U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin, Todd Young and Edward Markey Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Fight Opioid-Related Infectious Diseases
This bipartisan legislation would authorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand the scope of an existing CDC initiative to focus on eliminating infectious diseases caused by injection drug use.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Todd Young (R-IN) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) introduced the Eliminating Opioid-Related Infectious Diseases Act of 2018, S.2579, to address increased rates of infectious diseases caused by substance use disorders.
This bipartisan legislation would authorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expand the scope of an existing CDC initiative to focus on eliminating infectious diseases caused by injection drug use. This includes working with states to improve education, surveillance and treatment of opioid use-related infectious diseases like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C.
“As the opioid crisis continues to devastate families across the country, we must ensure our communities have the tools necessary to help combat the spread of addiction and disease,” said Senator Young. “By expanding the scope of CDC’s Hepatitis C surveillance and education program to focus on opioid use-related infectious diseases, this commonsense legislation will help halt the spread of deadly diseases associated with the opioid epidemic.”
“A public health emergency requires a public health response, and that includes enhancing detection, education and treatment efforts to mitigate the risks of hepatitis C, HIV, and other infectious diseases related to opioid use disorders,” said Senator Markey. “Massachusetts had more reported cases of hepatitis C than any other state in 2015, the same year we peaked in overdose deaths caused by illicit opioids. With more than 220 counties across the United States at risk of a hepatitis C or HIV outbreak related to the opioid crisis, we cannot afford to wait any longer to arm our states with the tools needed to tackle all of the public health consequences of this epidemic. I thank Senators Young and Baldwin for their leadership and partnership in this effort.
The connection between HIV, hepatitis C and injection drug-use became evident following an outbreak in Scott County, Indiana, cited by the CDC as “one of the worst documented outbreaks of HIV among IV users in the past two decades.” The crisis in Indiana serves as just one example of communities, both large and small, who are in need of more targeted resources to stop the spread of preventable diseases.
The Eliminating Opioid-Related Infectious Diseases Act of 2018 is supported by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NAACHO), the AIDS Institute, the American Liver Foundation, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR).
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Opioid Crisis
- Baldwin Brings Home $750,000 for Northeastern Wisconsin to Combat Fentanyl and Opioid Epidemic - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Sep 27th, 2024
- AG Kaul Meets with EMS Leave Behind Program Recipients - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Sep 17th, 2024
- MKE County: Crowley Signs Opioid Program Funding - Graham Kilmer - Sep 10th, 2024
- Serenity Inns Opens New Addiction Treatment Center in Milwaukee - Serenity Inns - Aug 14th, 2024
- MKE County: County Nearly Doubles Narcan Vending Machines - Graham Kilmer - Aug 12th, 2024
- Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Announces Placement of Eight Additional Harm Reduction Vending Machines - County Executive David Crowley - Aug 12th, 2024
- Milwaukee’s Native Community Faces Surge in Opioid Deaths - Trisha Young - Jul 8th, 2024
- MKE County: County Awards $2.8 Million To Non-Profit Opioid Programs - Graham Kilmer - Jul 2nd, 2024
- MKE County: County To Get $3 Million From Kroger In Opioid Settlement - Graham Kilmer - Jul 1st, 2024
- Court Decision Holds Up Wisconsin’s $70 Million Drug Settlement - Sarah Lehr - Jul 1st, 2024
Read more about Opioid Crisis here
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