Trump, Harris: How Will You Save Lives During the Overdose Crisis?
No one should die from overdose. These deaths are preventable. Yet in the United States, we have lost over one million lives to the devastating overdose crisis over the last 25 years. And we lost nearly 108,000 lives in 2022 alone. This is an urgent public health emergency that affects all of us in every community. It should be a top priority for all our elected leaders. The U.S. presidential candidates must be clear about their plans to reduce overdose deaths and help people who are struggling with addiction.
No one should die from an overdose. They are preventable.
There were 107,941 overdose deaths in 2022.
Source: CDC“I lost my only child Jeff to overdose. We need health-based solutions to save our loved ones.”
Source: Denise Cullen, LCSW, Co-Founder, Broken No MoreTreatment, overdose prevention centers, harm reduction services, and medications save lives.
Overdose Deaths Have Only Increased Under Punitive Drug Laws
The overdose crisis is fueled by punitive drug war policies that prioritize arrest and jail rather than lifesaving care and support. And the crisis has only worsened despite more than 50 years of the drug war. Yet elected leaders continue to double down on failed drug war policies instead of treating drug use as the health issue it is.
Across the country, people lack access to evidence-based treatment like medications for opioid use disorder and vital harm reduction resources that keep people alive like overdose prevention centers and syringe service programs. The unpredictable, increasingly potent, unregulated drug supply is driving the overdose crisis, and continuing to rely on supply-side interdiction and punitive policies will not solve the problem. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Americans deserve a real plan for the overdose crisis that will save lives.
That’s why we are working to hold candidates accountable and demand that they answer this question: How are you going to save lives during the overdose crisis? Effective solutions center health and support, not punishment.
Here are three ways our presidential candidates can show they are serious about saving lives:
- Allow overdose prevention centers. These facilities are designed to reduce the potential risks of drug use, including overdose and unwanted public use. They also connect people with addiction services and social supports, including treatment.
- Invest in evidence-based treatment. There are a variety of treatment options, including psychosocial treatment, medications for opioid use disorder such as methadone and buprenorphine, and contingency management.
- Increase harm reduction and overdose prevention services. Interventions include drug checking (like fentanyl and xylazine test strips), naloxone (a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose), drug education, and syringe service programs that keep people from contracting infectious diseases.
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