HYANNIS – The US House of Representatives passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016, which includes a provision from Congressman Bill Keating.
The legislation provides over $180 million in immediate funding to address the national epidemics of addiction to heroin and prescription opioids.
The provision, authored by Keating, includes drug take-back programs in the list of authorized uses of funds in the Act’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program.
“As a former District Attorney, I saw first-hand the effectiveness of take-back days at police stations, and I continue to see their value in communities across the Commonwealth,” said Keating. “Too many leftover prescription pills make it into the hands of people to whom they weren’t prescribed. I believe that fewer addictive opioids sitting in medicine cabinets will result in fewer unintended.”
The Act authorizes the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make necessary changes to Federal law to combat opioid addiction and abuse and increases access for medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction.
In addition to the Keating Provision, the legislation also contains a stand-alone section to help create and/or expand drug take-back programs the communities might want to start on their own.
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