Opioid abuse and addiction are increasingly and relentlessly ravaging the American public, a battle whose toll leaves too many people paying the ultimate price—their life. One American dies every fifteen minutes in the United States from an opioid overdose, resulting in almost half of all drug overdose deaths in America involving a prescription opioid. Addressing the opioid epidemic with a monolithic approach stunts positive change. A dynamic “pathways approach,” on the other hand, recognizes that the opioid epidemic derives from separate, dueling sources—legal and illegal—and that the issues that arise in each pathway ultimately converge on the individual, who then falls victim to the scourge of addiction. By fully appreciating the pitfalls in each pathway, and comprehensively crafting and applying the law to address them, we may yet prevent further escalation of the opioid epidemic and deliver much-needed relief.
The University of Memphis Law Review invites manuscripts for presentation at its March 2018 Symposium, “The American Addiction: A Pathways Approach to Addressing the Opioid Epidemic,” and for publication in Volume 48, Number 4. The Symposium will welcome policy makers, scholars, and practitioners to present innovative approaches to legal issues in each pathway to effectuate positive change. The day-long programming will consider a range of topics, including but not limited to legal issues at the intersection of the opioid epidemic and the perspectives of the pharmaceutical industry (e.g. REMS programs, drug approval process, advertising/marketing), regulatory agencies (e.g. FDA and DEA), healthcare professionals (e.g. physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners), policy-makers (e.g. impact and shortcomings of state and federal legislation such as the Controlled Substances Act, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act), concerned community members (e.g. family and friends of addicts), law enforcement officers, lawyers (e.g. prosecution and defense), and judges (e.g. specialty courts, recovery programs, trauma-informed approaches).
To submit a manuscript for consideration in the 2018 Memphis Law Symposium, please send it directly to Symposium Editor Rachel Barenie at memphislawarticles@gmail.com no later than December 1, 2017, with “Opioid Epidemic Symposium” in the subject line.