President Obama Proposes More Drug Treatment Money for Ohio

In 2014, Ohio was one of the five states that suffered the highest death toll from drug overdoses. Other states with high overdose rates included West Virginia, New Mexico, New Hampshire, and Kentucky. President Obama noted in particular that more people are dying from opioid addiction than from traffic accidents. Unfortunately, too many people suffering from addiction do not get the help they need because neither they, nor the state, has had sufficient resources to combat this problem.

Ohio Could Receive $45 Million in Increased Funding

President Obama decided to take steps toward providing more treatment options for addicts. Earlier this year, Obama proposed $1.1 billion in increased funding for states to improve treatment. If this plan is approved then Ohio would receive $45 million over two years to expand drug treatment. The money would go mostly toward reducing costs for uninsured or underinsured Ohioans.

The statistics coming out of Ohio are staggering. In 2014, 2,482 people died from drug overdose in Ohio. Since 2002, over 12,000 Ohio residents have overdosed. The amount of funding states are slated to receive was decided based on the number of people who overdosed in 2014 and the disparity in people who are able to get treatment.

Federal Government Pushes for More Expanded Drug Treatment Options

Obama also announced $11 million in grants to go to up to 11 states to expand medication-assisted treatments for drug addiction, as well as an another $11 million so that states could purchase the drug naloxone, which is used against overdose.

The Health and Human Services Department has also recently taken action. HHS proposed a new rule that would increase the number of patients doctors who are allowed to prescribe an anti-addiction medication buprenorphine. The drug buprenorphine is prescribed to help people overcome their heroin or painkiller medications. Passing the rule would mean doctors could double the patients they could prescribe buprenorphine to up to 200.

Society Should Treat Addiction as a Public Health Issue, Not a Criminal One

This problem of drug addiction, President Obama says, needs to be treated as a public health issue, not a criminal problem. Society has been viewing people with addiction problems through a skewed, unsympathetic lens for much too long, and it is time for a new approach. Obama conveyed that if we want to reduce drug overdoses and combat drug addiction, then we need to reduce demand for the drug. That is the the root of the problem. We've already seen that railing against drug use and punishing drug users does accomplishes very little.

Wolfe Legal Services applauds President Obama for treating drug addicts humanely and taking action to combat drug addiction more effectively. But, if you or someone you know has been arrested on a drug charge, the consequences can negatively affect your family, friends, and job goals in the short-term and the long-term. An experienced, skilled attorney is your best defense against a prosecutor who will try to throw the book at you. Contact my Columbus Ohio criminal defense law office today at (614) 263-5297 or fill out the online form.