Biden admin to release new overdose prevention strategy to combat evolving 'public health crisis'

The Biden administration on Wednesday is releasing a comprehensive Overdose Prevention Strategy focusing on primary prevention, harm reduction, evidence-based treatment and recovery support to combat, what officials call, an evolving "public health crisis."

Officials said the overdose crisis is driven not only by synthetic opioids and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, but also psychostimulants, like methamphetamine. 

"Too many families have lost loved ones to drug overdoses. We are facing a public health crisis that requires a comprehensive approach to preventing and reducing overdose incidents," Becerra said, adding that the Biden administration "is committed to preventing overdose deaths in every way possible and doing so in a compassionate and inclusive way." 

The strategy, according to officials, recognizes that addressing the overdose crisis requires a "multifaceted and integrated approach, spanning public health, health care, human services and many other sectors."