Sen. Peters Introduces Bipartisan Opioid Addiction Treatment Legislation for Adolescents
Opioid addiction has been a growing epidemic in the country, and especially in the state of Michigan, where overdose deaths have reportedly increased roughly 18 times.
That’s why senator Gary Peters is introducing bipartisan legislation that expands access to opioid addiction treatment for adolescents.
“Medicated treatments, medicated addiction treatments are designed primarily for adults, but they can be very effective for adolescents, and we need to have this support, which is why this legislation is critical,” said Peters. “It will allow people aged 14 to 18 to have access to this critical medication and will help them get off of their addiction.”
Overdoses from opioid addictions continue to rise in adolescents, and while their treatment is primarily therapeutic, medication can benefit them as well.
“That’s why this program, the funding that we have for this program is so important. It provides about $10 million a year for around the country to help folks get the treatment they need,” said Peters. “It shouldn’t matter whether or not you can afford it, it’s absolutely critical that we get people the treatment they need so they’re no longer addicted.”
Opioid addictions can be especially present in rural areas like northeast Michigan.
“In many cases, some of our rural areas have the highest per capita use of opioids, so this is a significant problem that we all face, all of our communities face, and it’s particularly tragic when you have people aged 14 to 18 who become addicted at such an early age,” said Peters. “It often times leads to very bad outcomes and many times death.”
Senator Peters is working to pass the legislation as quickly as possible and find certainty that the funding and the resources will be available for years to come.
