Ahmed Aboulenein
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday will announce nearly $1.5 billion to fund opioid overdoses, fight Trafficker sanctions and increased funding for the law
Biden administration keen to show it is taking action on the worsening opioid crisis across the country, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the crisis has sparked more than 107,12 drug overdose deaths in 2021, nearly an increase of % over the previous year.
“Our country is facing 108, in just 12 overdose deaths within a month. That’s one death every five minutes around the clock,” said Dr Rahul Gupta, director of national drug control policy at the White House of Representatives.
“The Biden-Harris administration is announcing several key investments and actions to reduce overdose deaths, ensure that officials on the front lines of public health and law enforcement have the resources they need, support people’s recovery, and ultimately defeated the epidemic,” Gupta told reporters at a news conference.
Biden will announce nearly $1.5 billion in grants from U.S. Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam Delphin-Rittmon The Department of Health and Human Services provides services to states, tribal lands and territories.
The funds will be used to treat substance use disorders and, Delphin-Rittmon said, remove barriers to key tools such as naloxone, a drug that can reverse opioid overdose . As well as care for stimulant use and abuse disorders, including cocaine and methamphetamine, she added.
The FDA will issue new guidance to ease restrictions on naloxone, Gupta said.
Currently, there are legal barriers to access to naloxone in some states and not always available to those at highest risk of overdose in others Naloxone, as patients are more likely to get a prescription if they have been previously diagnosed with opioid abuse or dependence and overdose
Biden also announced additional funding million for enforcement in hardest hit areas In addition to the 275 million announced in April, there is a Sanctions against individuals and groups of drug cartels.
