Bioethics in Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Number 1

37 Bioethics in Faith and Practice ⦁ 2019 ⦁ Volume 4 ⦁ Number 1 From the literature, it is very clear that America is suffering in many ways because of the opioid epidemic. Families are being wrecked, and the jails and prisons are being overcrowded, and the nation still experiences yearly increases in the number of addicts and opioid-related overdoses. In this paper we have discussed not only some of the origins of the problem in America, but also some of the solutions posited by European countries such as Switzerland and Portugal. After examining those acts of legislation, the ramifications of implementing such legislation in America was discussed before entering into a bioethical discussion about the opioid epidemic and the place for treatment such as supervised injectable opioid assisted treatment. While there are various ways to treat or prevent opioid addiction, it is difficult to find a method that works in every area of the country for every kind of patient, so careful examination of the options and the ways in which those options can be differentiated for use all over the country is important before moving forward with any legislation. America obviously has a lot of room to grow, and there are years ahead of fighting for sobriety for the people, but the literature shows that if we focus only on incarceration and criminal justice rather than treatment of individuals, the epidemic itself will only grow.