OPINION: Federal bill to cut opioid deaths deserves support

This editorial was published in The Seattle Times.

———

Washington has made great strides in addressing the opioid crisis over the past few years. The Legislature has passed laws to educate students on the dangers of opioids, and the state, counties and cities have made Naloxone more accessible.

The state is now on the cusp of leading the nation in the fight against opioid abuse and addiction.

U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., introduced a bipartisan bill that would expand a Washington-developed low-barrier fentanyl treatment pilot program across the United States.

The Fatal Overdose Reduction Act would allow existing and future organizations to become certified as Health Engagement Hubs. The hubs provide a one-stop shop where substance abuse patients can receive immediate treatment with buprenorphine and access primary care, harm reduction care and other social services without an appointment. They are to function as a patient-centered medical home by offering high-quality patient care, including wound care.

Since the opioid crisis knows no party affiliation and has impacted individuals, families, the working class and the wealthy, all of Washington’s congressional delegation should support this bill in theory. However, a cost analysis has yet to be done on the bill.

The hubs were set up across the state as part of a pilot program that provided immediate care and links to housing, transportation and other support services.

The pilot was part of a study by the University of Washington School of Medicine research professor Caleb Banta-Green, whose team reports drug trends across the state. According to UW, the study showed a 68% reduction in fatal overdoses under the pilot program.

Cantwell introduced the bill after holding a series of roundtables across the state over the last year. Should the findings reflect what could be possible nationally, the bill would create a major pathway toward reducing overdose deaths.

King County experienced a record number of overdose deaths from opioids in 2023. Many of these deaths were young people who took what they thought was Percocet. Some were people who struggled with addiction for years. Nationally, 107,900 drug overdose deaths were reported in 2022, 73,838 of which involved synthetic opioids.

Now is the time to put even more focus on the problem locally and nationally. Washington and other states have introduced innovative programs to address the crisis. A national approach based on sound research is indeed needed.

TNS