Opioid Crisis in the United States: Lessons for the Americas

Abstract

From a public health perspective, the United States faces a growing health emergency that increasingly affects diverse populations, regions, and social contexts. This situation highlights the lack of preventive strategies and the absence of a comprehensive approach to the problem.

The numbers are grim: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since 1999 more than 760,000 people have died from drug overdoses in the U.S. Opioid overdoses account for the majority of these deaths—nearly 75 % in 2020. In 2024, an estimated 68 % of all overdose deaths involved opioids, and among these, 88 % were due to fentanyl.

Addressing this issue requires a global health response encompassing multiple levels—from preventing inappropriate prescribing and improving treatment for dependency, to expanding access to naloxone (an antidote for overdoses) and harm-reduction programs (e.g., safe needle exchanges, fentanyl testing), as well as strengthening active epidemiological surveillance. The countries of the Americas must act proactively, not only to avert an opioid epidemic but also to prepare and adapt their health systems for future health crises. This requires public health policies grounded in scientific evidence and guided by the lessons learned from the devastating consequences of weak drug regulation and insufficient attention to addiction—failures that have already caused irreversible harm in affected populations.

The experience of the United States offers a clear warning: delayed control measures and fragmented health approaches lead to catastrophic outcomes. The risk in Latin America is not inevitable, but it is imminent—and will depend on the political, regulatory, and public health decisions made in the coming years.