•   Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury death in the U.S., causing more deaths than car crashes. 

•   One in four teens has misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in his/her lifetime.

•   In the US, prescription opioid abuse costs are about $55.7 billion. This is attributed to workplace costs, healthcare costs and criminal justice costs. 

There is a heroin and prescription drug abuse epidemic in this country. And thankfully, for the first time in a U.S. presidential election, candidates are talking about the issue of drug abuse in an entirely new and refreshing way.

This new way doesn’t incriminate, shame or judge. It rather supports, destigmatizes,and encourages the millions of Americans affected by addiction.

As the candidates visit key electoral states like Iowa and New Hampshire, they are hearing from constituents that drug abuse, and the opiate crisis in particular, is the main issue they care about. Parents of addicted children and those in recovery are coming out of the shadows and bravely demanding that their issue, one that is ravaging our communities, be at the center of the Presidential discussion.

Not only are candidates finally paying attention, they are even sharing their own stories. Several presidential hopefuls have experienced first-hand the devastation of losing a child to addiction.

Carly Fiorina’s lost her stepdaughter, Lori, to drug addiction.

Donald Trump lost his brother, Freddy, to alcoholism.

Chris Christie’s lost a close friend from law school to prescription drug abuse. 

Jeb Bush’s daughter’s, Noelle, has struggled with drug addiction and is now in recovery.

In addition to sharing their personal and emotional connections to the issue, both Democrat and Republican candidates are presenting comprehensive plans to address the current opiate epidemic, such as Hillary Clinton’s $10 billion plan to enhance treatment and recovery programs and Jeb Bush’s strategies for combatting the opioid epidemic as well.

We cannot incarcerate our way out of this problem. Instead, we must invest in prevention and enhance our treatment resources and recovery services.

The Presidential campaign trail is bringing light to the single fact that substance abuse is not a moral failing, but a public health issue. Despite crossing all social and economic boundaries, it is drastically underfunded. We have failed to discuss its devastating reach or the few resources that we have to address it…until now.

Now is the time when the 85 million Americans affected by addiction demand action and resources to properly treat and define addiction like the public health crisis that it is. The 2016 Presidential campaign is amplifying that message and gives us the national stage to affect change.

No matter what your political beliefs, please help keep addiction and substance abuse a main topic throughout the Presidential campaign trail and election.

We urge the Presidential candidates to advocate for investment in prevention, treatment and recovery programs in order to combat this epidemic.