes in their lives. This is an opportunity to put aside partisan differences and support interventions that will save lives.
Preventable overdose deaths represent policy failures. Overdose is a public health crisis that has wrongly—and to catastrophic effect—been approached through interdiction instead of evidence-based practices. Commitment by decision makers today to use this windfall to fund interventions to save lives could change the trajectory of this crisis.
Alarmingly, there is a real risk that these funds will be used to bolster the failed approaches that have brought us to this point. Just as policy makers had begun to acknowledge that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem, we have lately seen a return of punitive proposals to deal with drug use and its consequences at both federal and state levels.
Punitive policies to deal with drug use have been an abject failure, resulting in racially discriminatory policing, exploding prison populations, skyrocketing overdose deaths, and an ever-more dangerous unregulated drug supply. Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native populations have been hit hardest by rising overdose death rates, and are disproportionately arrested for drug crimes, despite rates of drug use similar to other population groups in the United States.
As drug policy and public health researchers, scientists, and clinicians, we know programs that work to prevent overdose. Decades of research and practice give us confidence that change is possible. It is time to stop funding interventions that undercut gains and to dramatically scale up demonstrated programs and those that hold promise.
Today, on International Overdose Awareness Day 2023, we call on decision makers—state legislators, county commissioners, city council members, and advisory councils making decisions about opioid settlement funds—to urgently prioritize funding in three categories, and to commit to not funding three types of failed interventions.
Priority Areas for Opioid Settlement Spending
1. Fund community-based programs for people who use drugs.
Here we highlight four types of interventions that currently do not receive sufficient support:
- Syringe Services Programs (SSPs).These are known for providing sterile drug use equipment, reducing injection-related and soft tissue infections, and lowering community rates of HIV and hepatitis C. They are often the first line of engagement with people who use drugs, but are chronically underfunded. Opioid settlement spending should significantly scale up SSPs, including funds for staffing, supplies, participant education, and coordinated medical and social services.
- Naloxone.The U.S. is still far from achieving “naloxone saturation.” Distribution of the opioid overdose antidote to people who use drugs should be prioritized as they are the most effective first responders. As responsible stewards of public funds, purchasers should prioritize the cost-effective generic 0.4mg/1mL intramuscular version of naloxone.
- Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs). These facilities, where people can use previously acquired illicit substances with trained staff nearby to help in case of an emergency, prevent overdoses within them and have been shown to lower overall rates of overdose in the surrounding neighborhoods. Like other harm reduction interventions, they connect people to care and treatment, reduce public drug use and litter, and do not increase crime.
- Drug checking. Given the fluctuations in the illicit drug supply, drug checking is an important overdose prevention tool. Some jurisdictions already fund test strips for fentanyl and xylazine, which quickly show people whether these substances are present so that they can avoid harm. More advanced technologies, such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) machines, can be housed at SSPs, OPCs, and other places frequented by people who use drugs. FTIR machines provide detailed information about the full array of chemicals in any substance and are an avenue for engaging people who use drugs in conversations about safer use. Opioid settlement spending should support equipment purchases for harm reduction programs, together with staff training and further research into this intervention.
2. Fund medications for addiction treatment.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Of these, two opioid agonist treatments are the best studied: methadone and buprenorphine. Patients treated with these two medicines experience reduced rates of overdose fatality and injuries requiring acute care. Opioid settlement spending could ensure that these critical medicines are made available in low-barrier settings, without policies that deter people from care. In some cases, there are other avenues, such as Medicaid, to cover the costs of treatment; opioid settlement spending should be targeted to existing gaps in care. Special efforts should be made to make medications for addiction treatment available to pregnant people who face additional stigma and barriers to care, and those in jails and prisons whose overdose rates upon release are many times higher than the general public. Funds could also be used for exploration of safe supply programs that have shown promise in other countries.
3. Fund housing-first programs.
Research and real-world experience show that when people have housing—one of the most basic human needs—they are better able to tend to other areas of their lives. A systematic review found that housing first programs reduced homelessness by 88 percent, and participants were more than twice as likely to report positive life changes. Studies have also documented cost savings for communities.
Areas Where Settlement Funds Should Not be Spent
1. Do not fund the carceral system.
Here we highlight three aspects of the carceral system that are too often funded as a response to drugs.
