Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio is introducing legislation to address the nation's growing opioid overdose epidemic with a comprehensive approach to addiction. Kevin Niedermier of member station WKSU in Kent reports.
Senator Brown says the legislation covers heroin and other opioid addictions from
crisis through recovery by increasing access to treatment and boosting proven
prevention efforts like early education for children. Judy Johnson of the Alcohol,
Drug Addiction and Mental Health Service Board in Ross County in South Central Ohio
says Brown's bill will help her extend scarce resources to fight the heroin
epidemic. And she cites the bill's call to increase the number of patients a doctor
can treat with the heroin rehab drug Suboxone. But she says the bill's
comprehensive character is the most important element......
Johnson
"Realizing that you can't just hit one area, that there's a whole continuum of care
that needs additional time, resources and effort."
Brown's legislation also includes funding for competitive bidding by communities to
build treatment centers and for other resources....