White House Drug Control Strategy to Focus on Treatment and Trafficking
Last Tuesday, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Dr. Rahul Gupta, confirmed that the White House plans to unveil their National Drug Control Strategy in June. The strategy will be a collaboration between eighteen agencies and will focus on recovery programs and policies that address illicit drug trafficking. In an interview, Dr. Gupta said, “If it remains easier to get illicit drugs in America than treatment, we’ll never be able to bend the curve in overdoses.” The upcoming strategy aligns with previous ONDCP and Department of Health and Human Services efforts that have focused on expanding evidence-based prevention, treatment, recovery, and drug supply reduction approaches.
Articles & Resources
Bloomberg Law – Upcoming Biden Opioid Plan Will Target Treatment, Trafficking
The White House – FACT SHEET: Addressing Addiction and the Overdose Epidemic
SAMHSA Announces $25.6M in Grants Directed to Substance Use Treatment and Prevention Programs
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that it has established funding totaling $26.6 million through the Strategic Prevention Framework for Prescription Drugs (SPF Rx) and Medication-Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction (MAT-PDOA) grant programs. The SPF Rx grant program will provide $3 million over five years to fund awareness efforts about drug misuse, including overprescribing and the dangers of counterfeit pills and sharing medications. State agencies, territories, and tribal entities that have completed a Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant plan or a similar state plan are eligible for the funds. The MAT-PDOA grant program will provide $22.6 million over five years, with at least $11 million reserved for Native American tribes, tribal organizations, or consortia, to fund efforts to expand access to medications for opioid use disorder. In a press release, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, said, “Every five minutes someone in our nation dies from an overdose. This is unacceptable. At HHS, we are committed to addressing the overdose crisis, and one of the ways we’re doing this is by expanding access to medication-assisted treatment and other effective, evidenced-based prevention and intervention strategies.”
Articles & Resources
HHS – HHS Announces Funding for Substance Use Treatment and Prevention Programs
What We Read Last Week
Several articles were published last week pertaining to the opioid epidemic, covering a variety of different components of the issue. Links to relevant articles are provided below.
Annals of Internal Medicine – Effects of State Opioid Prescribing Laws on Use of Opioid and Other Pain Treatments Among Commercially Insured U.S. Adults
Bloomberg Law – Biden’s Call for Mental Health Coverage Sparks Legislative Push
Congressman Hal Rogers – Congressman Rogers Secures Federal Funding to Combat Skyrocketing Overdose Rates
Congresswoman Carol Miller – ICYMI: Congresswoman Miller Op-Ed: Biden’s Open Border Worsens West Virginia’s Drug Crisis
Department of Justice – McKesson Agrees to Pay $1 Million to Resolve Recordkeeping Violations under the Controlled Substances Act
Drug and Alcohol Dependence – Impacts of a Medicaid “lock-in” program on opioid use disorder treatment and services and naloxone dispensing
House Committee on Oversight and Reform – Oversight Committee Urges DOJ and Treasury to Examine Tax Benefits Claimed by Opioid Companies for $26 Billion Settlement
Law360 – Key Opioid Cases To Watch As Massive Wave Of Trials Looms
STAT – Emergency response systems must not overlook people with substance use disorders
The Hill – Drug overdose deaths in US hit new records amid fentanyl crisis
The Pew Charitable Trusts – Barriers Limit Access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in Philadelphia
The Rand Corporation – A New and More Dangerous Drug Market Requires a New Approach
The Wall Street Journal – Opioid Overdose Death Rate for U.S. Black Population Is Higher Than for White
The Washington Post – Drop boxes are making it easier to get rid of old medication
UNC-Chapel Hill – Carolina researchers developing warnings for tainted street drugs
University of Chicago – Could we vaccinate against opioid addiction? with Sandra Comer and Marco Pravetoni (Ep. 88)
USC – The Role of Science in the Biden-Harris Administration’s Drug Policy
This Week’s Calendar
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Hearings to examine strengthening Federal mental health and substance use disorder programs, focusing on opportunities, challenges, and emerging issues. Wednesday, March 23rd ; 10:00 a.m.; Hearing Notice
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