The Killing Drugs: Synthetic Opioids around the World

The Brookings Institution

Fentanyl

Harm Reduction

Drug Policy

Drug Policy Reform

Synthetic Opioids

Public Health

Brookings Institution

Drug Overdose Crisis

Stigma

Drug-Induced Homicide Laws

Good Samaritan Laws

RAND Corporation

Overdose Crisis

Public Safety

Drug Decriminalization

Portugues Drug Policies

Naloxone

Health Equity

Public Policy

Overdose Prevention Centers

Over 100,000 Americans are dying of drug overdoses annually. On The Killing Drugs, host Vanda Felbab-Brown interviews leading experts on the devastating synthetic opioid crisis to find policies that can save lives in the United States and around the world.

15 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	14	Founded	a year ago
Categories	NewsPolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Guests Host Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

Youth, fentanyl, and the urgency of honest conversations

In the final episode of The Killing Drugs, host Vanda Felbab-Brown speaks with Dr. Lisa Durette and Dr. Alexis Kennedy of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, about the impact of the fentanyl and opioid epidemics on young people. They explore risk fa... more

30 Oct 2024 • 34 min

YouTube

From cradle to grave: Responding to Nevada's fentanyl crisis

In this episode, Vanda Felbab-Brown discusses the fentanyl and opioid crisis in Nevada with Dr. Anne Weisman and Dr. Sara Hunt of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). They analyze the high rates of opioid misuse in the state and the resulting ... more

29 Oct 2024 • 31 min

YouTube

The emerging fentanyl risk in South America

In this episode of The Killing Drugs, Vanda Felbab-Brown discusses the emerging smuggling and retail of illicit fentanyl in South America with guests Daniel Mejía of Universidad de los Andes and Sara García of InSight Crime. They explore the sources ... more

22 Oct 2024 • 33 min

YouTube

The rising threat of synthetic opioids in Europe

In this episode, host Vanda Felbab-Brown speaks with Dr. Alex Stevens, criminology professor at the University of Sheffield, about the emerging threat of synthetic opioids in Europe, particularly fentanyl and nitazenes. Stevens argues that the greate... more

15 Oct 2024 • 34 min

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests

Accepts Sponsors

Contact Information

Podcast Host

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The President’s InboxCouncil on Foreign Relations

The DailyThe New York Times

The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion

Pod Save the WorldCrooked Media

Pod Save AmericaCrooked Media

Recent Guests

Dr. Sara Hunt

Executive Director of Be Here Nevada and Associate Professor at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Episode: From cradle to grave: Responding to Nevada's fentanyl crisis

Dr. Anne Weisman

Director of Wellbeing and Integrative Medicine and Associate Professor of Medical Education at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Episode: From cradle to grave: Responding to Nevada's fentanyl crisis

Dr. Daniel Mejía

Associate professor in the economics department at Universidad de los Andes and former secretary of security of Bogota

Universidad de los Andes

Episode: The emerging fentanyl risk in South America

Sara García

Researcher at InSight Crime, think tank and media organization

InSight Crime

Episode: The emerging fentanyl risk in South America

Alex Stevens

A professor of criminology at the University of Sheffield.

University of Sheffield

Episode: The rising threat of synthetic opioids in Europe

Philomena Kebec

Economic Development Coordinator for the Bad River Tribe and Bloomberg Fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Bad River Tribe

Episode: Fentanyl's impact on Native American communities and paths to recovery

Dr. Keith Humphreys

Aster Jing Memorial Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University, Senior Research Career Scientist at the Veterans Affairs Health Services Research Center in Palo Alto.

Stanford University

Episode: The rise and fall of drug decriminalization in the Pacific Northwest

Dr. Harold Pollack

Helen Loss Professor at the Crown Family School of Social Work Policy and Practice at the University of Chicago.

University of Chicago

Episode: Breaking barriers to opioid use disorder treatment

Dr. Nicole Gastala

Medical Director of the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Division of the Illinois Department of Human Services and Director of Behavioral Health and Addiction at the Mile Square Health Center.

University of Illinois Chicago

Episode: Breaking barriers to opioid use disorder treatment

Host

Vanda Felbab-Brown

Host of the series, she is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, specializing in drug policy and related issues in global public health.

Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars from 15 ratings

Difficult to understand accent
I’m interested in the podcast but I find vandas accent difficult to listen to
Apple Podcasts
3
nicoka2025
United Statesa year ago

Embed These Reviews on a Website

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the depth of expert interviews and the insightful analysis of complex issues surrounding the opioid crisis.

Some find the host's accent difficult to understand, which may impact their overall enjoyment of the content.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts

#109

China/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The rise and fall of drug decriminalization in the Pacific Northwest

Q: What lessons can be learned from Portugal's approach to drug decriminalization compared to the Pacific Northwest?

Portugal's model emphasized extensive health services and a less punitive approach, with a mechanism for encouraging treatment, which contrasts with the more libertarian model adopted in the U.S.

The rise and fall of drug decriminalization in the Pacific Northwest

Q: What are the significant differences in drug policy approaches between the different areas discussed, like San Francisco and Oregon?

British Columbia and Oregon instituted complete decriminalization, while San Francisco focused on harm reduction without changing the law, leading to very different outcomes in public safety and drug service access.

The rise and fall of drug decriminalization in the Pacific Northwest

Q: What has been the experimentation around drug policy in the Pacific Northwest?

It has involved significant policy efforts to decriminalize not just drug use but also dealing drugs, along with a broad pullback of police enforcement in these matters.

US-Mexico relations and the fight against fentanyl trafficking

Q: What impact will the arrests of the top heads of the Sinaloa Cartel have on fentanyl smuggling from Mexico and violence in Mexico?

The arrests are unlikely to reduce drug flows significantly due to the cartels' redundancy systems but may escalate intra-cartel violence significantly.

US-Mexico relations and the fight against fentanyl trafficking

Q: What policies do you expect that Claudia Scheinbaum's administration might take vis-a-vis the cartels and fentanyl?

Expected to continue socioeconomic approaches towards crime while increasing the number of investigators to hotspots of criminality in Mexico.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Covering the pressing global issue of synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, this series offers in-depth conversations with leading experts on the multifaceted crisis affecting communities worldwide. Episodes tackle a range of topics including the impacts of drug decriminalization, the urgent need for harm reduction strategies, and the role of drug trafficking organizations. The discussions illuminate the complexities of policy responses, the socio-economic factors influencing drug use, and the moral imperative for integrated healthcare solutions to combat addiction. Unique insights into both American and international contexts provide a comprehensive overview of this public health emergency, making it essential listening for those inves... more

Where can I find podcast stats for this podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does this podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for this podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does this podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. The President’s Inbox
2. The Daily
3. The Ezra Klein Show
4. Pod Save the World
5. Pod Save America

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched a year ago and published 14 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact this podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for this podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for this podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Dr. Sara Hunt
2. Dr. Anne Weisman
3. Dr. Daniel Mejía
4. Sara García
5. Alex Stevens
6. Philomena Kebec
7. Dr. Keith Humphreys
8. Dr. Harold Pollack

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.

Try it free for 7 days