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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Ending the
Cycle of Addiction
Drug overdoses are on the rise across Ohio and opioid abuse, in
particular, has wreaked havoc across our state, devastating thousands
of families.
In 2014, more people in Ohio died from drug overdoses than any year on
record. A staggering 2,482 Ohioans died from overdoses in 2014,
including a record number of prescription drug overdoses and 1,177
overdose deaths related to heroin.
These numbers mean nearly 2,500 Ohio families lost a loved one to
addiction in one year alone. And what they don’t even count are the
thousands of other Ohio families and communities who continue to
struggle with opioid abuse.
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.
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, and on our families. This is a multifaceted
issue and we need a comprehensive approach that addresses the entire
spectrum of addiction, from prevention to recovery.
That’s why I’ve introduced the Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse
Prevention and Reduction Act, which will boost prevention efforts,
improve tools for crisis response, expand access to treatment, and
provide support for lifelong recovery.
This bill would provide funding for communities to train first
responders and medical professionals to prevent overdoses. It would
also expand access to treatments, including effective
medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and provide funding opportunities
for other proven, evidence-based treatment efforts. It would make
naloxone — a safe and effective medication that can reverse overdoses —
more affordable and accessible for the communities that need it most.
But to truly make headway against the scourge of drug addiction, we
need to support lifelong recovery, and to prevent addiction before it
starts.
Our bill would do both, expanding recovery support services and
strengthening health care parity in mental health and substance use
disorders, so that those who seek treatment are able to get clean and
stay clean.
During a roundtable my office held in Chillicothe, we heard over and
over how important prevention is. The community organizations and local
governments are already stretched thin — in both time and resources —
dealing with the increasing number of residents who struggle with
addiction. They don’t have the time or the resources they know that
they need to educate their communities about prevention.
To make sure fewer Ohioans become trapped in the cycle of addiction in
the first place, our bill would set new guidelines for health care
providers who prescribe opioids, implementing regular training to help
prescribers better identify and diagnose addiction.
It would also boost efforts to identify at-risk areas, including areas
that are already struggling with high levels of addiction, where the
problem is likely to become worse. And it would give communities new
flexibility to use grant money they receive for prevention efforts.
The only way we will stop this epidemic is by combatting it at every
level — from prevention to treatment to recovery.
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