Opioid Crisis

The opioid crisis has been sweeping across our nation and leaving destruction in its path. Each day, 115 Americans lose their battles with opioid addiction and ultimately their lives.

Our country is in the midst of an epidemic that knows no bounds and continues to devastate communities.

The grave realities of opioid abuse often seem insurmountable. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under 50.

The president’s Opioid Commission called for health insurers to be held accountable for complying with the federal parity law, which requires them to cover mental health and addiction no more restrictively than other chronic illnesses. Without parity, we will never solve the crisis.

In the US, 142 people die of drug overdoses every day. But the Trump administration’s response has been heavy on punishment and light on public health.

Since our nation’s founding, volunteers have helped us through our greatest challenges and triumphs. America is built on this ethos of service – the shared belief in the power of citizens to build a safer, stronger and more united country.

Communities are being devastated by the opioid crisis. The heartbreak can’t easily be quantified, but other costs can be. Opioid-related healthcare costs, lost wages and burdens on our judicial system cost more than $72 billion annually. Worse, the estimated value of life lost is nearly six times that.

Opioid use disorder is a devastating disease that takes more than 100 lives every day. Fortunately, effective treatment is available. Medication-assisted treatment — which combines FDA-approved drugs with behavioral therapies, such as counseling — reduces illicit drug use, overdoses, health care costs and criminal activity.

Last year, the White House Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis issued 56 recommendations to address the national crisis, including better coordination among federal agencies.

While only 20% of Americans live in rural communities, the rate of opioid-related deaths in non-metro counties is 45% higher than in metro areas, the result of lacking local health care and longer EMS response times.

Rural America is facing an opioid epidemic. Seventy four percent of farmers and farm workers say that they have been affected by opioid abuse. We may want to think drug addiction is a big city problem, but this crisis is hitting close to home.

The opioid epidemic has gripped every corner of the U.S. With overdoses skyrocketing, lawmakers are seeking solutions to prevent usage, promote treatment and save lives.