Research the Issue Perform research and compile information for your idea. Present substantive evidence-based findings that support your idea for addressing the problem (research studies, reports, etc.). Include any similar legislation introduced or passed in other states.

Perform research and compile information for your idea. Present substantive evidence-based findings that support your idea for addressing the problem (research studies, reports, etc.). Include any similar legislation introduced or passed in other states.

Legislative actions are necessary to address this issue as demonstrated by an editorial article by Lancet Public Health (Standard-Lancet Commission). According to the article, having legislation that allows the use of medications like Naloxone can help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose (Health, 2022). The commission suggests that several countries like the UK, Australia and Canada have introduced naloxone as an over-the-counter medication to combat the adverse effects of opioid overdose. The article suggests that having legislations at state and federal levels which allows naloxone distribution in states where fentanyl is high can reduce the overall rates of overdose deaths.

The article by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) (2022) highlights different legislative interventions through laws and measures to address the opioid epidemic. According to the article, Congress has enacted several acts to address the issue, an indication that legislative action is still the most effective way to address the epidemic since it offers interventions that implore funding and allocation of resources for the fight against opioids.

In their article, Klobucista and Ferragamo (2023) observe that the opioid epidemic has become one of the biggest killers, and endangers public health, the economy, and even homeland and national security. The article observes that most of the synthetic drugs enter the U.S. market through its borders. As such, legislating on a policy to stop the floodgates on fentanyl is essential since it is a foreign policy issue. Such a sensitive issue can only be addressed through legislative action at the federal level because it is a foreign policy challenge.