Pubdate: Sun, 24 Apr 2016 Source: Tennessean, The (Nashville, TN) Copyright: 2016 The Tennessean Contact: http://www.tennessean.com/SITES/OPINION/submit-editor.shtml Website: http://www.tennessean.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/447 Author: Rusty Mauney Note: Rusty Mauney is a 12-year Army combat veteran and currently works as an emergency medicine physician assistant in Clarksville. BILL WOULD FOCUS ON DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT H.R. 4378 Addresses the Need to Provide Treatment Facilities for Those Already Bound by Addiction. Education and Prevention Are Imperative in Fighting the Epidemic, but Don't Work by Themselves. the Economic Advantage of Treating Addicts Is Huge, When Factoring in Health Care and Judicial Costs. Since Nancy Reagan first spoke the familiar words "Just say no" in 1982, this country has been engaged in a war on drugs that to some seems unwinnable. There is currently a piece of legislation in Congress that takes a different approach to the matter. Rather than solely focusing on prevention of substance abuse, the Access to Substance Abuse Treatment Act of 2016 (H.R. 4378) addresses the overwhelming need to provide treatment facilities for those already bound by the chains of addiction to heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) and phencyclidine (PCP). The goal of the bill is to permit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to increase the availability and the amount of government funding allocated to treat those suffering from substance abuse. The bill also proposes funding for child care and other authorized services to those in treatment. These include "wrap-around" services, such as medical services, job training services and housing assistance to those in treatment. Obviously, education and prevention are imperative in fighting the epidemic, but time has shown that this approach simply does not work by itself. If it did, there would not have been 1,166 drug overdose deaths in Tennessee in 2014. This number surpassed deaths from homicide, suicide and motor vehicle accidents. If the traditional approach alone was effective, Tennessee wouldn't have approximately 69,100 residents addicted to prescription painkillers (Tennessee Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, 2015). If education and prevention alone were more successful, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation would not be investigating the estimated 800 active methamphetamine labs in the state (TBI, 2015). Tennessee has 208 treatment facilities supporting 16,950 clients. Of these, 146 are private (not for profit) and 51 (for profit). Local, county and community governments funded three facilities, while the state owns two. There are also six federal facilities (five Veterans Affairs and one "other"), none of which include the Department of Defense or Indian Health Service (N-SSATS, 2011). H.R. 4378 would help this problem by providing grants to fund more treatment facilities. One may wonder, "How will this impact the taxpayers?" Current spending on substance abuse treatment reaches approximately $600 billion annually. The economic advantage of treatment versus no treatment is seen in a return rate of 12:1 on the dollar when comparing the associated health care and judicial costs (NIDA, 2012). Many think of substance abuse as an issue existing only outside their comfy little corner of the world, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Time and time again stories are published in print or aired on television of people who "never thought it would happen to me." This heartbreaking issue has destroyed countless families, lives and futures. Undoubtedly, most reading this will have been affected in some capacity by substance abuse. As you think of that one person whose life would've been completely changed had they had access to appropriate treatment, please consider reaching out to Congressman Marsha Blackburn at http://blackburn.house.gov/contact and promoting H.R. 4378. Or contact: Washington office: 2266 Rayburn Building Washington, D.C. 20515 202-225-2811 202-225-3004 (fax) Clarksville office: 128 North Second St. Suite 202 Clarksville, TN 37040 931-503-0391 931-503-0393 (fax) Franklin office: 305 Public Square Suite 212 Franklin, TN 37064 615-591-5161 615-599-2916 (fax) - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom