U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Opioid epidemic

Opioid Substances: A Threat to Animal Welfare & Safety

August 2017

The opioid crisis has impacted animal welfare and safety several ways. This webinar will review risks to pets of opioid abusers and working K9s and will make recommendations to help keep K9s safe, including risk mitigation and emergency preparation.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on August 8, 2017.

Opioids and Death Investigation: A “Perfect Storm”

October 2017

The scope of the opioid epidemic presents unprecedented challenges to the medical examiner and coroner community. This webinar will explore the intersection of the opioid epidemic with the work of America’s medical examiners and coroners.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on October 18, 2017.

Strategies & Considerations for Trace Detection of Fentalogs

October 2017

This webinar provides strategies & considerations for the trace detection of fentanyl and its analogs. The focus will be on TD-DART-MS and IMS analysis as well as understanding the fate of fentanyl residues that are exposed to different environments.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on October 26, 2017.

The Opioid Overdose Epidemic in America: CDC Response

November 2017

In this Webinar the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will present an overview of the opioid overdose epidemic and its public health burden, followed by a description of the multi-faceted public health approach.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on November 14, 2017.

The NC Statewide Medical Examiner System Laboratory Approach

November 2017

This webinar will focus on the North Carolina Medical Examiner System and the toxicology laboratory that serves the system. Included will be information on the changing landscape of death certification and changes to the laboratory approach to testing.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on November 21, 2017.

Dreamland: Sam Quinones Explores America's Opiate Epidemic

January 2017

Sam Quinones is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist and author of three books of narrative nonfiction. His latest book is Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic (Bloomsbury, 2015), which will be discussed in this webinar.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence in January 2017.

Collaboration in the Fight Against Fentanyl

December 2017

This webinar will identify partnerships and innovative efforts in the whole of government approach to identify and interdict fentanyl analogues, as well as to heighten awareness and strengthen legal mechanisms for dealing with the illicit fentanyl crisis.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on December 13, 2017.

A Data-Informed Response to Emerging Drugs

December 2023

The emerging drug crisis in the U.S. touches both criminal justice and public health, and experts from both fields came together at NIJ’s 2023 National Research Conference to discuss strategies and tools to fight this problem. Dr. Frances Scott, NIJ scientist and program manager, continues the conference discussion with two fellow panelists: Ciena Bayard, the Method Development and Validation Program Manager for D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and Haley Greene, the Deputy Epidemiologist for the Central Region for the Virginia Department of Health. Read the transcript.