- Law enforcement. More policing is not the answer to the overdose crisis. Law enforcement may undermine public health programs, for example by confiscating sterile drug use equipment and naloxone, thereby putting people at greater risk of infectious diseases and overdose. Fear of arrest thwarts people’s willingness to call 911 in overdose emergencies. Moreover, there is a growing body of evidence that law enforcement operations, such as drug seizures, can result in increased overdose.
- Drug courts. Drug treatment courts have limited evidence of effectiveness. Too commonly, they mandate abstinence-only treatment. Participants who relapse (which is a normal part of recovery) may face a mandatory sentence, sometimes even harsher than the original sentence. Drug courts also have a “net widening” effect: When people who use drugs are arrested for petty crimes, they would typically receive little or no jail time. But drug courts involve them in the carceral system. Drug courts also exacerbate racial disparities.
- Jails and prisons. Increased incarceration is not an effective way to deal with drugs. Studies have shown a markedly increased risk of overdose following incarceration. While some jurisdictions may prioritize settlement funds for health services for incarcerated people who use drugs (things like medications for opioid use disorder, naloxone, and sterile drug use equipment) no settlement funds should be used to support capital expenditures, expansion, or renovation of jails and prisons.
2. Do not fund abstinence-only treatment.
Inpatient detoxification, residential treatment, and intensive behavioral services without medication are less effective at reducing overdose and preventing serious opioid-related acute care than treatment with methadone and buprenorphine. However, many programs continue to deny patients medications and even publicly disparage them, contributing to confusion around best practices. In keeping with this evidence, opioid settlement spending should not be channeled into programs that fail to offer patients an informed choice.
3. Do not fund the family regulation system.
More than one third of U.S. children – and more than half of Black children in the US – have been the subject of a child abuse/neglect investigation, many of these for circumstances related to drug use, even though drug use is no greater among Black families than white ones. In many cases there is no proof of maltreatment or detrimental effect to the child. Research has documented the harm of foster care to children; other studies document the negative effects, including overdose, to parents whose children are removed from their care. Rather than putting more money into systems that disproportionately remove Black, Brown, and Indigenous children from their homes, money should be used for supportive services that allow families to remain together.
These settlements represent some small restitution for the lives lost and the grieving families and friends left behind. We owe it to the people directly impacted to spend these funds in ways that will prevent further deaths. We encourage government and community stakeholders to consult with people who use drugs and their loved ones to ensure that these programs are implemented in ways that are respectful, appropriate, and effective.
With the above priorities in mind, decision makers can begin to stem the tide of deaths. Let this International Overdose Awareness Day be the day we say “no” to further criminalization and expansion of carceral systems and instead commit to using opioid settlement funds to advance positive change in our communities.
Signed,
Alicia Allen, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor, College of Medicine, University of Arizona
Frederick L. Altice, MD, MA, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Yale University
William Amarquaye, PharmD, Valrico, FL
Jaime Arredondo, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair on Substance Use and Health Systems, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, and Adjunct Professor, School of Social Work, San Diego State University
Evan Ashkin, MD, NC-FIT (Formerly Incarcerated Transitions) Program, NC
Marwan Azar, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University
Cheryl A. Baker, PA, MD, Durham, NC
Joshua Barocas, MD, Associate Professor, School of Medicine, University of Colorado
Cameron Baston, MD, MSCE, FACP, Assistant Professor, Clinical Medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care), University of Pennsylvania
Alexander Bazazi, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco
Angela Bazzi, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego
Leo Beletsky, JD, MPH, Professor, School of Law and Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University
Alex S. Bennett, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, and Director, Overdose Prevention Program, School of Global Public Health, New York University
Chris Beyrer MD, MPH, Director, Duke Global Health Institute, Professor of Medicine, Duke University
Snehal Bhatt, MD, Albuquerque, NM
Jesse Boggis, MPH, Predoctoral Fellow, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College
