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. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Opioid Crisis
- Baldwin Backed Legislation to Crack Down on Fentanyl Traffickers Heads to President’s Desk - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Apr 24th, 2024
- Legislature Stalls Opioid Settlement Funds. Again - Erik Gunn - Apr 23rd, 2024
- Milwaukee Bucks Legend Marques Johnson Joins Forces with Serenity Inns to Combat Opioid Epidemic in Milwaukee - Serenity Inns - Apr 23rd, 2024
- Law Enforcement Agencies Awarded Grants from State Opioid Settlement Funds - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 18th, 2024
- MKE County: County Wins Award for Opioid Settlement Fund Usage - Graham Kilmer - Apr 4th, 2024
- MKE County: County Offering $2.8 Million For Opioid Addiction Programs - Graham Kilmer - Mar 28th, 2024
- Senator Baldwin Calls on House to Pass Bill that Cracks Down on Fentanyl Traffickers - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Feb 15th, 2024
- Attorney General Josh Kaul announces $350 million settlement with marketing firm over its role in opioid epidemic - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Feb 1st, 2024
- Grants Will Fund Recovery Housing For Those Facing Homelessness and Battling Opioids - Margaret Faust - Jan 12th, 2024
- Baldwin Helps Advance Bipartisan Bill to Address Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Dec 14th, 2023
Read more about Opioid Crisis here
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Baldwin Delivers Over $83 Million to Replace Lead Pipes, Expand Access to Safe Drinking Water
May 2nd, 2024 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinFederal investment comes from Baldwin-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law