US Congress Prescription Opioid Abuse Hearing
On May 1, 2015, the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the topic of the nation’s problems with prescription opioid drug abuse. The panel is a who’s who of government officials that deal with the country’s drug problems, which made for an educational program.
The panelists’ statements and Q&A from Congress Members were almost void of political content, and refreshingly held to the problem and solutions. It is interesting to note that more than one of the elected representatives seemed to over-simplify what could be done to solve the opioid abuse crisis. But, on this particular stage, those exchanges could benefit a large part of our population that is new to the topic.
It seems that every aspect of prescription opioid drug abuse was covered. Statistics on abuse and treatment, how people become addicted to prescription medications, how they can move on to heroin, and all forms of treatment that are available were discussed. For overdose prevention, they talked about Naloxone. For treatment, everything from Methadone/Buprenorphine Maintenance and Vivitrol to Medical Detoxification and aftercare was explored.
Co-occurring mental health disorders were a part of the discussion, as should be expected. It’s good to know that the relationship between mental health and substance use is included in high-level hearings that deal with funding. Although, it isn’t as much about money as it is about public awareness. It helps to weaken the stigma that comes with disorders.
Among the panelists was the new Director of National Drug Control Policy, Michael Botticelli. We recently wrote in support of the fact that he is in recovery and he exhibited the value of his experience in the hearing.
The CSPAN3 video below is 2 hours long, and well worth the investment of time. The amount of opioid hospitalizations and overdoses has steadily risen over the past decade. It’s a serious problem that needs serious public support in order to solve it. Please watch it and share.
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