Naomi Braine, Ph.D., Professor, Sociology, Brooklyn College, City University of NY
Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, FAPhA, Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island
Hannan Braun, MD, Denver Health
Kimberly C. Brouwer, Ph.D., Professor and Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego
Douglas Bruce, Ph.D., MSW, Chair and Associate Professor of Health Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, DePaul University
Susan Calcaterra, MD, MPH, MS, Associate Professor, School of Medicine, University of Colorado
Meredith Canada, MSW, MPA, LCSW, Adjunct Professor, School of Social Work, Indiana University
Jennifer Carroll, Ph.D., MPH, MA, Durham, NC
Jamie Carter, MD, MPH, Durham, NC
Gregory Caudill, MD, Infinity Recovery
Alex Cho, MD, Durham, NC
Daniel Ciccarone MD, MPH, Professor of Addiction Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco
Claire D. Clark, Ph.D., MPH, Lexington, KY
Hannah LF Cooper, ScD, Professor, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Bernadette Cracchiolo, MD, MPH, Newark, NJ
Hannah E. Crawford, MS, LPC, Florida Parishes Human Services Authority
Joanne Csete, Ph.D., MPH, Adjunct Associate Professor, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Hayley Cunningham, MD, Fellow, Department of Medicine, Duke University
Nabarun Dasgupta, MPH, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Peter Davidson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego
Don C Des Jarlais, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University
Andrea Des Marais, MPH, Research Program Leader, Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University
Libby DiDomizio, MPH, Research Associate, School of Medicine, Yale University
Deirdre Dingman, DrPH, MPH, BSSW, Associate Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University
Jay Dobkin, MD, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons
Jillian Douglas, PMHNP, DNP, Homeward House
E. Jennifer Edelman, MD, MHS, New Haven, CT
Brian R. Edlin, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FAASLD, New York, NY
Gabriel Edwards, MD, MPH, Assistant Project Scientist, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
Alexa Eggleston, JD, Santa Monica, CA
Anthony Everett, DMin, The Centre for Prophetic Activism
Daniel J. Feaster, Ph.D., Professor, Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami
Sarah Febres-Cordero, Ph.D., RN, Assistant Professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University
Caitlin Fenhagen, JD, Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department, NC
Risha Fennell, MD, FASAM, Know Medicine
Anna Fetter, Ph.D., EdM, Counseling Psychologist and Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Loretta P. Finnegan, MD, Avalon, NJ
Vanessa Tate Finney, MPH, AIDS Alabama
Natalie Flath, MPH, PhD(c), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Sean Fogler, MD, EMBA, Elevyst Community Health Consulting
Carrie Foote, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Sociology, Indiana University
Julia Frew, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Medical Education, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Nora Maria Fuller, MD, Louisiana
Crystal M. Fuller Lewis, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, New York University
Jane P Gagliardi, MD, MHS, Durham, NC
Roberta Garner, Ph.D., Emerita, Department of Sociology, DePaul University
David Garry, DO, FACOG, Stony Brook Medicine
Becky Genberg, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Sandy Gibson, Ph.D., LCSW, LCADC, Pennington, NJ
Elizabeth Gilbert, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, and Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University
Melody Glenn, MD, MFA, FASAM, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arizona-Tucson
Robert Glover, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Maine
Kristen Goessling, Ph.D., MS, Director of Participatory Research, Penn State University, and Founder, Philadelphia Participatory Research Collective
Shira Goldenberg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, College of Health and Human Services, School of Public Health, San Diego State University
Gregg Gonsalves, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health and Associate Professor of Law, Yale Law School, Yale University
Daisy Goodman, DNP, MPH, CNM, CARN-AP, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Community & Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth University
Lauretta E. Grau, Ph.D., Research Scientist in Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Yale University
Traci Green, Ph.D., MSc, Boston, MA
Lisa Grisham, MS, NNP-BC, College of Medicine, University of Arizona
Dennis J. Hand, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Jefferson College of Nursing Associate Director, Maternal Addiction Treatment Education and Research, Thomas Jefferson University
Helena Hansen, MD, Ph.D., Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Nina T. Harawa, Ph.D., MPH, Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
Miriam Harris, MD, MSc, Boston Medical Center
Tonya Harris, MS, MPA, Kohnlinq, Inc.
