Baldwin Requests Funding to Study Opioid Crisis
Sen. Tammy Baldwin is behind a push for better data collection and monitoring of opioid use
As the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic plays out across the country, so, too, does the crisis of opioid addiction and overdose death. The spread of COVID-19 hasn’t eliminated addiction, but it has altered treatment access, and added the mental pressures of social isolation. That’s why a group of U.S. senators are requesting more funding for data collection and better monitoring of the opioid crisis as it continues during the pandemic.
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) are spearheading the effort, backed by 17 of their Senate colleagues. In a joint letter to the leaders of both parties in Congress, the group noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has “dramatically altered the substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery landscape in this country.” Nevertheless, it continues, “the needs of patients and communities are clear.”
Due to the various business shutdowns and the sudden implementation of social distancing many treatment centers either closed or altered their admission process. For patients, the idea of not being able to get help when you need it is jarring. Some have only recently considered recovery, while others are on medication-assisted treatment programs with tight needs and schedules. Not all treatment facilities have closed their doors, however, and instead have worked hard to keep up with what appears to be a growing demand for recovery.
On April 4, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office tweeted that overdoses “continue to surge” from its own area. “If current trends continue, 640 people will die in Milwaukee County this year from a drug overdose.” Spikes in overdoses can be caused by a so-called “bad batch” of narcotics laced with a more lethal substance, like a fentanyl analog. The pandemic, however, has created a unique breeding environment for isolation, depression, and economic desperation.
“Congress must continue to rise to this challenge,” the senators urged, “now exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.” They are calling for increased funding to support targeted responses to the addiction crisis in communities. “To this end,” reads the letter, “we urge you to provide $2 billion in funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to administer supplemental grant allocations under the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant program and the state opioid response grant program.”
According to the Department of Health Services (DHS), by the end of 2019, Wisconsin saw over 3,700 opioid-related inpatient and emergency room hospital visits. “As we look to the future,” the senators state in their letter, “it is critical that the needs of providers are met in order to respond to the needs of those struggling with substance misuse, as well as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Reprinted with permission of Wisconsin Examiner.
More about the Opioid Crisis
- Representatives Gwen Moore, David N. Cicilline, and John Katko Lead Call for Increased Funding in FY 2023 for Federal Lead Poisoning Prevention Efforts - U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore - Apr 28th, 2022
- Baldwin Blasts FDA Consultant For Pharma Ties - Isiah Holmes - Apr 7th, 2022
- Report Details Opioid Addiction Solutions - Rob Mentzer - Apr 5th, 2022
- Senator Baldwin Pushes for an Investigation into McKinsey’s Potential Conflicts of Interest in Relation to Opioid Crisis - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Apr 5th, 2022
- HOPE Kits aim to provide lifesaving tools for the community - Ald. Michael Murphy - Mar 25th, 2022
- County Executive David Crowley Announces Launch of Overdose Dashboard - County Executive David Crowley - Mar 22nd, 2022
- Evers Signs Bill Legalizing Fentanyl Test Strips - Graham Kilmer - Mar 16th, 2022
- Gov. Evers Signs Three Bills in La Crosse to Help Address Substance Use and Overdose Deaths in Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - Mar 16th, 2022
- Fentanyl Drives Record Overdoses in 2021 - Christine Hatfield - Mar 10th, 2022
- After Losing Son to Overdose, A Father Fights Back - Edgar Mendez - Feb 18th, 2022
Read more about Opioid Crisis here