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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Hannah Harris Green

Presidential candidates silent on opioid crisis beyond ‘war on drugs’ rhetoric: ‘It’s easier to point fingers’

a person with their hands out next to pills
Experts say that targeting the drug supply without addressing the demand leads to more overdoses. Photograph: Sukanya Sitthikongsak/Getty Images

Overdoses killed 108,000 people in the US last year, more than Covid-19 or diabetes, yet overdose prevention has barely gotten mention this election cycle.

On the relatively rare occasions when presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris discuss opioids, they draw from “war on drugs” rhetoric – suggesting that tougher border and law enforcement policies are the answer to the problem.

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