Local Responses and Resources to Curtail the Opioid Epidemic

Subject

Date

April 11, 2018

Time

10:00 am

Place

2154 Rayburn HOB

PURPOSE:

To evaluate local responses and initiatives to address the opioid epidemic.
To examine how federal grant programs have assisted state and local communities.
To explore ways the federal government can effectively assist our states in combating the epidemic.

BACKGROUND:

In 2016, nearly 64,000 Americans died from drug overdose, and roughly 115 Americans die daily from opioid overdose.
Recently, the opioid epidemic has worsened with the misuse of cheaper, easier to obtain heroin and dangerously potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
The federal government has responded by declaring a public health emergency, creating the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, and providing additional funding for resources. Amidst the national response, state and local communities continue to struggle with an escalating crisis.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) currently administers two grant programs aimed at reducing illicit drug use and drug availability at the local level – the Drug Free Communities (DFC) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs.