The Economic Consequences of Opioid Addiction in America

As a local government administrator, you’ve seen and heard it all. Opioid use affects all
of the departments you administer: public safety, facility management, transportation,
fire and emergency services, and community and economic development. People turn
to you for guidance about public policy.
Fortunately, communities are finding solutions to these concerns, and working together
across sectors to prevent opioid use, intervene, and provide resources for those who
are affected by opioid use. This is a critical time for cities and counties to mobilize and
provide their communities with vital information and tools to combat heroin and
prescription painkiller abuse with the goal of minimizing its social and economic impact.
There is hope! Communities can successfully mobilize and take action.
On August 31, 2016, ICMA conducted a webinar on solutions that cities and counties
are implementing to respond to the opioid epidemic. Lee Feldman, 2016-2017 ICMA
president, and city manager, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, joined me for this webinar, and
we explored these ideas that counties and cities have explored:
1. Creating community coalitions to work together across sectors. Managers
have joined or started community coalitions that focus directly on the opioid
crisis. They have recruited members from such diverse sectors of the community
as employers, youth workers, faith community leaders, school administrators,
teachers and counselors, public health and human services personnel, treatment
professionals, law enforcement and county court services personnel, local
pharmacists, and doctors, as well as other committed individuals, including
people from the recovering community. These coalitions have joined forces and
disseminated relevant information, conducted visioning sessions, developed and
implemented action plans, and conducted educational sessions and informational
campaigns throughout their communities.
2. Developing ordinances and places for safe drug disposal. Generally, these
safe disposal sites are located in city halls under the supervision of law
enforcement. Although drug take-back days are effective in increasing public
awareness of the problem of unwanted prescriptions, a consistent, 24-7 lockbox
for safe drug disposal dramatically increases the pounds of unwanted
prescriptions that are collected, keeping them out of the hands of children and
out of our water and landfills.
3. Establishing drug diversion task forces. Dedicated to sharing information and
investigations to combat prescription fraud and illegal trafficking of prescription
painkillers.
4. Providing training for first responders in the use of naloxone (Narcan) for
reducing opioid overdoses. This strategy has been successfully implemented
in many communities throughout the country, saving countless lives. New
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