There are basically two lines of thought about the origins of the opioid crisis in declining rural areas in America. The first is that it is a symptom of spiritual sickness; after all, poor people in less affluent countries elsewhere who believe in God and have a strong sense of community don’t take drugs. The second is that it is the inevitable result of the creative destruction caused by globalization and automation. People take opioids because, well, what else is there to do in the wasteland?
It is doubtful that the federal government would have a viable answer if either of these themes were true. However, other countries with similar socio-economic conditions don’t have the same opioid problem, so its roots must lie elsewhere. And they do–in the availability of the drugs, the manner in which they are prescribed, and the lack of appropriate treatment options. Those problems can be fixed if the will, intelligence, and funding are present. In some communities, they are, and the situation is already improving.