New Legislation Passed to Combat Opioid Epidemic

With the help of a multiple senators, congressmen, and doctors from New Jersey, the Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO) program became part of national legislation this past Tuesday.

The program, created in Paterson New Jersey at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, was created to combat opioid addiction in the local communities. Since the program was implemented, St. Joe’s has reported a 50% decrease in opioid prescriptions. Hopefully as the program goes national hospitals around the country will follow in St. Joe’s footsteps.

Both Democrats and Republicans of congress were in support of the ALTO program, having passed it as a part of the Emergency Department Act. The bill was first introduced to congress on May 7th by New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez. On June 12th, the bill was passed in the senate.

According to statistics from the White House, over 300,000 Americans have overdosed from opioids since the year 2000. President Trump has repeatedly referred to the opioid epidemic as “the worst drug crisis in American History.” Opioid addiction often starts with medical facilities. Doctors prescribe people strong, heavily addictive drugs.

ALTO deals with the problem at its place of origin, encouraging caregivers, doctors, and medical facilities to become a part of the solution.

Senator Booker said “The opioid crisis in our country is truly at a disastrous moment. We are literally seeing the life expectancy in our country go down as a result of this crisis. We are seeing families and communities being destroyed…The level of these drugs pouring into our community are leading directly into other opioid addictions such as the heroin crisis.” highlighting the urgency and need of this program in not only his home state of New Jersey, but the entire country.”

Congress stated:

“This bill requires, and provides funds for, the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out a three-year demonstration program awarding grants to hospitals and emergency departments to develop, implement, enhance, or study alternative pain management protocols and treatments that promote limited use of opioids in emergency departments.”

Thanks to truly bipartisan efforts, as well as doctors and congressmen of New Jersey, the Opioid epidemic will now be faced head on. The bill will support emergency medical facilities to deal with the root of the problem by using alternatives for pain treatment.

The video below shows Senator Cory Booker Advocating for the acclaimed program.

Featured Image via: Wikimedia Commons