“We know addiction is a treatable disease, but that only approximately 10 percent of those who need treatment receive it,” Reyes said. “As stated in our letter to congressional leaders, we cannot arrest our nation out of the current drug epidemic alone. Only a comprehensive approach leveraging evidence-based law enforcement and health care services – including treatment – can effectively reverse current trends.”
In the letters, the attorneys general write:
Law enforcement has always been on the frontline when it comes to drug crises, but we cannot arrest ourselves out of this current epidemic. Research shows the best way to address this challenge is through a strategy that includes prevention, law enforcement, reduction of overdose deaths, evidence-based treatment, and support for those in, or seeking, recovery.
The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act would provide states with the necessary tools to more effectively confront the growing challenge of heroin and opioid abuse and addiction. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses now surpass automobile accidents as the leading cause of injury-related death for Americans between the ages of 25 and 64. More than 100 Americans die as a result of overdose in this country every day – more than half of them caused by prescription drugs or heroin.
The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 will:
- Expand prevention and educational efforts – particularly aimed at teens, parents and other caretakers, and aging populations – to prevent the abuse of opioids and heroin and to promote treatment and recovery
- Expand the availability of naloxone to law enforcement agencies and other first responders to help in the reversal of overdoses to save lives
- Expand resources to identify and treat incarcerated individuals suffering from addiction disorders promptly by collaborating with criminal justice stakeholders and by providing evidence-based treatment
- Expand disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications to keep them out of the hands of children and adolescents
- Launch an evidence-based opioids and heroin treatment and intervention program to assist in treatment and recovery throughout the country
- Strengthen prescription drug monitoring programs to help states monitor and track prescription drug diversion and to help at-risk individuals access services
Submitted by the Office of the Attorney General
Related posts
- Throw out leftover medication at drug take-back events
- Future looks brighter for those suffering from behavioral health issues, addiction
- Voices of Recovery: Young family finds hope amid drug addiction
- Addicted at birth: Number of babies born to mothers using heroin, meth, prescriptions grows; STGnews Videocast
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Legalize cannibus ,, works to get OFF that Big Pharma …
Ed. ellipsis
You may want to think about re- posting and maybe we will know what you were trying to say
And who’s going to pay for this? The doctors who get them hooked? The pharmacists who make millions off the sales? Of course not. We the taxpayers will be bled to rehsb the junkies.
You may want to think about re- posting and maybe we will know what you were trying to say
I like your style. Keep it up.
Legalize Marijuana….hows Colorado doing with their drug addiction problem ( pain pills, heroin, meth) and what their suicide rate? And how about drug overdoses? Utah is not doing well in these categories.
what prescriptions beside methadone do they have to help pain killer users have besides methadone to get relief when trying to get away from the prescription pain killers even though i am in pain i don’t know which is worse when i run out early and have bad withdrawls and the pain or just getting away from the precriptions long enough that i don’t have to deal with the hardcore withdrawls and deal with the chronic pain alone