Main highlights:
- The funding for opioid crisis, the epidemic of overdose.
- Funding to access support recovery.
The overdose epidemic has had a devastating effect on this country, affecting every community in between as well as big cities, small towns, and tribal lands. President Biden is aware of this. Because of this, President Biden made combating the opioid crisis a key component of his Unity Agenda in his first State of the Union address and outlined important steps the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to address this crisis and support the tens of millions of Americans who are in recovery.
As part of National Recovery Month, the White House today announced the following fresh and recent initiatives:
All States and Territories Will Receive $1.5 Billion to Address Addiction and the Opioid Crisis:
Through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has provided nearly $1.5 billion to assist states, tribal lands, and territories in their efforts to combat the opioid crisis and aid those in recovery. The grants are a part of the State and Tribal Opioid Response Grant Programs of SAMHSA.
The award programmes give money to states and territories so they can extend access to recovery support services like 24/7 Opioid Treatment Programs, remove obstacles to public health interventions like naloxone, and boost access to treatment for substance use disorders. Additionally, the cash will enable states to invest more in overdose education, peer support experts in emergency rooms, and other initiatives that will help save lives in hard-hit neighbourhoods.
Expanding Substance Use Treatment and Prevention in Rural Communities to Fight the Overdose Epidemic will Cost Over $104 Million:
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of HHS has announced investments totaling more than $104 million in public, private, and non-profit organisations that are attempting to increase access to substance use disorder treatment and prevention services in rural areas. The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program includes this initiative (RCORP), , a multi-year project with the goal of lowering substance use disorder prevalence and avoiding overdose fatalities in rural America. In addition to supporting workforce mentoring and training, this funding will enable localities to invest in education and outreach to prevent and treat substance use disorders. It will also assist in the establishment of new sites that offer medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in rural areas.
$20.5 million will be spent to expand access to recovery support:
Through SAMHSA, HHS will provide $20.5 million in grant money to organisations that assist in linking people with substance use disorders to local resources. These funds will be used to provide access to community mental health promotion services, extend prevention and treatment programmes, and assist people with substance use disorders who are navigating the drug court system in reestablishing their lives.
Releasing new guidelines to encourage and facilitate easier access to naloxone medicines with FDA approval:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today released guidelines designed to simplify the distribution of naloxone products that have received FDA approval in an effort to save lives by promoting the drug’s enhanced accessibility to underprivileged populations that most urgently require it. The recommendations, which take effect right now, assist in removing some of the barriers to naloxone availability and could assist qualified community-based organisations in buying FDA-approved medications directly from producers and distributors.
Announcing additional funding for law enforcement personnel battling the overdose epidemic on the front lines:
In April, the ONDCP announced $275 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program to assist law enforcement officials working to reduce violent crime, enhance data sharing, and dismantle illicit finance operations of drug traffickers. This was done to support the implementation of President Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy.
To further assist these initiatives, the ONDCP today announced an additional $12 million for new HIDTAs, partnerships between public health and public safety working to prevent overdoses, and initiatives working to prevent gun crimes linked to drug trafficking, all of which will improve the safety and health of our communities.
Providing New Guidance to Help Employers Create Workplaces That Are Recovery-Ready:
The Recovery-Ready Workplace Resource Hub was established by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor to provide employers, unions, and others interested in the advantages of becoming recovery-ready workplaces with information and resources. The hub will be updated and expanded in the future thanks to the assistance of several federal partners.
Financial Sanctions are being used to disrupt international drug trafficking operations. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has used this additional ability to identify 27 people and 17 businesses involved in drug trafficking since President Biden’s Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 was issued in December. People connected to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), a dangerous group with roots in Mexico that traffic a sizable amount of the illegal fentanyl and other lethal substances that enter the United States, have been designated recently.
The U.S. collaborates with businesses, industries, and partners abroad. In order to stop the illegal production of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which continues to be a leading cause of overdose deaths, the Department of the Treasury will employ sanctions to target the worldwide fentanyl supply chain, notably in Mexico.
President Biden’s FY 2023 budget request calls for a historic investment of $42.5 billion for National Drug Control Program agencies, up $3.2 billion from FY 2022, to support these and other initiatives. Critical public health interventions such as research, prevention, treatment, and recovery support services have seen significant funding increases. These investments have been made specifically to address the needs of the populations most at risk for overdose and substance use disorders. Increased funding for law enforcement personnel attempting to cut the supply of illegal substances like fentanyl that are fueling the overdose epidemic is also requested in President Biden’s budget proposal.
None of the initiatives or investments made today will be utilised to buy or sell drug paraphernalia, such as pipes, in accordance with federal law.
