# Examining the iatrogenic effect of law enforcement disruptions to the illicit drug market on overdose in the surrounding community

> **NIH ALLCDC R01** · WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $362,500

## Abstract

Abstract
There is growing research to suggest that law enforcement efforts to disrupt the illicit drug supply
might inadvertently increase the number of overdose events in the surrounding community.
When illicit substances are removed from a community, those who have a chemical dependency
to those seized substances and familiarity with a known substance seller, may shift to alternative
substances or dealers. The content of new substances may be unknown, putting people who use
drugs at risk of overdose. Fatal relapse following abstinence has been identified as a risk factor
among those leaving rapid detoxification programs, as well as incarceration settings, with no
medication follow-up; this same effect occurs when a drug market is interrupted by law
enforcement drug seizures. Studies have demonstrated this using statewide, aggregated, monthly
time series data which limits causal inference.
The overarching goal of this research project is to assess the potential unintended effects of drug
policing policies by examining when seizures increase the likelihood of overdose. To do this,
researchers will use street-level data to examine whether law enforcement drug market disruption
of specific substances (e.g., methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl) impacts fatal or
nonfatal overdose events in the surrounding area and where there are the opportunities to
intervene. In addition to this, researchers will engage with people who use drugs, public health
officials, and law enforcement to understand drug seizure processes and opportunities for
mitigating harm.
Researchers will accomplish study goals through four primary aims. The first (1) will examine the
association between law enforcement drug market disruption and overdose by comparing drug
seizure property room data from a police department in a large metropolitan jurisdiction to fatal
and nonfatal overdose data. The second (2) will develop a database of drug seizure events reported
by media sources and compare this database to police property room data. The third (3) will
determine the extent to which local media sources can serve as drug seizure event data in the
absence of police property room data as a generalizable methodology for other jurisdictions to
track associations between drug seizures and overdose. The fourth (4) will assess feedback from
law enforcement and public health officials about drug seizure processes and public health
responses and include first-hand experiences of people who use drugs such that opportunities for
intervention can be identified.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10391170
- **Project number:** 1R01CE003362-01
- **Recipient organization:** WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Bradley Ray
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $362,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-30 → 2024-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10391170

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10391170, Examining the iatrogenic effect of law enforcement disruptions to the illicit drug market on overdose in the surrounding community (1R01CE003362-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10391170. Licensed CC0.

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