ASAM Lauds ONDCP's 2014 National Drug Control Strategy Focus on Opioid Epidemic

CHEVY CHASE, MD, JULY 14, 2014 – ASAM lauds the release of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) 2014 Drug Control Strategy.

The 2014 Drug Control Strategy continues to reflect a more modern approach to drug policy. Rooted in science and evidence-based reforms, the Administration’s strategy recognizes that addiction is a brain disease and that addiction treatment is a necessary component of any public health response to drug and alcohol dependence and the health and safety consequences associated with this disease.

ASAM supports the ONDCP’s continued focus on addiction prevention, treatment and recovery. In particular, ASAM is pleased that this year’s plan includes policies that would support increased use of FDA-approved medications to treat opioid use disorders and wider availability of naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses.

“ONDCP has made access to evidence-informed addiction treatment a priority,” offers Dr. Stuart Gitlow, ASAM President. “This Strategy recognizes that improvements can and should be made along the entire continuum of addiction policy and that the effects of these policies reverberate as much at home and at school as they do in jails and at the borders. ASAM looks forward to working with ONDCP to develop innovative and effective drug policy reforms.”

ASAM is Committed to Improving the Treatment of People Suffering with Addiction
The American Society of Addiction Medicine is an association of physicians and associated professionals dedicated to improving the treatment of alcohol, drug and other addictions, educating physicians and medical students, promoting research and prevention, and enlightening and informing the medical community and the public about these issues. ASAM members practice in a wide range of primary care and specialty care settings and, as such, have firsthand knowledge of the enormous benefits that treatment confers on both the addicted patient and the community in which they live.

The Public Needs to Know
Addiction is a chronic disease and it is treatable like other chronic illnesses. Millions of Americans are living productive lives in recovery. Even so, 23 million Americans currently in need of treatment are unable to access it. The new ONDCP drug strategy outlines an effective national agenda that will provide the treatment resources necessary for individuals in and seeking recovery.