Robert Heimer, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology and Pharmacology, School of Public Health, Yale University
Daliah Heller, Ph.D., MPH, Adjunct Professor, New York University School of Global Public Health
Lucas G. Hill, PharmD, Clinical Associate Professor, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas
Charles L. Hilliard, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Jesse D Hinckley, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, University of Colorado
Kathryn Papier Hirst, MD, Bold Health Medical Group
Stanley Hoover, MD, Lafayette, LA
Jason Hoppe, DO, Denver, CO
Allison J. Huff, DHEd, MEd, Assistant Professor, College of Medicine, University of Arizona
Eliza Hutchinson, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan
James Hyatt, MD, South Central Louisiana Human Services Authority
Kevin Irwin, Reduce Harm, Inc.
Trinidad Jackson, Ph.D., MPH, MS, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health & Information Sciences, University of Louisville
Aisha Jamal, MD, Resident, College of Medicine, University of Michigan
Raagini Jawa, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
Amy Jessop, Ph.D., MPH, HepTREC
Christina Jones, MD, FASAM, Sulphur, LA
Cresta Jones, MD, FASAM, FACOG, Associate Professor, University of Minnesota Medical School
Hendrée Jones, LP, Ph.D., Chapel Hill, NC
T. Stephen Jones, MD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (retired), Northampton, MA
Ayana Jordan, MD, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Ryan Kelly, MD, Director, Addiction Medicine Consult Team, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota
Wayne Kepner, MPH, Researcher, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego
Kaveh Khoshnood, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Yale University
Kelly Knight, Ph.D., Professor, Humanities & Social Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco
Andrea Knittel, MD, Ph.D., Durham, NC
Igor Koutsenok, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego
Alex Kral, Ph.D., San Francisco, CA
Katie Kramer, DSW, MPH, MSW, The Bridging Group
Noa Krawczyk, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Population Health, Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Martin Krsak, MD, MSc, FASAM, Assistant Professor, Medicine-Infectious Disease, University of Colorado
Theresa Kurtz, MD, OBGYN Resident Physician, University of Utah
Michelle Kweder, MBA, Ph.D., Brunswick, ME
Tally M Largent-Milnes, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona
Carl Latkin, Ph.D., Vice Chair, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Matthew Lee, DrPH, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Linnea Linde-Krieger, Ph.D., LCSW, Assistant Professor, College of Medicine, University of Arizona
Pamela Lynch, LMSW, Harm Reduction Michigan
Ezra Lyon, MD, Waupaca, WI
Erin Fanning Madden, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University
Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, DrPH, MSW, The New School
Nandini Manne, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Public Health, Marshall University
Maria Manriquez, MD, FACOG, FASAM, Director, Pathway Scholars Program, College of Medicine, University of Arizona-Phoenix
Carla Marienfeld, MD, Clinical Professor, Psychiatry, University of California San Diego
Brandon DL Marshall, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University
John McCarthy, MD, University of California
Ryan McNeil, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Harm Reduction Research, Yale University
Margaret Mendes, PharmD, San Diego, CA
Jaimie Meyer, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Yale University
Beth E. Meyerson, MDiv, Ph.D., Professor, Director, Harm Reduction Research Lab, Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, and Director of Policy, Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, University of Arizona
Gloria Miele, Ph.D., Camarillo, CA
Barrett W. Montgomery, Ph.D., Cambridge, MA
Thomas Moore, MPH, Clinical Research Regulatory Compliance Specialist, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Trena Mukherjee, DrPH, MPH, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Cristina Murray-Krezan, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
Jules Netherland, Ph.D., Drug Policy Alliance
Amy O’Regan, MPH, Clinical Research Coordinator, Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University
Lauren Oshman, MD MPH FAAFP, Family Physician, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan
Bayla Ostrach, Ph.D., MA, CIP, Fairview, NC
Kimberly Page, Ph.D., MPH, MS, Health Sciences Center, University of New Mexico
Tyson Pankey, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Professor, Duke University School of Medicine
Emily Pasman, Ph.D., LMSW, Lansing, MI
Jeffrey Pavlacic, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical University of South Carolina
Nicholas Peiper, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Louisville
Rafael E. Perez-Figueroa, MD, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Urban-Global Public Health, School of Public Health, Rutgers University
