Public Safety

March 18, 2024 | Fact Sheets, Novel Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Public Safety, Stimulants, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

The Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association is monitoring the emergence of novel psychoactive substances appearing on the illicit drug market in the United States. The term “novel” does not denote a new, never-before-seen substance but rather a substance that is newly available in the drug market. This fact sheet,  examines xylazine, a powerful veterinary sedative increasingly appearing as an adulterant in heroin and fentanyl mixtures in the U.S., particularly since 2020. Xylazine has a chemical structure similar to compounds called phenothiazines and operates by decreasing the release of norepinephrine and dopamine in the central nervous system, resulting in analgesia, sedation, and muscle relaxation. Xylazine intoxication can result in central nervous system depression, low blood pressure, and slow heart rate. Respiratory depression can also occur, which increases the risk of overdose when combined with opioid-induced respiratory depression. ...

July 17, 2023 | Criminal Justice, Fact Sheets, First Responders, Law Enforcement, Public Safety, Substance Misuse

Deflection is any collaborative intervention connecting law enforcement, other first responders, and community responders with public health systems to create pathways to treatment and services for individuals—with low to moderate criminogenic risk—who have a substance use disorder, mental health disorder, or co-occurring disorders and who often have other service needs. This fact sheet provides an overview of what deflection is, examples of initiatives utilizing one or more of the six recognized deflection pathways, and a brief description of the status of deflection-related laws in the United States....

May 3, 2023 | Controlled Substances, Harm Reduction, K-12 Education, Model Laws, Public Health, Public Safety

Developed in collaboration with the Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law, the Model School Response to Drugs and Drug-related Incidents Act guides states in establishing a consistent and positive response for public schools to best support students who have drug or drug-related incidents on school premises or at school-related functions....

January 17, 2023 | Controlled Substances, Criminal Justice, Harm Reduction, Law Enforcement, Peer Support and Recoery Services, Public Health, Public Safety, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Toolkits, Treatments

This toolkit is for justice and public safety practitioners planning to implement peer support services in law enforcement agencies, court-based programs, community supervision agencies, and correctional settings. Each section of the toolkit offers critical questions to address during the planning and implementation phase, case studies, tools, and resources drawn from the latest research, subject matter experts, and experiences from diverse settings across the United States....

September 1, 2022 | Fact Sheets, Novel Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Public Safety, Stimulants, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

The Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association is monitoring the emergence of novel psychoactive substances appearing on the illicit drug market in the United States. The term “novel” does not denote a new, never-before-seen substance but rather a substance that is newly available in the drug market. This fact sheet,  examines pyro, a relatively new high potency synthetic opioid increasing in prevalence in the U.S. Pyro belongs to an opioid subclass of NPS called 2-benezylbenzimidazoles, or nitazenes, and is structurally similar to etonitazene, a synthetic opioid that is nationally and internationally controlled. N-pyrrolidino etonitazene is not described or mentioned in any medical literature or patents, meaning that it is a truly “novel” NPS and likely developed independently from the pharmaceutical industry. Researchers believe that N-pyrrolidino etonitazene is coming to the U.S. via purchases on the dark web and is likely being produced in China. N-pyrrolidino etonitazene can be found in powder form or pressed into pills to resemble other substances. Studies estimate that N-pyrrolidino etonitazene is over 800 times more potent than morphine and 20-40 times more potent than fentanyl. Like other opioids, N-pyrrolidino etonitazene use can potentially cause fatal respiratory depression in the person ingesting the drug. However, because...