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Washington
–
U.S.
Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC),
co-chair
of
the
Senate
Prescription
Drug
Abuse
Caucus,
today
voted for
the
Comprehensive
Addiction
and
Recovery
Act
(S.
524).
This
bipartisan
legislation
is
designed
to
ensure
that
available
federal
resources
are
devoted
to
high-performing
evidence-based
education,
treatment
and
recovery
programs.
The
bill
passed
94-1
in
the
Senate.
Today,
heroin
and
prescription
drug
abuse
surpasses
car
accidents
as
the
number-one
cause
of
injury-related
deaths
nationwide.
In
2014,
28,647 Americans,
including
516
South
Carolinians,
died
from
drug-related
deaths
and
opioid
overdoses.
“Heroin
and
prescription
drug
abuse
is
wreaking
havoc
on
the
lives
of
individuals,
families
and
communities
all
around
our
nation,” Scott
said.
"No
community
or
group
seems
to
be
immune
from
its
dangers,
and
we
must
act
to
stem
the
tide
of
this
epidemic.
I
voted
for
the
Comprehensive
Addiction
and
Recovery
Act because
this
common-sense
measure
will
give
more
communities
stronger
tools
to
fight
the
growing
opioid
epidemic
in
our
nation.”
Sponsored
by
U.S.
Senators
Rob
Portman
(R-Ohio)
and
Sheldon
Whitehouse
(D-R.I.),
the
Comprehensive
Addiction
and
Recovery
Act
would:
- Expand
prevention
and
educational
efforts—particularly
aimed
at
teens,
parents
and
other
caretakers,
and
aging
populations—to
prevent
the
abuse
of
opioids
and
heroin
and
to
promote
treatment
and
recovery.
- Expand
the
availability
of
naloxone
to
law
enforcement
agencies
and
other
first
responders
to
help
in
the
reversal
of
overdoses
to
save
lives.
- Expand
resources
to
identify
and
treat
incarcerated
individuals
suffering
from
addiction
disorders
promptly
by
collaborating
with
criminal
justice
stakeholders
and
by
providing
evidence-based
treatment.
- Expand
disposal
sites
for
unwanted
prescription
medications
to
keep
them
out
of
the
hands
of
our
children
and
adolescents.
- Launch
an
evidence-based
opioid
and
heroin
treatment
and
interventions
program.
While
we
have
medications
that
can
help
treat
addiction,
there
is
a
critical
need
to
get
the
training
and
resources
necessary
to
expand
treatment
best
practices
throughout
the
country.
- Strengthen
prescription
drug
monitoring
programs
to
help
states
monitor
and
track
prescription
drug
diversion
and
to
help
at-risk
individuals
access
services.
The
legislation
is
supported
by
more
than
130
national
anti-drug
groups,
including
the
National
District
Attorneys
Association,
the
National
Association
of
State
Alcohol
and
Drug
Abuse
Directors
(NASADAD),
Faces
and
Voices
of
Recovery,
the
National
Council
for
Behavioral
Health,
and
the
Major
County
Sheriffs'
Association.
Senator
Scott,
along
with
Senator
Joe
Manchin
(D-WV),
launched
the
Prescription
Drug
Abuse
Caucus
last
May
in
an
effort
to
raise
awareness
and
show
that
the
United
States
Senate
is
serious
about
helping
the
millions
of
American
families
whose
lives
have
been
torn
apart
by
prescription
drug
abuse.
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