Calls for a Comprehensive and Coordinated Effort Focused on Prevention, Rescue and Recovery Strategies

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 11, 2017) – The Collaborative for Effective Prescription Opioid Policies (CEPOP) expressed support for a Public Health Emergency declaration and urged the Trump Administration to officially make the determination as part of a comprehensive response plan, and to provide new resources including toward primary prevention and access to treatment and recovery services.  This national declaration is a step in the right direction toward generating the funding and flexibility necessary to solve this enormous problem. CEPOP, with nearly 80 national organizations, identifies, develops, and advocates for policies and programs to prevent drug misuse and save lives.

“We clearly have not done enough to change the course of this epidemic.  A national emergency response is required to both help American families threatened by opioid abuse and prevent millions more from becoming at risk.  Our collaborative will continue to bring stakeholders together to accelerate this crucial work,” said former Congresswoman Mary Bono, co-convener of CEPOP and co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse.

“The declaration will be a next, crucial step in helping communities reeling from the effects of the epidemic,” said General Arthur Dean, Chairman and CEO of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and co-convener of CEPOP. “We are losing approximately 130 of our fellow citizens every day, many of them young people who should have decades of productive life ahead, and must activate all responsible efforts to give them help.”

“A national declaration will only be effective if our nation puts forth the resources to prevent drug misuse in the first place and ensures those with substance use disorders get the help they need through consistent access to healthcare and support programs,” said Rich Hamburg, Executive Vice President and COO of Trust for America’s Health and CEPOP co-convener.

Download a copy of the above press release.