On Tuesday, Eighth District Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. participated in a discussion at the White House on solving our nation’s opioid crisis. The discussion was led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has been selected by President Trump to chair the recently announced President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.

“We are facing an epidemic that reaches every corner of this country.  If left unchecked, it will continue to devastate communities and families across the nation.  President Trump has recognized the importance of solving the opioid crisis by creating this commission. I’m honored to have been able to share with Governor Christie my experience as a physician and the experiences of my constituents who are on the front lines of this fight,” said Bucshon. “At today’s meeting, I conveyed to Governor Christie the critical importance of building on our work to pass comprehensive addiction treatment legislation, exploring the development and approval of non-opioid alternatives for pain management, and implementing reforms that strike the right balance between proper pain management and addiction prevention. I look forward to continuing to work with Governor Christie and the commission as they develop positive solutions to the crisis.”

Opioid abuse disorder and drug addiction have impacted every community in the nation, reaching across socioeconomic and geographic lines.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 91 American lives are lost every day from an opioid overdose.

Southern Indiana is bearing the brunt of the epidemic.

Last week, Vigo County suffered four suspected overdose deaths and authorities have responded to 16 opioid or heroin induced overdoes already this year. Vanderburgh County saw 29 deaths from overdose in 2016, which is a fourfold increase from the prior year and a rate the County Corner expects to rise in 2017.

Tuesday’s meeting comes on the heels of an announcement that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide $485 million in grants to states to combat the growing opioid crisis. In particular, the state of Indiana is set to receive $10.9 million in funding provided for in the 21^st Century Cures Act, which was signed into law in 2016 with the help of Bucshon.

During his time in Congress, Bucshon has made drug addiction a legislative priority.

Last year, Bucshon was deeply involved in crafting and passing the Comprehensive Addition Recovery Act (CARA), the most significant drug addiction legislation to be signed into law in recent history.  Bucshon authored an integral portion of the law which expanded access to medication-assisted opioid addiction treatment, ensured patients have access to a wider range of comprehensive, evidence-based treatment options, and minimized the potential for drug diversion.  His work on the legislation was recognized by the Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose.

In an effort to see that progress through, Bucshon led a bipartisan letter to HHS Secretary Tom Price, M.D. earlier this month urging full implementation of CARA, specifically the addition treatment portions of the law.

When the White House announced the commission in late March, Bucshon praised the movetweeting, “Encouraged @POTUS is launching a new commission to help put an end to the opioid epidemic, which as greatly impacted the Hoosier state.” He went on to say, “I look forward to working with @POTUS and the new commission to build on the progress we’ve made to help our communities and patients.”