Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) recently urged Attorney General Eric Holder to draw from evidenced-based strategies implemented by states to curb prescription drug and heroin addiction to develop federal policies.
Portman and Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) co-authored a letter to Holder that called on the attorney general to leverage the best criminal justice and public health practices available to help with addiction education, prevention and treatment.
“Addiction to prescription opioids and heroin has become one of our nation’s most challenging public health issues, affecting our neighborhoods and communities in ways far worse than anyone might have imagined,” Portman and Udall said. “To effectively address the problem of heroin and opioid dependence in our country, an ‘all hands on deck’ approach that recognizes the value of prevention and education, law enforcement, overdose prevention and the utilization of all opioid addiction treatments is required.”
Portman and Udall said prevention should be promoted through combined education, law enforcement, overdose prevention and addiction treatment efforts.
“We applaud Department of Justice programs such as the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which provides a safe way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs and helps educate the public about the potential for abuse of widely available medications,” Portman and Udall said. “We see value in expanding this approach to one where disposal sites are much more available. We encourage you to work with other federal agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education, as well as state and local partners to build on programs that help prevent abuse.”
Drug courts and other re-entry and diversion programs should be use to fully integrate the criminal justice system with public health, Portman and Udall said.
“Finally, an extensive body of research exists that support the use of medications for the treatment of opioid addiction, when used in combination with counseling,” Portman and Udall said. “To confront this budgetary and public health crisis, DoJ must build upon the innovative work being done in the states. Specifically, the department should initiate a multi-state program utilizing anti-addiction medications to support successful reentry into society of opioid addicted offenders from various corrections settings.”
Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) were among additional senators who signed the letter.