The world of medical anthropology offers a very different perspective of the current rise in illicit substance abuse. While much of the research surrounding overdose and drug trends tends to be retrospective, anthropologists like Dr. Zibbell are working on ways to predict trends instead of identifying them posthumously. Listen along as he discusses the waves of the opioid epidemic, the impact they have on communities, and how we can apply the data we are gathering in this episode of "Just Science."

This installment in the "Just Science" podcast series is collaboratively supported by BJA's COSSAP and the National Institute of Justice's Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.