STEUBENVILLE, OH – With drug overdose deaths on the rise in Ohio, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) held a roundtable discussion in Jefferson County today to discuss efforts to address the opioid addiction crisis. Brown was joined by local leaders and public health officials at the Jefferson County Prevention and Recovery Board. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more people died from drug overdoses in 2014 than any other year on record. According to the Ohio Department of Health, Jefferson County ranks 4th highest in the state in overdose deaths.
“When it’s easier for Ohioans to access opioids than it is for them to get help to treat their addiction, we have a serious problem,” Brown said. “Opioid addiction is a chronic disease that, when left untreated, places a large burden on our health care system, and on our families. Our Ohio institutions are doing good work—but they need our support. That’s why roundtables like today’s event are so important – so that I can learn from community leaders what works and what support they need. I look forward to continuing to work with local leaders to combat this issue plaguing our state.”
In advance of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day – scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, April 30, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm – Brown released a list of sites where Ohioans in the Steubenville area can safely dispose of unused and unwanted prescription medications. Ohioans can find sites around the state by searching here. After the DEA announced its plan to cancel National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days in 2014, Brown joined several of his colleagues in urging Attorney General Loretta Lynch to reinstate this important program. The U.S. Department of Justice heard Brown’s request and, following his urging, DOJ reinstated National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days — returning more than 350 tons of prescription drugs at more than 5,000 sites across the country.
Brown also 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 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:
Brown also cosponsored bipartisan legislation that would enable health care providers to treat larger numbers of patients struggling with addiction to opioids passed out of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee last month. The Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act (TREAT Act) would update U.S. law to enable qualified physicians to treat larger numbers of patients struggling with addiction and, for the first time, allow certain nurse practitioners and physician assistants to provide supervised, MAT for patients. The bill now awaits action in the full U.S. Senate.
A full list of take back sites in the Steubenville-area is below and here.
COUNTY |
CITY |
COLLECTION SITE |
ADDRESS |
Belmont |
Bridgeport |
Riesbeck's Food Store |
56130 National Road |
Belmont |
Belmont |
Morristown Pharmacy Parking Lot |
66840 Belmont-Morristown Road |
Belmont |
Shadyside |
Riesbeck's Food Store |
4595 Central Avenue |
Belmont |
Saint Clairsville |
Riesbeck's Food Store |
104 Plaza Drive |
Belmont |
Saint Clairsville |
Ohio State Patrol- St. Clairsville |
51400 National Road |
Carroll |
Carrollton |
Carroll County Sheriff's Office |
43 2nd Street |
Harrison |
Scio |
Neimayers |
112 E. Main St |
Harrison |
Cadiz |
Custer Pharmacy |
241 S. Main St |
Harrison |
Cadiz |
Rite Aid |
651 Lincoln Ave |
Jefferson |
Steubenville |
Kroger |
264 South Hollywood Boulevard |
Jefferson |
Steubenville |
Riesbeck's Food Mart |
100 Main Street |
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