The opioid crisis in America became even more severe during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 75,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in the last year, up from 56,000 the year before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total economic burden of prescription opioid misuse in the U.S. is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement.

Concern over the crisis has led to a growing bipartisan consensus that we must do more to ensure that Americans struggling with these issues have access to safe, effective, life-saving treatments. President Biden has identified the opioid crisis as one of his four suggested areas for bipartisan action.