This is an academic paper that provides commentary on the macro-environmental factors, such as pervasive stigma and the war on drugs, that have impeded effective responses to the opioid crisis. The ripple effect of criminalizing people who use drugs is explored.
Tyndall, M., Dodd, Z. (2020). How Structural Violence, Prohibition, and Stigma Have Paralyzed North American Responses to Opioid Overdose. AMA Journal of Ethics, 22(1), E723-E728.