The opioid epidemic is a cultural problem, it requires cultural solutions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that drug overdose deaths rose to 72,000 in 2017, a 10 percent increase from 2016. This is more than the number of people who die each year from car crashes or suicides.

Overdose deaths are now close to the 7th leading cause of death in this country, responsible for 1.5 percent of all deaths.

The national numbers mask even bigger spikes in some states. In Indiana, overdose rates increased by 17 percent in 2017, one of the largest increases the nation has seen.

The spike in overdose deaths will result in renewed calls to regulate opioids, which are responsible for two-thirds of overdose deaths. Already, nearly three-quarters of Americans believe the government should do more to address the problem, according to a CBS poll from earlier this year.

But the overdose crisis is a cultural problem that doesn’t necessarily respond to government solutions. As regulations surrounding prescription painkillers tighten, more dangerous black market opioids like fentanyl have taken their place. Deaths by such synthetic opioids increased by one-third last year, according to the CDC.