Pubdate: Fri, 11 Mar 2016
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2016 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Karoun Demirjian

FUNDING TO FIGHT OPIOID ABUSE GETS SENATE NOD

The Senate on Thursday passed legislation to combat the growing 
epidemic of painkiller and heroin abuse, an accomplishment that many 
members will take to the campaign trail.

Drug abuse has been in the spotlight this political season, with 
presidential candidates recalling personal stories about relatives 
and friends who struggled with addiction and lawmakers from states 
dealing with the crisis highlighting their efforts to address the issue.

Many of the Republican senators who have backed the bill face tough 
reelection battles.

Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), for instance, 
have taken lead roles in the debate and have emphasized how critical 
the bill's programs will be in their states, which face heroin and 
opioid abuse problems.

In New Hampshire, more than one person a day dies of an overdose of 
heroin or other opioids, and in Ohio, it is nearly one death every three hours.

Ayotte and Portman supported a Democratic-led, and ultimately 
unsuccessful, effort last week to add $600 million to the bill to 
support the treatment and prevention programs it would create. Sen. 
Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who also is facing a formidable reelection 
challenge, supported the amendment.

Republicans leaders opposed the proposal, arguing that there is 
enough money for the programs and that additional funding should be 
offset with cuts elsewhere in the budget.

Senators are eyeing the appropriations process as the next place they 
intend to appeal for more drug abuse treatment and prevention funding.

The bill, which passed 94 to 1, has emerged as one of the few pieces 
of legislation to have wide bipartisan support this year, as the 
country's problem with opioid abuse worsens. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) 
was the lone vote against the bill.

The legislation would establish grant programs to help state and 
local governments improve education and treatment for drug abuse, 
encourage medical providers to reduce unnecessary prescriptions, 
commit resources to help veterans deal with addiction, and give local 
law enforcement and mental-health officials tools to lower the death 
rate from overdoses.

A key provision would provide states with incentives to make 
naloxone, which can counteract overdoses, more widely available by 
offering liability protections to officials who distribute it.

The bill's fate in the House remains unclear.

"Our committees will be reviewing the legislation," said Mike Long, a 
spokesman for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). 
"Additionally, there are a number of House members who have been 
working on this issue, given the impact it has had on their districts 
and constituents."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom