Ohio and other states have been in the middle of an opioid crisis. More people than ever are getting ahold of strong drugs, like heroin, overdosing and dying. Where people may once have used ecstasy or marijuana, people are now choosing harder drugs and becoming truly addicted.
In the midst of the opioid crisis, the Ohio Attorney General has sought to persuade congress to expand drug addiction treatment as a way to help address the problem. The act, called “The Road to Recovery Act” addresses the main problem with this crisis: addiction. The attorney general, along with 38 others, has bipartisan support of the act.
The act’s aim is to help those who are struggling with addiction get the help they need. Additionally, it would eliminate a Medicaid rule that limits the number of residential treatment options available.
This is desperately needed in Ohio, where there were 4,050 accidental drug overdoses resulting in death in 2016. That’s an increase of 33 percent from the year before.
The Ohio Attorney General has also filed a lawsuit that is seeking damages from five drug manufacturers. The lawsuit alleges that the manufacturers knew that the drugs could lead to addiction, but sold the drugs as if they would not.
Addiction is a disease. Those who are addicted need help, not necessarily to go to jail. With the right support, substance abuse treatment may be an option that you can pursue in your case instead of having to turn to years in prison as a solution for your criminal acts. The right medical assistance makes a difference.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, “DeWine helps lead effort to expand drug-addiction treatment,” Randy Ludlow, accessed Oct. 03, 2017