September 23, 2022
As a part of National Recovery Month, the White House has announced significant actions and funding aimed at curbing the ongoing overdose crisis in the United States. The Overdose Prevention Initiative at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator supports and celebrates this plan, which broadens access to evidence-based treatment, harm reduction resources, and recovery supports.
In addition to announcing $1.5 billion in funding to assist state and tribal efforts to address the overdose crisis, today’s announcements include meaningful policy changes. Key among the many actions undertaken by the White House is the FDA’s guidance on distributing naloxone, a medication that saves lives by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose. During the COVID-19 pandemic, naloxone has been in distressingly short supply, and the FDA’s guidance will help to ensure that this critical medication makes it into the hands of harm reduction programs who use it to save lives daily.
“Naloxone is a miracle medication that is key to addressing the overdose crisis in the United States,” said Libby Jones, Program Director of the Overdose Prevention Initiative. “Earlier this year, the Biden Administration announced a historic commitment to harm reduction, and we are excited to see them follow through on this commitment with smart policy guidance that permits broader access to naloxone”
Beyond ensuring naloxone access, the White House’s actions place significant support behind strategies that precipitate and maintain recovery. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has pledged significant funding toward expanding treatment in rural communities. This investment reflects the goals of popular bipartisan legislation, like the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, that encourages treatment expansion in underserved regions of the United States.
The White House has also pledged key resources across agencies to assist the millions of Americans in recovery. The U.S. Department of Labor’s employment hub underscores the importance of non-punitive wraparound services for people in recovery — facilitating the creation of recovery-ready workplaces across the country will work to lessen the stigma around substance use and recovery. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has placed a major investment in recovery resources, which will offer ongoing support through community-based health care and treatment programs.
National Recovery Month celebrates the 21 million+ Americans in recovery from substance use disorder. In placing their support behind harm reduction, treatment access, and wraparound services, the White House indicates an understanding that these approaches are key in ensuring that opportunities for recovery are available to all Americans where they are. The Overdose Prevention Infinitive at GHAI shares that understanding and looks forward to working with policymaker and legislators to end the overdose crisis.
Established in 2021, the Overdose Prevention Initiative at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator advances policy solutions that save lives and end the U.S. overdose crisis. The Initiative is dedicated to reducing inequities and disparities in substance use disorder care and expanding access to harm reduction services and substance use disorder treatment.
The Overdose Prevention Initiative is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and is a partnership between the Global Health Advocacy Incubator and the Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund.
For questions, please contact Ben Orton-Vipond at bvipond@advocacyincubator.org.