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Do drug busts lead to more overdose deaths?

The Big Story
The Big Story
Episode • Jul 20, 2023 • 25m

Drug busts have long been a go-to tactic for law enforcement in the so-called 'war on drugs', but with the ubiquity of powerful narcotics like fentanyl, it's doubtful that they do much to actually stem the flow of substances to the street. And a new study out of the United States demonstrating a link between drug seizures and overdose deaths, suggests the approach may actually be making things worse. 

So what does this new research show, exactly? And if these old tactics don't seem to be working, then why are governments and law enforcement agencies so hesitant to try something new?

GUEST HOST: Manisha Krishnan, Senior Reporter at Vice News

GUEST: Grant Victor, Assistant Professor at Rutgers University, co-author of the study on overdose deaths 

 

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