Drug-Induced Homicide: A Harsh Weapon in the War on Drugs

Drug-induced homicide laws are an increasingly used policy choice by lawmakers and prosecutors in combating the current opioid epidemic. A remnant of the War on Drugs, such laws conform to strict liability principles and have left many friends and family members charged with the murder of their friend or relative that died from an accidental drug overdose. This Note contends that drug-induced homicide laws cause more harm than good and that states should adopt statutes and policies that better align with accepted rationales of punishment as they combat the opioid epidemic.