Ahead of Congressional Hearing, End Substance Use Disorder Issues Letter of Support for the Bipartisan Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act
AUSTIN, TX - Today, Erin Schanning, president of End Substance Use Disorder, a national, nonpartisan campaign that advances policies to prevent and treat substance use disorder, issued a statement of support for a hearing on Capitol Hill in favor of the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act. The hearing on the legislation will take place tomorrow morning in the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment has won broad, bipartisan support from over 60 members of Congress and more than 120 national, state, and local organizations and leaders. After the deadliest year on record for drug overdoses in which the United States lost over 88,000 lives over a 12-month period, the need for Congress to pass this lifesaving legislation is urgent.
“The overdose crisis is one of the worst public health crises in modern history and, due to a federal law that lacks evidence, our loved ones with opioid use disorder are not receiving a safe, effective treatment that can help them secure long-term recovery,” said Schanning. “Our loved ones with substance use disorder deserve access to affordable, high-quality treatment that can help them heal so they can earn a living, spend time with their families, and contribute to their communities. The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act is critical to ensure that the 2.3 million people across the country with opioid use disorders have access to treatment proven to prevent overdose deaths. The time for Congress to act to broaden access to lifesaving treatment and help eliminate stigma is now.”
The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act is a common-sense solution to help end the overdose crisis. The legislation will cut through federal red tape to increase participation in treatment, help eliminate stigma, and reduce healthcare and criminal justice costs. The bill could save tens of thousands of people across the country each year from overdose deaths and help them secure long-term recovery.
The bill will also help build universal access to buprenorphine, a lifesaving treatment for opioid use disorder, by allowing all healthcare providers with a standard controlled medication license to prescribe buprenorphine just as they prescribe medications for other chronic medical conditions. Additionally, the bill will launch a national education campaign to connect healthcare providers to publicly available training and mentorship resources on best practices for treating substance use disorder.
These actions are needed because as few as 1 in 5 Americans with opioid use disorder receive buprenorphine even though public health officials recognize the medication as a gold standard of care. Women, people of color, veterans, and those who reside in rural America all lack equal access to buprenorphine due to the structural health disparities caused by current federal law. This severe lack of access to buprenorphine is fueling the overdose crisis, causing multitudes of preventable deaths.
The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act is one of the most important bills needed to help the end overdose crisis. End Substance Use Disorder thanks Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. and Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers for prioritizing this lifesaving legislation and looks forward to working together to pass the law with the urgency it deserves.
To learn more about the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, visit www.endsud.org/mat-act
About End Substance Use Disorder
End Substance Use Disorder is a national, nonpartisan campaign that advances policies to prevent and treat substance use disorder. End Substance Use Disorder believes in science and in ethics: End Substance Use Disorder supports only policies backed by research and evidence and does not take contributions from pharmaceutical companies, treatment facilities, or other organizations that make money on substance use disorder. The nonprofit advocacy organization leads coalitions of healthcare and behavioral health providers, people and families with substance use disorder, harm reduction advocates, law enforcement officers, social justice leaders, and local and state officials that serve millions of Americans.