Under the Biden Administration’s plans, the Food and Drug Administration will issue a proposed rule to set a maximum level of nicotine in cigarettes and tobacco products by May 2023.

The bill will strengthen federal block grants that fund substance use services and require the funding to be used only for treatments and programs that are proven to work.

In a victory for safety from overdoses, the U.S. House’s Energy and Commerce Committee voted by a strong majority to move the bipartisan Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act (“MAT Act”) to the House floor today.

By passing the MAT Act, Congress can prevent future deaths and help people with substance use disorder find recovery.

President Biden’s strategy includes prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery initiatives, along with policies to reduce the supply of drugs.

McKinsey was working for the FDA, which oversaw the regulation of opioids, and was also making millions of dollars consulting for Purdue Pharma and other opioid companies to increase sales of Oxycontin.

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice issued guidance on protecting people with opioid use disorder from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level.

If enacted, the budget would address substance use disorder in many ways, including allocating $85 million to expand harm reduction services that prevent overdoses and increasing funding for services that support recovery.

The Committee hearing featured legislation that End Substance Use Disorder is leading to prevent overdoses, increase access to treatment, and reduce stigma.

Today, President Biden signed legislation to fund the federal government through September 30, 2022. The legislation includes more than $4 billion for substance use treatment and prevention initiatives.

Today, families who lost loved ones to overdoses and people in recovery testified in federal court about the pain and suffering caused by Purdue Pharma’s role in fueling the opioid epidemic through its aggressive sales of Oxycontin.

The law would authorize the creation of programs to intervene early with individuals experiencing substance use disorder and mental health crises and offer immediate pathways to help.

Today, states announced an updated $6 billion settlement agreement with Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, and the Sackler family for their roles in fueling the opioid epidemic.

Today, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-NH) renewed their call for Congress to pass the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act. President Biden called for Congress to act on the policy underlying the MAT Act in his State of the Union address.

This evening in his State of the Union address, President Biden called for unified action on the overdose crisis.

Today, states and local communities announced that they have finalized a $26 billion settlement with Johnson & Johnson and three major drug distributors for fueling the opioid overdose crisis. The first funds from the settlement, which must be used to address the overdose crisis, will be issued in two months and will be distributed over an 18-year period.

During the hearing, lawmakers recognized that the substance use disorder crisis has worsened significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.