The US is hooked on opioid painkillers, but it has come one step closer to dealing with the problem at last. Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at curbing opioid addiction, and the Senate could vote on it soon as this week.
The bill, called the , will enable the federal government to fund state and local government initiatives targeting the problem. Such measures could include expanding treatment and prevention programmes, investigating illegal drug distribution, and training emergency workers in dealing with opioid overdoses.
In recent years, opioid addiction has reached epidemic proportions and claimed high-profile victims. In 2014, as a result of overdosing on prescription opioid painkillers, according to the National Institutes of Health.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 taken a devastating toll on millions of Americans,鈥� says of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, taking into account not only those who have died, but also those living with addiction and their family and friends.
Two-pronged approach
Both prevention and treatment measures are needed, says Alexander: doctors must write fewer prescriptions for opioids, while treatment programmes for those who are addicted must be expanded. 鈥淏oth of those are easier said than done,鈥� he says.
鈥淚f you only do one or the other, you鈥檒l fail,鈥� says of Phoenix House Foundation, an addiction treatment charity based in New York. 鈥淚f we only focus on treatment and don鈥檛 do anything about the overprescribing, then the epidemic will never end 鈥� we鈥檒l just keep creating more and more people who need treatment.鈥�
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bill last Friday, voting in favour of it 407 to 5. If the Senate also passes the bill, it will then land on President Obama鈥檚 desk for final approval.
But on its passage through the House, Democrats were unsuccessful in their attempt to secure $920 million for further treatment for addicts, many of whom cannot afford to pay out of their own pocket. Separate legislation is expected to provide $581 million for tackling opioid abuse.
鈥淭he bill is an important step in the right direction,鈥� says Alexander. But given the magnitude of the problem, the money allocated in the bill may not go far enough, he says.
鈥淲ithout funding, it will have little impact,鈥� says Kolodny. 鈥淲e need a massive investment in expanding access to effective treatment.鈥�
