WASHINGTON, D.C. – With drug overdose deaths on the rise throughout Ohio, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) visited Toledo to discuss new legislation that would help address the opioid addiction crisis from prevention to recovery. According to the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, 150 people died from heroin-related overdoses in 2014 – a four-fold increase from 2012.
Brown also announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today awarded $352,083 to the Neighborhood Health Association of Toledo to expand medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and other substance abuse services. The State of Ohio was awarded $5,010,416 in total.
“The only way we will stop the drug addiction epidemic is by combatting it at every level – from prevention to treatment to recovery,” Brown said. “Addiction isn’t an individual problem or a character flaw – it’s a chronic disease that, when left untreated, places a massive burden on our health care system, our families, and communities. Far too many Lucas County families know that all too well.
“That’s why I’ve introduced the Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Reduction Act – a comprehensive solution to address this multifaceted problem,” Brown continued. “It should not be easier for Ohioans to get their hands on opioids than it is for them to get help to treat their addiction.”
During a news conference at New Concepts Behavioral Treatment Program, Brown was joined by Kimberly McDaniel, a northwest Ohio woman who is managing her addiction with the help of MAT. Janice Edwards, Executive Director of New Concepts, and Dr. Jay Smith, Medical Director at New Concepts, also discussed how Brown’s legislation will help them better serve residents and communities in Lucas County.
Brown outlined legislation he has introduced, which represents a comprehensive approach to address the entire spectrum of addiction. His bill would help address the opioid epidemic from prevention to recovery, filling in gaps that would help: boost prevention, improve tools for crisis response for those who fall through the cracks, expand access to treatment, and provide support for lifelong recovery.
Although the United States Senate recently passed legislation – the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 – to help tackle the opioid epidemic, Brown’s bill would help address the funding and issue gaps that remain in addressing this issue. Specifically, Brown’s bill, the Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Reduction Act, would:
Prevent Addiction by:
Respond to Ohioans in Crisis by:
Expand Access to Treatment by:
Support Life-Long Recovery by:
Next week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will markup another bill Brown has introduced – The Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act (TREAT Act), which would expand access to treatment, including MAT.
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