A new joint report from National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National League of Cities (NLC) examines how cities and counties can strengthen collaboration with each other and state, federal, private-sector and non-profit partners to tackle the opioid crisis.
Several of the recommendations are accompanied by existing local practices from cities and counties. The report also includes recommendations for state and federal officials, who are pivotal partners in local efforts to combat opioid misuse, diversion, overdose and death.
In countless communities across the nation, abuse of prescription drugs and heroin has reached epidemic levels, leading to unprecedented rates of drug overdoses and related fatalities. As this public health crisis has unfolded, local leaders are formulating effective responses. Much progress has been made on this front, but much work remains to be done. During this audience-focused town hall, NACo members will discuss local stories, successes and challenges with an expert panel that includes several members of the National City-County Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic.
Congress will continue work this week on a flurry of opioid-related bills in an effort to finalize a legislative package by the end of May. Members of both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives are expected to devote the next three weeks of the congressional session to the consideration – and possible advancement…
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — To its critics here, the needle exchange was an unregulated, mismanaged nightmare — a “mini-mall for junkies and drug dealers” in the words of Danny Jones, the city’s mayor — drawing crime into the city and flooding the streets with syringes. To its supporters, it was a crucial response to an escalating…
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Click here to view the joint report. Across the country, the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is helping states and counties respond to the opioid crisis by protecting babies, children, youth and families from harm and helping them get the support they need to heal and thrive. SSBG provides a flexible funding source to help…
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On April 25, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), advanced 57 bills to the full Energy and Commerce Committee. Of the bills, 56 were focused on ways to help combat the opioid crisis. #SubHealth also considered the bipartisan, bicameral reauthorization of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) and…
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MCARTHUR, Ohio — The opioid epidemic has affected nearly every aspect of life in Vinton County. Teachers buy shoes for students whose addicted parents send them to school in footwear held together with tape. Overdose deaths have surged. Foster care is overwhelmed. The jail is bursting at the seams. The expenses related to caring for the…
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