More than 24 million Americans struggle with substance abuse and addiction. They are our neighbors, friends and family members, and they need our support. The drugs being abused change, but the results are the same. These drugs rob people of the chance to reach their God-given potential. Today, heroin use is on the rise in Ohio and throughout the country, and without proper intervention and treatment, lives, families and communities are devastated. Often this leads to a downward spiral that turns into criminal activity, time behind bars, or even worse; ends with an overdose.
From 1999 to 2013 the number of deaths from overdoses more than doubled and now, it is estimated that 120 people across the country die each day due to drugs. In Ohio, unintentional overdoses have now overtaken auto accidents as the number one cause of death. There were 2,110 overdose deaths in 2013, a nine percent increase from the year before. One of the driving forces behind this sharp increase is the availability of heroin, opiates, and other incendiary narcotics used to relieve pain.
Addressing substance abuse has always been a top priority of mine and as the founder of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Cincinnati, and as a leader in Congress on legislation to combat drug use, I have met many people who have been personally impacted by addiction. Some received the help they needed and were able to make a recovery. Others were not as fortunate. We must focus on what works to turn back this alarming trend.
In my experience, I have learned that a comprehensive, evidence-based approach is needed. We should all support prevention and education efforts to avoid addiction and the struggles it entails. But we also need more effective treatment and recovery efforts to deal with those struggling with addiction disorders. We know that addiction is a disease, but that only about 11 percent of those needing treatment get it, unlike other diseases. Finally, I have seen that a local, grassroots approach to prevention and treatment is most effective. In order to combat substance abuse and help get more people on the road to recovery, we must offer solutions that go beyond a top down, one size fits all approach. We must take a comprehensive approach and start from the bottom up. That is the focus of a bill I introduced, called the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015.
This legislation is designed to provide a variety of resources and incentives to better address addiction in a number of ways. It does so by using evidence-based, tested methods to expand treatment and increases educational efforts aimed at teens, parents, and other caretakers with the goal of stopping drug abuse before it ever starts. The bill expands disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications to keep them out of the hands of children and adolescents. It also expands the availability of a drug called Naxolone to law enforcement agencies and other first responders to help in the reversal of overdoses in order to save lives.
Preventing drug abuse and helping those with addiction disorders is an issue that can break through partisan divides and allow us to reach common ground. After all, drug addiction is a common enemy that everyone should be willing to fight. That is one reason I am pleased that my legislation is supported by members of both political parties and law enforcement, treatment and recovery, and prevention groups that include the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, National Council, Faces and Voices of Recovery, the National Association of State Alcohol, Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), among others.
It is understandable that for some, fighting drug abuse may seem like a battle that cannot be won, but that’s because we have not really tried what we know can work. If we are going to be successful in helping all Americans achieve their dreams in life, and avoid the devastating impact of drug abuse, we need to try new and innovative ways to confront its challenges. By taking a comprehensive approach, relying on the evidence of what works, and implementing it at the local level, I strongly believe the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act will help us meet those challenges and lead more people on the road to recovery.
