Legislation Aiming to Increase Treatment Efforts for Addicts, Crack Down on Trafficking Passes U.S. Senate

A bill that proposes increasing treatment and outreach to recovering opioid addicts and pass several other measures to combat addiction passed through the U.S. Senate on Thursday. Called CARA, the legislation's funding comes from a December omnibus spending bill, with $80 million currently appropriated toward it.

The bill proposes to:

• Fund Recovery Community Organizations to provide recovery services for rehabilitating addicts.

• Remove questioning about "prior drug convictions" from student-loan and Pell grant applications.

• Increase the availability of the anti-opiod overdose drug naloxone to first responders.

• Expand prescription take-back programs.

• Add funding to prescription drug monitoring programs that aim to prevent addicts from going from doctor to doctor in search of an opioid script.

• Coordinate federal, state and local law enforcement to focus on counties that receive high amounts of drug trafficking.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, overdoses from opioid drugs such as heroin and oxycodone as the leading cause of injury-related death in the nation.

The STOP ABUSE Act, legislation similar to the Senate bill, is currently in the U.S. House. Both bills contain language on combating the nation's opioid supply and addiction. The House bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Longboat Key).

Buchanan, who held a town hall in Bradenton on Wednesday on Manatee County's continuing efforts to stem opioid abuse, said, "We need to get help to our communities and families as quickly as possible to address this crisis."