WARREN, OH – At the future site of a new comprehensive treatment center in Warren, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) discussed new legislation that would help address the opioid addiction crisis from prevention to recovery. In Ohio, drug overdose deaths increased from 2,110 in 2013 to 2,482 in 2014. In the Mahoning Valley alone, there were 115 deaths from unintentional drug overdoses in 2014.

“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. Unfortunately, too many Trumbull 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 today, Brown joined Linda Spies, a Trumbull County mother whose son is managing his addiction with the help of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Joe Caruso, President and CEO of Compass Family and Community Services, also discussed how Brown’s legislation will help their organizations better serve the residents and communities in the Mahoning Valley.

“Senator Brown really gets it, he knows addictions are chronic illnesses that require support for Life-Long Recovery,” said Caruso. “This recovery includes coordinated school and community based prevention strategies; access to effective medication-assisted treatment (MAT) integrated with counseling and primary healthcare. Trumbull County is facing a terrible epidemic involving heroin and other opioids. Senator Brown’s bill will provide comprehensive funding for the spectrum of services needed to combat this problem that is literally killing our community.”

Brown outlined his legislation, which represents a comprehensive approach to address the entire spectrum of addiction, from crisis to recovery, including: boosting prevention, improving tools for crisis response for those who fall through the cracks, expanding access to treatment – like MAT – and providing support for lifelong recovery. Specifically, Brown’s bill, the Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Reduction Act, would:

Prevent Addiction by:

  • Implementing regular trainings for health care professionals who prescribe opioids to improve their ability to diagnose addiction.
  • Creating a grant program to improve tracking and reporting of fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses.

Respond to Ohioans in Crisis by:

  • Providing funding for communities to train first responders, physicians, pharmacists, and the public to respond quickly and effectively to prevent overdoses.
  • Making naloxone – a safe and effective medication that can reverse overdoses – more affordable and accessible, to ensure the medication can quickly reach communities that need it the most.
  • Funding syringe exchange programs that often offer a path to connect patients to treatment while decreasing the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C.

Expand Access to Treatment by:

  • Focusing effective medication-assisted treatment (MAT) on regions experiencing rapid increases in heroin and prescription opioid use.
  • Authorizing grants to increase access to residential treatment programs for pregnant and post-partum women who are struggling with addiction and creating a pilot program to allow for outpatient treatment services for pregnant women along the continuum of care.
  • Expanding the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) capacity to award grants to states experiencing rapid increases in heroin or other opioid use and to respond quickly using evidence-based interventions.
  • Increasing the pool of trained care providers by creating a loan repayment program for health professionals who treat individuals with substance use disorders.

Support Life-Long Recovery by:

  • Creating a National Youth Recovery Initiative by establishing a new grant program for accredited recovery high schools and institutions of higher education to provide substance use recovery support services to high school and college students.
  • Expanding recovery support services through mentorship, peer support, community education and outreach (including naloxone training), programs that reduce stigma or discrimination against individuals with substance use disorders, and developing partnerships between recovery support groups and community organizations.
  • Strengthening parity in mental health and substance use disorder health insurance benefits.

 

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