“State Of The Union – Addictions – United In Facing Addiction”…

I know many of you follow me through my social media on Facebook and Both My Twitter  Accounts  and know I am NOT a fan of our current President…

So here is how I feel and what’s on my mind as my friends of “Facing Addiction” has come a long way with “the fight” shining the light on The Addiction Epidemic in America since day one of the rally in D.C.

 

 

I can also tell you I was not impressed with his ” State of The Union” address as it was again more of the same. More talk and still NO Action when it comes funding for addicts who have no or minimal insurance for treatment options from ALL addictions including the Opioid Epidemic. Yes, my addiction I am in maintaining recovery 11-yrs is gambling and alcohol.

Yet, gambling addiction still has a very long way t go for treatment options as well.  And “Facing Addiction Org” sure seems to agree with me. I felt it kind of shameful they used the story of “Baby Hope” as an example when our president and both parties know that his words really don’t count for much these days.

Only “actions” can begin to save the lives of addicts of the addicts we are losing each and every day. So I am sharing the latest email I received and please JOIN ME along with Facing Addiction In America as together we can make OUR PRESIDENT hear all the collective voices that we need “Answers and More Treatment Options and Funding NOW!”

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Facing Addiction and The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) are proud to announce the merger of our organizations – creating a national leader in turning the tide on the addiction epidemic. The merged organization will be called:

 

 

Dear Catherine Townsend-Lyon,

Last night, in his State of the Union address, the President highlighted the story of  “Baby Hope.” A child who was born into the addiction crisis in New Mexico. Hope is not alone – over 45 million Americans and their families are directly impacted. When the costs of addiction – social and human – are combined, it’s hard to argue that everyone in this country is not affected by this public health epidemic.

While we appreciate the President’s words about this issue, it is time for our leaders to take action. More than three months ago, the President declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in this country. Last week, that declaration was renewed for another 90 days. Still, absolutely no action of note has been taken. What does it mean if we have an emergency and we do nothing about?

Enough is enough. It is clear that, for real action to take place, we as the grassroots leaders around the country need to stand up and speak out. Today, we are asking you to take one, simple step: please write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, focusing on the addiction crisis in America and the need to take action. Click here for help writing a letter to the editor of your local paper.

We must continue pushing forward – we cannot be silent. Let’s saturate our local news outlets with our voices. Let’s come together and reach the 58% of Americans who don’t yet view addiction as a national emergency.

Again, please take a few moments of your time and write a letter to the editor today.

Thanks for all you do – together we can continue Facing Addiction together.

Warm regards,
Michael King
Director of Outreach & Engagement

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I will close by saying how honored I am to be a supporter and a loud voice along with all my friends of “Facing Addiction.” They were kind of enough to reach out to me and ask me to share my story last year on their website and I have been sharing everything they do to help addicts and their families from day one…/

 

Author and Advocate, Catherine Townsend-Lyon

 

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What Exactly Does a National Emergency Mean for Addiction? By, Alek Sabin

Recently, the Trump administration announced that the opioid epidemic and the addiction that it has caused is a national emergency that was going to require government attention. This declaration is an enormous deal in the continuing fight to reduce the effects of addiction that have spread over the country and has disproportionately affected our elderly, as well as the millennials that are supposed to be joining the workforce. However, it’s important to take a step back and look at what a declaration of a national emergency means and what exactly it changes. Here are some things to keep in mind, in the months and years ahead…

“There are two different national emergency laws that could be used.”

First of all, it’s important to note that Trump hasn’t actually made an official declaration of a national emergency through the legal system, but has said that he is going to do so. At the moment, the administration says it is exploring options about how it is going to go about declaring the emergency.

There are two laws that it must decide between when making the declaration: the Stafford Act or the Public Health Service Act. A declaration made under The Stafford Act would open up funding that is used for natural disasters and other such relief funds, while the Public Health Service Act would utilize medical resources that are at the government’s disposal. Either way, money and personnel would be deployed to different areas in need.

 

“More funding would be opened up”

Either way, one of the major differences that an official declaration of a national emergency would mean is that more funding would be opened up to fight addiction around the country. This would especially benefit rural areas, which are horribly underfunded, at the moment, when it comes to fighting addiction.

For example, even though rates of substance abuse are similar between rural and urban areas, the overdose and chronic addiction rates are drastically higher in rural areas, due to the fact that urban areas benefit from more concentrated resources to focus on treatment. A national emergency fund would allow rural areas with more tools to prevent substance abuse is areas that have been alienated, thus far.

 

“Just a declaration alone brings greater awareness.”

 

Interestingly enough, one of the biggest benefits of declaring a national emergency has actually already been set in motion before Trump has even officially taken any other meaningful action. Just making a declaration that he is planning to make a declaration brings a great deal of awareness to the addiction situation in our country, as there are over 140 Americans that die every day, due to fatal drug overdoses.

“A national emergency combats the stigma of addiction.”

In a similar vein to the awareness that such a declaration brings, talking about the addiction epidemic as a national emergency also does a great deal to make this more of a health issue, rather than a moral one. Sadly, there is still a major stigma that surrounds addiction and substance abuse, which stems from a misunderstanding of the medical nature of addiction as a behavioral disease. A declaration of a national emergency does a great deal to combat that stigma and rallies the country around solving a problem that we have neglected to address for years.

“Lower drug prices could follow.”

One of the major points of the declaration that was brought up by Trump is that the administration plans to use its powers of national emergency to negotiate lower prices on lifesaving overdose drugs like naloxone. While it is uncertain how the administration could do this, and there isn’t outlined plan on how they would, what they can do to open up access is to waive restrictions on doctors who can prescribe drugs that fight the effects of addiction and eliminating limits on how many people doctors who specialize in addiction are able to treat.

“A real fix must spread to the pharmaceutical industry.”

 

While a national emergency is a great step in the right direction, we can’t continue to fight a problem like addiction without first acknowledging the root of the problem. The opioid epidemic didn’t come from nowhere, and the nefarious truth about this situation is that it originated in the very medical system that is meant to keep our population healthy. Most people who are addicted to prescription opioids and harder opiates, like heroin, got these drugs legally, and for a good reason, in the first place.

Until we can eliminate our pharmaceutical industry’s addiction on prescribing prescription opioid painkillers that they know contain a high risk of addiction, we won’t be able to stem the continuing cycle of addiction. Hopefully, the national emergency causes the government to look at the cause, and not just the effect.

~Article Courtesy of Author, Alek Sabin