Christopher Luke Peterson, DO, Tucson, AZ
Ricky Phillips, DNP, APRN, FNP, CARN-AP, ADS, FMNM, Metairie, LA
Jen Plumb, MD, MPH, Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Utah
Arwen Podesta, MD, Podesta Wellness
Cara Poland, MD, MEd, Associate Professor of Women’s Health, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University
Smita Prasad, MD, FASAM, New Orleans, LA
Sarah Pulliam, MSW, MPH, ChildStrive and Homeward House
Jarratt Pytell, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor, Medicine-Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado
Brad Ray, Ph.D., Minnesota
Megan Reed, Ph.D., MPH, Philadelphia, PA
Sarah Roberts, DrPH, Professor, Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco
Alexis Roth, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor, Community Health and Prevention, Department of Public Health, Drexel University
A. Kenison Roy, III, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Tulane University
Kelley Saia, MD, Project RESPECT at Boston Medical Center
Daniel Saltman, MD, FACP, Honolulu, HI
Elizabeth Samuels, MD, MPH, MHS, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
Collin Schenk, MD, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA
William Schlesinger, Ph.D., Los Angeles, CA
Katrina Schrode, Ph.D., Research Manager/Data Analyst, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles
Jennifer Schultz De La Rosa, Ph.D., Director of Strategy, Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, University of Arizona
Greg Scott, Ph.D., Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Sociology, DePaul University
Emily Seeburger, MPH, Data Analyst, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Sheela Shenoi, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Yale University
Melissa J Sherman, MD, FACOG, FASAM, Beth Israel Lahey Beverly Hospital
Susan Sherman, Ph.D., MPH, Professor, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Steven Shoptaw, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
Britt Skaathun, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Adjunct Professor, Medicine, University of California San Diego
Caroline Sloan, MD, MPH, Durham, NC
Laramie R. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego
Karyn Sporer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Maine
Sandra Ann Springer, MD, Professor of Medicine and Associate Clinical Professor of Nursing, School of Medicine, Yale University
Sharon Stancliff, MD, New York, NY
Maureen Stewart, Ph.D., Senior Scientist and Lecturer, Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University
Jonathan JK Stoltman, Ph.D., Opioid Policy Institute
William W. Stoops, Ph.D., University Research Professor, Departments of Behavioral Science, Psychiatry & Psychology, University of Kentucky
Steffanie Strathdee, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego
Benjamin Swig, EMT-P, MPH, MBA, DrPH’25, Acadian Health
Susan Tapert, Ph.D., San Diego, CA
Winifred Tate, Ph.D., Director, Maine Drug Policy Lab, and Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Colby College
Kima Taylor, MD, MPH, Silver Spring, MD
Lynn E. Taylor, MD, RI Defeats Hep C, Research Professor, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island
Mishka Terplan, MD, MPH, FACOG, DFASAM, Washington, DC
Naoky Tsai, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii
Jasmine Tyler, MA, Associate Teaching Professor, Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Lab, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
Sheila P. Vakharia, Ph.D., MSW, Department of Research and Academic Engagement, Drug Policy Alliance
Todd Vanderah, Ph.D., Department Head Pharmacology, Director Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, University of Arizona
Alicia Ventura, MPH, Director of Special Projects and Research, Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance, Boston Medical Center
Sten H. Vermund, MD, Ph.D., Professor, School of Public Health, Yale University
David Vlahov, Ph.D., RN, Professor, School of Nursing, Yale University
Karla D Wagner, Ph.D., Reno, NV
Nicole Wagner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine-Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado
Christina MB Wang, DNP, MPH, APRN-Rx, AGPCNP-C, Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center
Robert Wedow, Ph.D., Indianapolis, IN
Dan Werb, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego
Howard C Wetsman, MD, DFASAM, New Orleans, LA
Sara Whaley, MSW, MPH, Research Associate, Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Dennis D Whitmyer, MA, CADC II, Lead Therapist-Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego
Sarah Wiehe, MD, MPH, Associate Dean of Community and Translational Research, School of Medicine, Indiana University
Jason Williams, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Justice Studies, Montclair State University
Rachel Winograd, Ph.D., St. Louis, MO
Sara Witcraft, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina
Martha J. Wunsch, MD, FAAP, DFASAM, Oakland, CA
Alysse Wurcel, MD, Tufts Medical Center