Opioids

The opioid epidemic is devastating in Maine. In 2022, opioids claimed the lives of 716 of our friends, family, and neighbors. Thousands more remain addicted and need treatment. 

This is a crisis that will have long-lasting impacts and Jared believes we must do everything in our power to fight back against opioid addiction and abuse in Maine and throughout the country. One of his first acts in Congress was to call on congressional leaders to make combating the opioid crisis a priority. Jared is also a member of the Bipartisan Substance Use Disorder and Opioid Treatment Task Force. 

Jared knows that addressing the opioid crisis requires a comprehensive approach, including prevention, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement. State and local agencies are working hard in all of these areas, but they can’t do it alone. The federal government must step up to the plate and tackle the fight against opioid use disorder head-on. 

That’s why Jared cosponsored the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which passed Congress and was signed into law as part of the omnibus appropriations bill to fund the government through fiscal year 2023. This legislation eliminated requirements that medical providers undergo additional training and register with the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe buprenorphine as part of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use. Jared is working to remove barriers to treatment for Mainers and people across the country. 

Jared’s also fighting back against efforts to roll back Medicaid, the largest source of coverage for treatment services to Americans struggling with opioid addiction. He’s also working to expand the resources available to communities deeply affected by the crisis. In 2022, Jared cosponsored the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which passed in the House and would expand access to opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery support services by eliminating a provision that requires individuals to have suffered from opioid addiction for at least a year before being admitted to a treatment program. The legislation would also promote access to high-quality recovery housing. As a member of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force, Jared will continue to seek out meaningful solutions for the people who need it most.